Days 6 & 7 (game drives in Chobe)

We’ve been in Botswana near Chobe National Park for the last two days. It’s been interesting day the least. We’ve had 3 game drives in the park so far and one boat cruise in the Chobe River. 

We’ve seen hundreds of four-legged creatures and birds. Elephant, hippos, giraffe, Buffalo, Impala, Kudu, Honey Badger, Jackal, baboons,  red lechwe, monitor and crocodile. Birds we’ve 

seems include

The lion made a brief appearance by crossing the road but we only saw them from a distance. I could only see legs and body. Two of them. No sign of the leopard. 

It’s just been a fun two days. It’s amazing how beautiful the animals are and how they behave in their natural habitat. I can watch them again and again and not get bored. They have such unique personalities and their behaviors are not that much different to that of humans.

Yesterday we came across a herd of elephants and there were many young ones. One in particular was very restless. I think it got tired after a while and laid on the mud. Probably to rest but soon after wanted to get up. But that was a struggle. It just didn’t know how to and of course like all of us was learning. I think the effort he exerted was so much that he sent out a loud fart 😂 everyone gathered to watch them burst out laughing but the little one didn’t know and went about his efforts to get up from the mud.

Hippos are lazy. They lie in pods. A number of them together is called a pod of hippos. Some of them were loser males, which means they have lost their right to mate against another stronger bull. Now they are eating grass in the marsh trying to get bigger so they can have another go at winning a mate.

Baboons are hilarious but at the same time a real menace. They are everywhere in abundance and are out and moving all the time. There were lots of little babies to be seen being carried by their moms or piggg backing on them.

I really like the Kudus. A type of an antelope but like an elk is big and majestic and has spiraling antlers. I think they look beautiful. Impalas are like deer but with antlers that won’t grow if they break them. There were many of them. A single male has about 30 females. Those males who aren’t successful having a harem form a bachelor club 😜 too funny much like the men. Then they have to fight themselves or a leader in order to secure their right to mate with 30 or so females. 

Today morning was predominantly spent chasing after lions. They are elusive creatures and therefore hard to spot. Everyone flicks in their 4x4s to see them. The commotion would make anyone hide. So we only saw parts of two lions from a far. I don’t blame them. The funny thing is that they command so much respect and fear that all animals send warning signs. So the trackers can know that there are lions around. But finding them is a different story altogether. I felt bad for the guides. Also for some people who really wanted to see them. I did too but you know what they are cats and big ones at that. They like us have preferences, moods. So I get that they don’t want to sit by the roadside making a spectacle of themselves. 

The buffalos are nasty looking. But Ranil and I wondered why they were part of the big 5. After all they are just buffalos right? Before we get to that let’s talk or the big 5.

Many many years and decades ago men who would hunt named the big 5. They are the most difficult to hunt by food, as per guides. If you hunt them you must make sure you kill them the very first instance. If you miss or injure them they will hunt you down. No mercy. Apparently if two people went to shoot elephants and only one off them pulled a trigger to kill a member of the herd, the other will remember you for 20 years and if the two were to encounter any member of herd they will kill the one who pulled the trigger 😲

So why the buffalo. Apparently out of the 5 they are the meanest for no reason other than they just happen to not like you at the time. One of the guides said that with all the others in the big 5, you can gauge when they get angry. Their moods are visible so you have time to get out of the way. But with the buffalo there isn’t such a mood gauge. One minute they look passive and docile and the next minute they are charging you. So the unpredictability or it makes them hard to kill and to make matters worse they travel in large herds. 

Oh there are the big 5: lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo. We won’t be seeing any rhinos because most have been poached and the rest have been transferred to safe places. 

It’s very interesting to learn about each of the animals and their behaviors and also see them in their natural habitat. I’ve really enjoyed the 3 game drives we’ve had.

I couldn’t go for the 4th one because I got a bit of a stomach flu and felt ill and pukish and feverish. So Ranil went on his own and I stayed to get some rest.

Tomorrow we are off to SavutI. Another part of the Chobe park where there more dry land with low bushes, making it ideal for spotting wildlife. We are taking a charter flight from Kasane to Savuti tomorrow morning. Hopefully I’d feel a lot better than today. 

Day 5 - Botswana

A couple of months before we were to travel to Africa, I saw that Botswana plans to life the elephant hunt ban. So I read up on it. Apparently the population had grown so much that they are becoming destructive of human crops and other stuff. So the locals are not happy and the government was under pressure to do something about it especially to the elections around the corner. But they were also keenly aware that it might have a negative impact on tourism. Botswana has been known for its conservation efforts. This is also the reason why we decided to travel to Botswana. So I was kind of disappointed. 

Then a few days before I left I saw that they had actually lifted the hunting ban of elephants. I think it’s a big mistake. Yes we have to stop them from destroying human crops, properties and livelihood. I am all for it. But it cannot or should not be done through hunting. 

I really didn’t have a solid reason as to why not until I was flying to South Africa. 

It occurred to me that elephants are some of the smartest animals next to humans. I have read somewhere that after a human and maybe an ape, elephants as babies have to learn to be an elephant. So that means it requires training and learning. They also have memories that span decades. They also grieve their dead as you can see from elephant grave yards. They are also very strong. 

Combined all of that, I think if we start hunting them, it’s only a matter of time they will learn that they ate being hunted. They will also most likely recognize that they are being hunted by humans. I think this is where the danger is. If they put these two together I think it might pose a huge risk to humans one that far supersceeda the threat we have now. Right now it’s only the locals. Going forward it could be any human including those who are tourists. 

So I feel people should find a way other than hunting then down. I mean aren’t human population one too many now?! How would we feel if someone start hunting us because we pose a threat to the long term well being of each other and the planet? How do we decide which one to go? Which member of the family to be put down? Would you chose a family member if you were made to make that choice? Or how would you feel if someone did that for you? 

I think it’s time we stop devaluing life no matter which form it appears in. Life is precious no matter who it is. Even a small ant doesn’t want to die or be hurt. It might not have a strong enough cognitive skills to realize and respond the way we do. But they sure feel the pain. I also don’t believe for a second that God created everything for the human consumption. First of all I don’t think God would be that stupid or selfish. I also don’t think He/She will give sole power to a group of beings. I think it’s the selfish nature of us humans that’s has manipulated even what God will and will not do. 

So we should take a pause and reflect what other ways we have to reduce the growing impact of over population of elephants. Surely we are capable enough to think and come up with alternatives other than hunting? Or is hunting the most convenient because it also promises money coming into Botswana through hunting permits etc. I think we always ought to come up with a compassionate way of handling these things. I think we forget that we are not the only ones who think and feel. We are not the only ones who feel loss and grief. Others too. If we are causing that to anyone else, no matter what shape and form they come in, then we are putting ourselves out there for the same to happen to us. Life is funny and it has a way of boomeranging on you. What goes around comes around. Circle of life and if all these philosophical stuff is mambo jumbo to you, read Newton’s third law which is for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction! 

Day 4

Today morning was a treat. We saw many wild life - bush buck, impala, ox and birds. Yesterday evening we saw two elephants. They all come to the water hole. It’s fascinating to watch them in their one way of being. Also we, without a plan, was able to be here for the vulture feeding time. Everyday at 1pm they feed the vultures. It’s part of their conservation effort to save vultures. Right about the time hundreds of vultures start to gather in the skies. When the guy goes out to put the meat out, they fly down and flock around him in a half circle. I think it’s because the other half are crowded by human spectators. Even when the meat if thrown they don’t come to take it until the guy leaves. They just patiently or rather impatiently wait and once the guy leaves suddenly flocks and attack’s the meat. As they scoop in for the meat we could get a pacifist smell from the vultures. Must have been vulture smell.

The conservation project is because vultures are endangered species. I didn’t know that. I thought there were too many of them. They are the great scavengers and cleaners if carcasses that they help in spreading infectious diseases from animals to human by eating dead animals. 

But for a number of reasons that I cannot remember specifically why they are dying. Partly because of cyanide and other chemicals injected into the bodies of animals by farmers. When the animals die the vultures feed on them. Sometimes they are killed right there. Other times the mothers take feed to the young and then they die or they dies as a result of a parent dying. He also mentioned that over generations the vulture egg shell can get soft so that before the chicks could hatch the eggs crack. Many of these reasons have contributed towards the decline of the vulture population. 

Day 3

The nights in Victoria falls come with a lot of noise from the dwellers of the bush. Elephants,  maybe dogs or hyenas can be heard through out the night. The skies are so clear that you can see the starts splattered all over. Reminds of Temons comments referring to the stars as a bunch of fire flies. They are so clear.

Waking up to the sunrise was a quiet affair. Nothing is more soothing than the quietness and the coolness and the beauty that surrounds you. It’s a perfect place for meditation or even a monastery. Nature literally absorbs you. I find that so refreshing. I feel like my mind and body is healing with each breath I take.

It’s also a great place to bond. In fact traveling to remote parts in the world and of nature has helped Ranil and into strengthen our relationship. We aren’t just people who are married, we are also each other’s best friends, guides, coaches, critics and a shoulder to lean on. It is also helped by the fact that we travel by ourselves and hardly ever with anyone else and certainly not in groups. It’s difficult to spend a few weeks removed from everyone and everything and enjoy one another unless there is a strong foundation of love, trust, companionships than is mutually enjoyable. Also you do not have distractions to take a hard look at each other. Your are forced to deal with another human as much as your own self. Only a meditator will understand what it takes to learn to live with yourself in a profound and compassionate way. 

We feel our travels have greatly contributed towards the well being of our relationship. It’s has deepened it and broadened it. I feel that we’ve been blessed in so many ways. I feel life has blessed us and we always make it a point to give back to it. Be it through the work that we each do the causes that we work for and contribute toward we feel it’s necessary to give to life in one way or the other. 

Gratitude and Privilege

Ranil and I have travelled quite a bit considering we are relatively young. We done all the continents except Antarctica. We’ve done multiple counties within regions and visited some of the most beautiful and remote places on earth. Each time we go, we are reminded of what a privilege it is that we can do what we do. It also asks us to be humble and grateful for all that we get to see and experience.

Nature is majestic. There is no power that parallels nature and what it offers. If you are someone who believes in a God it will feel like you are in His/Her presence. We don’t believe a God. But we feel the power of nature whenever we travel. We are reminded again and again that we are only a small speck in this world and that there are things that are more powerful and beautiful than you can ever comprehend. It also tells me that we are also very much part of that greatness but that is a choice we have to make. 

We are the very fabric of the nature that surrounds us, if we allow it to to be. We are fed and nourished by it. To me it minds me of our own birth, life and death and how much beauty and meaning we can inject into it if we chose to be part of the greatness that’s in front of us. 

We were standing in front of the Victoria Falls today and I had shivers, like I do whenever I’m in the presence of nature with a clear presence of mind. We are grateful that we get to recognize that we are it and it is us. 

Whenever I am surrounded by nature I find that I am healed. It doesn’t happen in cities but when there is plenty of space unhindered and unobstructed by building and things and covered in man made noise, I feel that I feel better physically and even if I’m not I feel uplifted in spirits and absorbed into the vastness that’s nature! I find that fascinating. For years I called myself a city dweller or even a city girl but over the last few years I feel like I want to move away from that hustle and bustle. Maybe not all the time but some of the time to allow myself to feel the power of all that isn’t man made.

We’ve come to rely on our ability to manipulate things and beings. Also we seem so sure of ourselves and how we are able to carve out our surrounds to meet our goals / needs. I find that to be a bit disturbing. Nature allows me to see that there is not a lot within our control. That there is a course /a path that nature takes that whether we like it or not we ought to give into. I feel that more when I travel. But that doesn’t bother me. In fact it makes me feel relieved. But when I’m at home I can feel fear and agitation creep in to my head. Even through I don’t know why, i attribute it to the fact that nature has a way of reminding us of what is beautiful can also be ugly, what is dangerous can also be gentle, what is born dies, no matter how where you are in the food chain or hierarchy you all end up having to give that up through death or sickness or simply because it’s no longer your time. These reminders soothes me. I don’t know why and how and perhaps someday I’ll understand or maybe I won’t. But that’s ok, I just know there is something that I feel when i travel to remote places surrounded by nature, that is soothing and calming and yet a stark reminder of how limited our times is; how imperfect we are, and how one can be perfect in its imperfections. 

To these I am grateful. Because traveling opens up my way of looking at things differently because I have to, because nature makes you do so in a fierce yet but a natural way. I am grateful that it shapes me. I am grateful that it teaches me. I’m constantly aware of it and therefore is incredibly respectful of it. Nature has to be respected....even revered. For without it I won’t be here and I will not feel nourished and healed again and again . 

Joburg to Victoria Falls

Took the flight from Joburg to Victoria falls. Very short flight and as we were preparing to land we could see in the far distance the mist rising from the Victoria falls. The international airport was a tiny little speck in the middle of the African wilderness. It was interesting.

We are the Victoria safari lodge and it’s beautifully done. Has that rustic wilderness feeling to it. Right in front of the hotel is a water hole. We were barely there for an hour when we spotted some impala, elephant, birds and a waterhog. It was interesting to say the least.

Then off we were on our Zambezi River cruise. Had our first sightings of hippos, elephants, crocodiles and birds (Egyptian geese, plover?! And a kingfisher) 

So far people have been fun and easy to hang with, I mean the nationals. They are friendly easy going people.

Africa - Day 1 (Johannesburg)

Today we got to Johannesburg, South Africa. This is our first time in the continent of Africa and we are excited to experience it in the new two weeks. 

Getting here was tough for I was recovering from first a hamstring strain and then a neck strain. As always my body has something up its sleeve and lob while I got a head cold on our way from Chicago to London and now in the process of having sneezing fits and headaches. Wasn’t even sure how I’d be able to do a day tour of Johannesburg which we had planned months ago. 

But I pulled through some now. 

Going to see the Mandela house, apartheid museum were two of the highlights of the day. Although we could barely keep our eyes opened during the first half of the day we still managed to get a feel for the turbulent history of South Africa and it’s path towards a more equal and unified country. 

It is indeed disturbing to say the least to see how the local communities were treated by the Dutch, the British and the French. They came for the gold and diamonds. But used the locals as slaves and never shared the profits of what they took from the locals and their inheritance. Almost 30 years after apartheid was abolished, I still feel the oppression of a bygone era lingering in Johannesburg.

Our guide was a while English man who has turned into a local. He speaks 7 languages out of which 4 are local African languages. He’s pretty much at home here. We had a good lesson in history as he drove us through the streets of the city. Also we got to ask many questions. It was interesting to learn how the society and laws have moved to give the local black communities more right and freedoms. It was very interesting to note that most blacks get their education free while the white are made to pay for their education. Anyone who earns below a particular wage also gets free healthcare while all others have to pay for it. Listening to my guide I felt that there is a feeling of reverse discrimination taking place. Priority for jobs are given to blacks. But partly because they are cheaper than hiring highly qualifies white. 

There is much poverty despite these efforts and the governments that have been in power have not been in service of the people, unlike the visions set forth by their great Nelson Mandela.

It was interesting going through the museum. I felt Mandela’s presence in all aspects of its quest for freedom. He felt like a man who had a visions and went for it. He fought for what he believed and made it his mission to remove apartheid. But I am no longer sure if that vision was passed down to later generations. Or perhaps in the struggle for power, greed obscured what was a hard fought battle over decades with much sacrifice. One thing I found fascinating was that Mandela remained on the list of CIAs most wanted terrorists list until he died (or was it two years before he died anyways) I was shocked at that. I mean the man won the Noble peace prize?! Apparently Mandela was friends with Fidel Castro and Castro helped ANC movement. So that didn’t bode well with the Americans!! Such narrow minded hypocrisy. I mean the whites oppressed and suppressed the blacks and use them for slavery. Some were tortured and killed. But none of them were taken to task by the Americans but boy did they declare the guy who fought for his right to be free, his people’s right to be free, a terrorist. What a joke. And oh so typical. 

Anyways it was interesting.

We also ate some local foods. Corn (pap) is a staple diet amongst Africans. It’s a substitute for rice which is an expensive items apparently. 

Soweto (south western townships) was also interesting. It’s mostly developed for the miners as lodging. What’s most interesting is that right across from them is an area called the “Beverly hills of Joburg”. What a contrast going from single storey dwellings to mansions. 

It was a day for much discussion for both of us. The history here is dark and brutal. Unemployment is at around 30%. Apparently when apartheid was in force the unemployment was around 7%. Mostly because the international community imposed sanctions on South Africa and as a result made the local manufacture their own stuff but once apartheid was removed the sanctions lifted and everything started to flood in from outside that the inside manufacturing was lost and along with it the jobs. Sometimes it’s such an irony how life gives but also takes. It’s difficult to say something is good without looking at the long term interplay of things and their outcomes.

Day 1 has been interesting but also exhausting. We got back around 3 and slept for a couple of hours only to get up to have dinner so we could take our malaria pills. Oh the delights of travelling to Africa....malaria, Hep A and typhoid....and now a full blown cold. As a I said life has a way of balancing things out.

Tomorrow we are off to Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls. Let’s hope all goes smooth. We catch a flight in the morning.