After sharing photos from our initial 2004 trip to Botswana and Namibia with dear friends, Buff and Jerry Corsi, they asked if we'd consider returning to these countires as Bufff wished to see and photograph many of the same areas WITH us. Since we'd REALLY enjoyed the trip, we immediately agreed. Rich contacted Brent Reed at Letaka Safaris www.letakasafaris.com, as he'd been an excellent driver/guide. As they'd done in 2004, Rich and Brent sent a series of e-mails over several months before finalizing the details for our trip and the Corsis' did the same with Brent's younger brother, Grant.
During this process, it became evident there was an almost 2 week gap between the date our Cheeseman tour of Madagascar ended and the Letaka Safari could begin. After some discussion, it was decided rather than making the long (27 - 32 hours total) flight twice, we would contact Rod Cassidy www.african-silver-safaris.com for some suggestions. We had enjoyed his tutelage on a Field Guides Inc. trip through South Africa in 2004, also. Fortunately for us, Rod was able to schedule and arrange a ~2 week tour to Zambia and accompany us, too.
Therefore, text/images which follow are from these 3 countries. We begin in Zambia-
The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by Cecil Rhode's South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over by the British in 1923. During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining spurred development and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia upon gaining independence in 1964 when we were in our early teens. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper prices and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end to one-party rule, but the subsequent vote in 1996 saw blatant harassment of opposition parties. The election in 2001 was marked by administrative problems with three parties filing a legal petition challenging the election of ruling party candidate Levy MWANAWASA. The new president launched a far-reaching anti-corruption campaign in 2002, which resulted in the prosecution of former President Frederick CHILUBA and many of his supporters in late 2003. Opposition parties currently hold a majority of seats in the National Assembly.
The population is ~11,265,000 and the average life exptectancy at birth is 39.7 years. The HIV/AIDS prevalance rate is estimated to be 16.5%. The climate is tropical and VERY altitude dependent. Despite progress in privatization and budgetary reform, Zambia's economic growth remains somewhat below the 5% to 7% needed to reduce poverty significantly. Privatization of government-owned copper mines relieved the government from covering mammoth losses generated by the industry and greatly improved the chances for copper mining to return to profitability and spur economic growth. Copper output increased in 2004 and was expected to increase again in 2005, due to higher copper prices and the opening of new mines. The maize harvest was again good in 2004, helping boost GDP and agricultural exports. Cooperation continues with international bodies on programs to reduce poverty, including a new lending arrangement with the IMF in the second quarter, 2004. A tighter monetary policy will help cut inflation, but Zambia still is believed to have a serious problem with fiscal discipline. However, the people are VERY friendly and it is considered an extremely SAFE country.
Zambia is located in the 3rd tier of countries up in the African continent. It is land-locked, but has many great rivers and shares Victoria Falls with Zimbabwe.
We met Rod Cassidy at the Johannesburg International Airport and flew together to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. There we were met by staff from nearby Chaminuka Lodge and whisked through immigration and customs. We were then taken to 'the place on the hill' lodge, which was inspired by the design of an African village. It is laid out on the eastern crest of Chaminuka Hill and within the largest private nature reserve in the country. It is also known for its collection of African art and sculpture from over 35 African countries, which was obtained over 50 years, including the period when ivory trade was legal. See http://www.chaminuka.com/ for additional photos.
A female Kafue Lechwe leaps into action upon our vehicle's approach. This species, along with the Lichenstein Hartebeest and the Puku below are almost exclusive to Zambia, a country known as the "REAL" Africa.
A dark morph of the Wahlberg's Eagle peers down at us.
GIraffe were a common sighting.
A inquisitive Lichenstein Hartebeest gazes back at us before walking away. The distinctive horn pattern aids with ID.
A Puku keeps watch as others graze.
A male Scarlet-chested Sunbird perched on a perimeter fence briefly.
Following a restful evening and a morning game drive and breakfast, we left Chaminuka Lodge and returned to the Lusaka airport. From there we flew Zambian Airways via Chipata to Mfuwe which is located near South Luangwa National Park in the southern part of the Luangwa Valley. This is a small 'tail' of the great Rift Valley, which runs from the Dead Sea in Israel down the length of East Africa. The ever-changing Luangwa River, one of the few large rivers in the world which is not dammed, flows through the park on its way to join the Zambezi River at the border of Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It is the life-blood of the wildlife in this area. This area is low in altitude and experiences higher temperatures than the rest of Zambia. The park covers an area of 9,050 square kilometres or 2,235,400 acres. We were picked up at the airport by a female guide from Wildlife Camp, where we stayed in one of their chalets several nights.
Wildlife Camp is situated on land owned by the Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia. It is operated under their auspices and 60% of all the accommodation and camping fees are donated to the society, which in return supports the wildlife and people of the Luangwa Valley and Zambia. For additional information please visit http://www.wildlifecamp-zambia.com/
Several troops of Yellow Baboons came near the Camp, often toting young.
During one of our many night drives, we spotted this Three-Banded (Heuglin's) Courser. This species is largely nocturnal, roosting under bushes during the day.
This herd of African Elephansts with young were near Wildlife Camp.
Thornicroft's Giraffe is only found here. It is a relatively small giraffe with shorter, white legs with hardly any demarcations and very even and clear markings on the body.
Hippos were plentiful and easily annoyed as evidenced by this aggressive pose below.
A Southern Ground Hornbill feeds on grubs in the dirt.
A lioness looks back as we pass.
Private automobile ownership is uncommon and locals usually travel by other means.
An Openbill Stork feeds in a marshy area.
A White-crowned Plover stalks along the Luangwa River.
While on walking safaris, we were required to have an armed guard for safety. This was in addition to our driver, who is standing by Rod.
The Sausage Tree with its big sausage-like fruits (evident below) is one of the most important trees for wildlife. Elephants and giraffe eat the young fruit as well as the leaves. During the driest season, the mature fruits which have dropped to the ground save animals like hippos, baboons and zebras from starvation. The big red flowers, rich in moisture and nectar, are favored by most of the antelopes, fruit bats, birds and baboons. Humans also use the fruits: local medicine men apply it to ulcers and sores and women eat it to increase milk production. Western medicine has used a substance from the fruit to treat skin cancer.
A Saddle-billed Stork looks for food while Eqyptian Geese forage in the background.
A Yellow-billed Stork eats a small crustacean.
A female Bennett's woodpecker makes its way up a tree trunk.
Leaving Wildcamp, we stopped at Tribal Textiles, a community project run by local villagers attempting to improve their lives and provide aid to the village school. There we purchased several banners and pillow coverings (now in our WindandSea home) before continuing on to the Mfuwe Airport. Order from www.tribaltextiles.com.
Usiing a smaller aircraft similar to this one, we took a charter flight into Kasanka National Park, a smaller park with a variety of attractive landscapes and associated wildlife. It lies near the final resting place of Dr. Livingstone, an earlier explorer. If interested, please see www.kasanka.com.
We split our time between Wasa and Luwombwa Lodges. Both were very comfortable: solar power for electricity and foot/hand power to pump the water. We could also request hot water. It was heated in a large boiler and brought by bucket up a ladder to be poured into a small tank on the roof of our chalet before showering.
Yellow Baboons were plentiful here, also.
A wary White-cheeked Bee-eater poses on a papyrus reed.
Note the tail streamers on this pair of Böhm's Bee-eaters.
Rich birds from the porch of our Wasa camp chalet which was captured with a fish-eye lens.
One day we flew from Wasa to Shoebill Island in search of the prehistoric-appearing Shoebill Heron.
Landing at Shoebill, we became aware of several men with guns surrounding an individual in leg-irons, who was forced aboard after we de-planed. We learned he had been caught subsistence poaching with a home-made gun: he'd shot a Black Lechwe in order to feed his family. He'd been convicted and sentenced to serve 5 years in jail.
After driving a considerable distance in the Bangweulu Floodplains, we left our vehicle and were soon transported across the Lukulu River by local villagers. Rod holds on during his crossing.
The villagers build their papyrus reed homes on raised knolls, in hope of being above the water level when the rains come and flood the grass plains. Here we were each loaned a pair of knee-high wading boots for use in the rice paddies and swamps: unfortunately, the water was often waist-high deep!
Small fish are trapped along the raised dikes and dried. This is usually the only protein as the villagers commonly consume maize (corn) meal mush, beans or sometimes rice at each meal.
Rich graciously accepted the assistance of some of the people from the local village, whom he tipped well upon our return.
Shoebill Heron: this prehistoric looking creature is a much sought-after species by birders. We were VERY pleased to see one, though we had NEVER worked so hard to add a species to our Life List. (NOTE: Dean did NOT take this borrowed photo.)
This area is home to massive herds of Black Lechwe; a few which appear here.
Fülleborn's Longclaw appears a bit like a Western Meadowlark.
We also saw Rosy-breasted Longclaws in the plains.
Side-striped Jackals mark their territory as we approach.
Flying back to the landing strip near Wasa Lodge, we saw this herd of Black Lechwe.
The leaves of the Mopane forest turn gold and red during the dry season creating a spectacular sight from the air.
Retz's Red-billed Helmet-Shrike have striking colors.
A Miombo Double-collared Sunbird peers back through leaves.
A Sitatunga moves away into the marsh. This uncommon bovine has long, splayed hooves, an adaptation for living on boggy ground.
An African Moustached Warbler comes out of the shade.
Who needs a Stairmaster for excercise? This young Zambian pumps water for Wasa Camp using the same action.
Leaving Kasanka, we flew via charter plane back to Lusaka. Many brush fires were evident. From Lusaka, we flew back to Johannesburg, SA where we were met by his wife, Tamar, who drove us to Pretoria. There we were overnight guests of Rod and his gracious family. With his expert assistance, we saw 250 species of birds and heard 8 others, while also viewing 40 species of mammals. It was a beautiful start to the southern African installment of our odyssey.
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Rod returned us to the Johannesburg International Airport and we boarded an Air Botswana flight to Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta, in Ngamiland. Since our earlier Letaka Safari, Brent Reed and his wife, Ashleigh, and his brother Grant Reed and his girlfriend, Trudy, both built houses on a large compound near Maun. Ashleigh had e-mailed us an invitation to be their FIRST overnight guests: an honor we promptly accepted. After our arrival, Brent retrieved us from the airport and drove us to their property (below) which backs up to the Thamalakane River.
Brent and Ashleigh relaxing in their new home.
Grant and Trudi with their home in the background.
That night, Ashleigh and Brent hosted a fun dinner party for us. We enjoyed meeting Hannah, a Brit whom we'd only 'known' through e-mails from Letaka Safaris, as she manages their office. She was accompanied by her boyfriend, Andrew, who is from Zimbabwe (his parents are still there) and a skillful (see below) helicopter pilot. We had a wonderful evening, regaled with stories from other Letaka Safaris and the Reed brothers' and Andrew's childhood, while eating a tasty meal and downing many Amstel beers.
Stitch and Wax, Ashleigh and Brent's dogs, provided us with much-needed 'dog-fixes' before we departed on safari.
An African Grey Hornbill came into the Reed Compound just before breakfast. We considred it an EXCELLENT omen. After eating, we began another adventure on the African continent as we headed out in our Toyota Landcruiser.
Speeding along the Trans-Kalahari Highway towards Windhoëk and our Lake Ngami destination, Brent slammed on the brakes, lept from the vehicle and chased down this rose-colored Mole snake, which he then showed us.
He explains the snakes anatomy while Dean grimaces as he dislikes snakes, but trusts Brent.
A Purple Roller, the largest of the rollers, leans into the wind and hangs on at Lake Ngami where we had LOTS of mosquitos during our overnight. Grant had picked up Buff and Jerry at the airport and met us here. We were glad to see them.
An alert Lilac-breasted Roller, the National Bird of Botswana, perches on elephant dung momentarily before taking flight as we drive toward our next campsite.
A Swallow-tailed Bee-eater is the only bee-eater with a deeply forked tail.
A curious giraffe looks back.
A Spotted Hyanea lies down near a burrow.
Leaving early from the second overnight campsite, we came upon a pride of recently well-fed lions. The light was still 'low and lovely' and it was a joy to observe them.
These two sisters took turns grooming one another.
This Jungle King was struggling to keep his eyes open.
This lioness had an intensely curious approach to our presence.
Brent contacted Grant by radio and we were soon sharing our discovery with Buff and Jerry, too.
This day Grant, Buff and Jerry hosted us for mid-morning tea/coffee.
Though Wattled Cranes are not amongst the 3 members of the Crane Family which we haven't seen, we again enjoyed their beauty and graceful motions.
A female Burchell's Sandgrouse freezes in hopes we've not seen her.
A Burchell's Zebra pauses with Red-billed and Yellow-billed Oxpeckers on its back.
Southern Carmine Bee-eaters were plentiful near our Lechwe Camp.
This one works to consume it's namesake: a bee.
An African Fish Eagle poses above a pond near Lechwe Camp. Notice it's superficial resemblance to our Bald Eagle.
Grant strikes a pensive pose while scanning the horizon for game.
Brent pauses with his rifle before we depart on a walking safari.
Rich follows Brent into the bush in hopes of filming a Lesser Jacana: they were successful.
While still at Lechwe Camp, Brent and Hannah arranged for Andrew to fly his helicopter up and take us on an early morning sight-seeing trip. After landing, Andrew removed the doors and took the 4 of us, Buff, Jerry, Dean and Rich on an hour long flight for filming.
Andrew made flying the 'chopper' look easy in spite of the maze of dials and controls. His skill was evident as we soared smoothly over the plains and wildlife.
Our Lechwe Camp from the air as we departed for a tour of the Okavango Delta.
The Khwai River flows through the desert.
An African elephant shies away.
A giraffe looks up from his grazing.
Two hippos swim away from us.
A Spotted Hyena snarls before charging off.
A male Red Lechwe leaps into action.
The plains stretch out in front of us as we fly over the Delta.
A small herd of Burchell's zebras run from our approaching aircraft.
After landing and taking a group shot, we departed on a game drive.
We located an elephant which had died or been killed recently. Nearby these two Maribou Storks were waiting to clean up after the vultures left.
Many of the vultures were already full, too.
This was all that was left of the elephant.
Returning to camp, Anton proudly showed us what he had cooking for dinner.
Elephants warily watched us leave our camp and head north/east.
This Swallow-tailed Bee-eater in Kwahi let us get much closer than the one at Lake Ngami.
Buff prepares to film one of her favorite subjects: ELEPHANTS.
A young bull elephant drinks in the middle of the Khwai River.
Rich sets up his small Canon video camera to capture some of the action, too.
A group of elephants drinks from the opposite shore of the Khwai River.
An African Jacana with its long toes is known by many birders as one of the "Jesus Christ" birds, as it 'walks on water'. (NO disrespect meant!)
Sisters within a pride, these lionesses were slow to arouse as they appeared well-fed. The young male below kept other mammals from coming to the nearby water hole.
These members of the pride, which numbered 27 lions, are finishing eating an ~4 year-old elephant. Our guides theorized it may have become weak during the drought in the Chobe area. This pride was quite intelligent, staying within a day's distance from this water hole, they had plenty of prey whenever they became hungry.
Grant and Brent have their mid-morning tea/coffee after they've served us clients. They were VERY considerate guides; as they're both photographers, we didn't have to tell them about the lighting.
A stunning pair of beautiful Double-banded Sandgrouse look back: female-above left and male-lower right.
A long-legged Secretary Bird stride through the grasses.
A crisp Crimson-breasted Shrike poses on a limb near our vehicle.
A Greater Blue-eared Starling shifts amongst the leaves.
A Saddle-billed Stork peers back at us. Due to the brown eyes, this is a male bird; the female has yellow eyes.
A photo as we finish REAL "Sundowners" as those of us in Brent's vehicle had to get Grant's rig unstuck from the river first:-).
A Burchell's Zebra glances back as we pass.
Antelope sex in Savuti: short and sweet while on the lookout for possible predators!
A juvenile Verreaux's Eagle-owl sleeps during the daytime.
This elephant draped his trunk over his longer tusk.
Closeup of the grasping/stripping of leaves an elephant performs frequently in order to consume 500 - 600 pounds of food each day using the 100,000 muscles in its trunk.
A male Melba Finch peers back from a bush.
Helmuted Guinea-fowl come to drink while others keep a watchful eye.
A male lion attempts to stifle a yawn.
Definitely a SNARL!
This young lioness played for some time with this white handkerchief.
We watched this male and 6 female lions drink from the water hole their larger pride, as mentioned above, controls: there were NO interruptions.
Shade-time after lunch, during the heat of mid-day, frequently found Dean, Brent, Jerry and Grant on their laptops/notebook and Rich reviewing video on his mini-dv player. Letaka Safaris had wired their vehicles so that we could charge batteries during the long game drives or overnight. While we were traveling, Brent received and setup a USB Satellite and modem, which enabled him to communicate with their office in Maun or even surf the 'Net, though the later was quite expensive.
A Barred Owlet looks down at Dean as he photographs through some branches. The Owlet is listening to Brent play the call of a Barred Owlet through his iPod and speaker, which we purchased in the US and delivered to them via their father in Johannesburg, SA on our way to Zambia. Both Brent and Grant were already quite skilled with using their iPods in a responsible manner by the time we departed on this safari. It DEFINITELY added to our enjoyment AND filming of the birds.
White-browed Scrub-robin responds to a call.
A series of sunset exposures near our camp in the Savuti area of Chobe NP.
An African Warthog marches toward a water hole.
A stout-bodied Waterbuck stops his feeding to watch our intentions as we drive northerly toward the Caprivi region of Namibia between Angola, Zambia and Botswana.
The Caprivia Region has a unique history as until the end of the 19th Century it was known as Itenge and under the rule of the Lozi Kings. In the late 1800's, the strip of land was administered as part of the British protectorate of Bechuanaland (Botswana). Then in 1890, Germany laid claim to the British-administered island of Zanzibar, which raised objection from Britain. The dispute was settled by the Berlin Conference in 1890 when Queen Victoria acquired Zanzibar and Germany acquired the territory which became known as the Caprivi Strip, named after German Chancellor General Count Georg Leo von Caprivi di Montecuccoli. The German reason for the swap was to acquire a strip of land linking German South West Africa (Namibia) with the Zambezi River to provide easy access to Tanganyika (Tanzania) and ultimately the Indian Ocean. Unfortunately for the Germans, the Brish colonisation of Rhodesia (Zimbabwe and Zambia) stopped them well upstream of Victoria Falls, which proved a considerable barrier to navigation of the Zambezi. During WW I, the Caprivi Strip again came under British rule and was governed as part of Bechuanaland, receiving little attention and becoming known as a 'lawless frontier'. Nowadays, it is part of Namibia again and home to ~66,000 people, mostly subsistence farmers who make their living on the banks of the Zambezi, Kwando, Linyati and Chobe Rivers.
Stopping for lunch in the Caprivi strip, we spy a Little Bee-eater with its blue eyeshadow.
A Black-headed Oriole looks back as we pass beneath on a natural trail along the river at Namushasha Lodge. Luckily this was BEFORE both Brent and Rich became ill.
A large flock of Southern Carmine Bee-eaters above their evolving colony on the bank of the Kwando river below.
A Pygmy Kingfisher watches us pass in our boat.
A small, short-billed, male Collared Sunbird posed briefly before flying onward to feed.
Just a few grasses can almost obscure a Cervil hunting near the embankment.
A Wire-tailed Swallow pauses momentarily.
A pair of Groundscraper Thrush defend their territory to another's song from the iPod.
Passing through one of the many towns on our way to Etosha National Park, we saw these two Herero woman. During the 16th and 17th centuries, Herero migrated from the Zambezi Valley into present-day Namibia near the Kunene River in Kaokoland.
Herero are proud cattle farmers who measure their wealth in cattle. The importance of cattle to these people is even evident in the Herero womens' dress. The traditional dress is derived from a Victorian woman's dress. It consists of an enormous crinoline worn over several petticoats along with a horn-shaped hat, said to represent the horns of a cow, made from rolled cloth. They came into conflict with the San and competed with the Khoikhoi for the lushest grazing lands. Eventually, most indigenous groups submitted to the Herero. With the Himba, they are thought to number ~180,000. This is nearly 1 tenth of 1,826,854 the total estimated population of Namibia. ~150 years ago, a large portion of the Herero population moved southwards leaving the Himba and Tjimba tribes behind.
A Pale Chanting Goshawk stares back from his bush by the road---note the left leg is 'ringed'.
The largest bird on earth to fly, we enjoyed watching this Kori Bustard, a species which can weigh up to 40 pounds.
We enjoyed watching a herd of Eland.
A younger Eland came a bit closer.
Etosha National Park was created in 1907 and originally consisted of an area of 100,000 square kilometers. But in the 1960's, political pressure resulted in it being reduced to an area of 22 270 square km. It is home to 114 mammal species, 340 bird species, 110 reptile species, 16 amphibian species and, surprisingly, one species of fish.
Etosha, meaning "Great White Place", is dominated by a massive mineral pan. You can see it stretching out beyond these elephants. The pan is part of the Kalahari Basin, the floor of which was formed ~1,000 million years ago. The Etosha Pan covers around 25% of the National Park. The pan was originally a lake fed by the Kunene River. However the course of the river changed thousands of years ago and the lake dried up. The pan now is a large dusty depression of salt and dusty clay which fills only if the rains are heavy and even then only holds water for a short time. This temporary water in the Etosha Pan attracts thousands of wading birds including impressive flocks of flamingos. The perennial springs along the edges of the Etosha Pan draw large concentrations of wildlife and birds, also.
A San legend regarding formation of the Etosha Pan tells how a village was raided and everyone but the women were slaughtered. One woman was so upset about the death of her family she cried until her tears formed a massive lake. When the lake dried up nothing was left apart from a huge white pan.
The game viewing in Etosha National Park is excellent, the best time being from May to September - the cooler months in Namibia. There is a network of roads linking the three campsites and subsidiary roads lead to various waterholes.
The elephants are drinking from one of the waterholes mentioned above.
An African Scops Owl attempts to sleep in a mopane tree at Halali Camp. The resort's name, of German origin, is derived from the bugle call that announces the end of a hunt.
A Pygmy Falcon looks back at us from its perch at Okaukuejo Camp in Etosha.
The main attraction of Okaukuejo Camp, the parks oldest, is the permanent waterhole. It is floodlit at night, giving visitors an opportunity to see some of the shy, nocturnal wildlife such as the Black Rhinoceras below. Between 1970 and 1992, the population of this species decreased 96%. In 1970, it was estimated that there were approximately 65,000 Black Rhinos in Africa. By 1992-93, there were only 2,300 surviving in the wild. However, since 1996, intense anti-poaching efforts have produced encouraging results. Numbers have been stopped declining and are now back up to about 3,610 and still increasing. Nevertheless, the poaching threat remains great
A Common GIraffe and several Burchell's Zebras drink at mid-day.
This Crimson-breasted Shrike posed well.
A Greater Kudu walks past our safari rig.
A Cape Glossy Starling looks for food.
One can almost hear the ROAR!!!
A single Giraffe stands guard as the others spread their hooves, drop down and drink.
Leaving Etosha, we drove west and then north into Damaraland to Palmwag Lodge, which is situated on the Uniab River in NW Namibia. This location served as a launch point for our excursion to visit the Himba or Ovahimba, a nomadic tribe of people who broke away from the Herero. Within the concession area around the lodge are a population of desert adapted elephants and rhino.
Rich almost got to know this desert elephant TOO well. For those whom have heard the story, this elephant is the one which charged him while he was filming it. Fortunately, there was a grove of palm trees nearby into which Rich could dash and the elephant did not follow.
An African Hoopoe raises its long, erectile crest while opening its long, decurved bill.
A male Namaqua Sandgrouse, endemic to SW Africa, where it is the only sandgrouse with a long, pointed tail, freezes as we pass.
Departing very early (4:30 AM), we drove northerly, stopping here to have one of our flat tires repaired. One of the young men (pictured above in blue pants) offers to guide us to where there may be Himba living in a small village. As they are semi-nomadic, he admits they may have moved on if the grazing has become poor.
Our luck holds and we arrive at a small village after shopping for gifts to share with them (see below even though this part of the interchange actually occurs at the end of our visit): Arriving guests are only asked, 'did you bring me something?' The Chief, or in his abscence, his wife, looks you over and decides if you might visit.
The Himba (or Ovahimba) - 'those who ask for things' are descended from a group of Herero herders who were displaced by Nama warriors in the 19th Century. They fled to this remote area in the Northwest where they continue their semi-nomadic lifestyle, raising sheep, goats and some cattle. They largely eschew the modern world, but do accept 'gifts' in exchange for access to their culture. This was a somewhat different concept for us to contemplate, but we decided it was an extension of who this tribe had been for centruries...'those who ask for things'.
It is believed that Kaokoland is home to some 6,000 Himba. These people are closely related to the Herero and speak the same language. The Himba are herdsmen, breeding mainly cattle and goats while leading a semi-nomadic life. They migrate with their herds to the different waterholes from season to season.
For the Himba, clothes, hair and jewelry hold a special meaning and form an important part of their tradition and culture. Even newborn babies are adorned with pearl necklaces while older children are given bracelets crafted from copper and decorated with shells.
The proud Himba women seen above spend many hours on beauty care and grooming every day. They cream their whole body with a mixture of rancid butterfat and ochre clay scented with the aromatic resin of the Omuzumba shrub. This cream lends the body an intense reddish glow, which reflects the Himba ideal of beauty.
Detailed view of the women's hair, which has had the ochre mixture applied to it, also.
Because we had brought gifts of food as instructed by our Herero guide, we were invited into the Himba village and given total access to record their everyday activities.
As our guide had learned Rich was a physician, he was asked to examine a toddler who had been severely stung by bees the previous day. His genitals were so swollen that he couldn't urinate. The village Chief's solution to this problem, given before leaving on safari, was to instruct the Mother to withhold water until he peed. Unfortunately, as it was QUITE hot even in the shade, the youngster was becoming dangerously dehydrated.
After being given permission to treat him with Western medication, Rich gave the child pediatric doses of Benadryl, Prednisone and applied Rx-strength steroid cream as well as insisting that he drink our bottle of distilled water. 2 hours later, the swelling had diminished markedly and the child had been able to urinate. Though we were invited to have lunch, we declined as there is no electricity or refrigeration for the milk, butter or game meat.
This woman is grinding corn between rocks. Water or milk is added to the ground corn, which is heated over an open fire. This gruel is the basis of the majority of their meals.
Even young children wear jewelry and a goatskin skirt.
They were as curious about us as we were about them.
Rich masks up against the dust on the ride back to Palmwag.
Dean and our rig are covered with dust as we park at Palmwag following our adventure to see and film the Himba. Brent ended up hosing out the vehicle and we all took long showers.
The following day, we drove south and westerly, stopping to get permission to enter the Namib Skeleton Coast Park through the Springbok Wasser gate. This marks the start of Namibia's Skeleton Coast. Since 1971, it has been protected as the Skeleton Coast National Park, which stretches up to the Kunene River at the Angolan border. The southern part of this conservation area - up to Terrace Bay - is only freely accessible with a permit. The northern part can only be visited with a private safari company.
In the past, dense fog coupled with mighty storms and violent surf caused many ships to run aground along the Skeleton Coast. This desolate coastline has become known as the world's biggest ship graveyard. Those who were shipwrecked and managed to swim through the roaring surf and reach the coast, still didn't stand a chance of survival because of the waterless, hostile, 300km wide coastal desert they found.
Stopping at Cape Cross, named thus because the Portuguese seafarer, Diego Cão, put up a Padrao (Cross) in 1486 in honour of the king of Portugal. He was the first European to land here. Today we find it is home to an enormous colony of Cape Fur Seals.
Sunrise at Spitzkoppe.
Spitzkoppe, located between Usakos and Swakopmund, is described as the "Matterhorn of Namibia". Parts of it rise to an altitude of ~1,800 metres. This is by no means Namibia's highest mountain. However, due to its striking outlines it is regarded as the most well-known mountain in the country. As it is situated in an endless, dry plain, the island of mountains can be seen from far away.
We dutifully searched for Herero Chat, a species endemic to Namibia and Angola. Though we didn't find it here, we saw it our last morning in Namibia traveling over another escarpement from Sossusvlei back to the airport near Windhoek.
However, we did find a cooperative Monteiro's Hornbill.
Rejoining Grant, Buff and Jerry in Swakopmund, we headed out into the Namib Desert. Our Letaka brother guides watch for birds as all of us photograph lichens in the Namib Desert.
Later in the day, we met up with a local guide, Tommy Collard, who took all of us into the apricot-colored dunes in his 4-W drive Land Cruiser, after he had 'softened' the tires by letting air out of each one. Possesed of a personality part cowboy, part scientist and part comic, he showed us that what appears to be barren is actually teeming with life. Buff posed amongst the parabolic dunes, which shift with the wind, as we look about for life.
A Namib Sidewinding Adder (Bitis peringueyi) is perfectly camouflaged when it digs into the dune surface. Just 25 cm long (~ 10 inches), it navigates by gracefully moving sideways through the shifting sands. Because the eyes are on top of the head, the snake can bury itself almost completely in the sand and still see what's happening above the surface. When its unsuspecting prey comes along - usually a gecko or lizard - the adder uses its venom to immobilize the victim before devouring it.
Tommy's snake hook gives some scale to the Sidewinding Adder.
Next, Tommy located a Palmato Gecko, which we all were eager to film, as Brent lit it.
This unique and cute Palmato Gecko (Palmatogecko rangei) is also known as the 'web-footed gecko' for its unusual feet, which act as scoops for burrowing into the sand. This translucent lizard is nocturnal and grows to 10 cm (~4 inches) in length. It is pinkish-brown on its back and has a white belly. The enormous eyes aid with its hunting at night.
Brent holds the Palmato Gecko for scale.
Again this trip, we went out with Jeanne Mientjes of Eco-Marine Kayak Tours www.gateway-africa.com/kayak/index.html in the waters of Walvis Bay, the only natural harbor along the Namibian coast. From our kayaks we saw MANY endemic Heavy-sided Dolphins, Cape Fur Seals, a single African Penguin and a Humpback Whale, plus MANY species of seabirds.
We watched many Damara Terns, Common Terns and Gulls wheel about over the south Atlantic Ocean.
There were large flocks of Cape Cormorants and Greater Flamingos present, also.
Occasionally even the BEST of guides stick their rigs in the sand...it gave us more time to film the wildlife and both Brent and Grant kept smiling as they efficiently freed their vehicles. We set a new record for punctures on this trip! Despite beginning the safari with excellent tires, Brent's darker green Land Cruiser had 8 in a span of 24 hrs
From Walvis Bay, we drove east and south to Sossusviel Lodge where we stayed in the bungalows pictured above near the Sesriem Gate.
Arising early, we went out to photograph the beautiful, undulating apricot-colored dunes.
Rich with his tripod and video camera adds scale as some dunes were over 400 feet high.
An Oryx watches warily. These large antelopes of the desert do NOT require water to survive as they extract it from the desert plants they consume.
Brent smiles as he'd found a Horned Adder before his brother: no competition here:-)!
This snake would pierce its fangs through its lower jaw in an attempt to inject its venom IF it wasn't being held so carefully with the pen pointing out the fang projection.
Bitis caudalis is easily distinguished by the presence of a single, large horn-like scale directly over each eye.
This lone tree made for a beautiful composition with an oryx present, also.
At the parking area near the Sossusviel sand dunes, A Pied Crow voices his displeasure with Rich as he didn't feed it during morning coffee/tea.
Finally, the light was no longer low and lovely and we bid adeau to the Namib Desert. We drove to Windhoek and caught a plane to Johannesburg. From there, we flew to Rome via Madrid, to spend a month exploring Italy.
Namibia is a special place...perhaps it will draw us back a 3rd time. We shall see...
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