Winter... at last...(unfortunately)

For the first time this winter

there will be some snow in Bleiburg.

I now know for certain that it gives me no joy.

For all I care, let it snow up in the mountain,

so that the skiers can get their fill,

but leave me alone, down in the valley.

I REMEMBER THREE LIONS - when my heart skipped more than one beat.

We, that is John and I and our guide Klaus, are in the Okawango Delta. Our tents are up at "Third Bridge" and we are out for a "Game Drive" when suddenly we spot three Lions very close to a small pond overgrown with purple weed. Two of the Lions, a bit younger than the third one, seem to want to pick a fight with him.
He is trying to drink at the pond, but the other two keep lunging at him, slapping him with their front paws.
All three are growling, it seems angrily. A little while later the two young males decide to go for a drink. The older one strolls off and without a second's pause, the young ones are back at him. Huffing and puffing and growling. Finally the victim of this juvenile attack rears up to his full height and cuffs his two tormentors right in the face. This creates some peace and all three wander off.

This evening we discuss what we witnessed. Klaus insists that this is a somewhat rare occasion, since normally one younger male wants to take over the pride and tries to defeat the reigning male in a battle. The looser leaves the territory.

I am about to fall asleep when I hear the loudest Lion Roar I have ever heard. After this one there are others, roaring into the night. Then I hear a commotion right outside our tent: More roaring and hissing.
John beside me is sitting up like a shot. "Holy cow" he whispers, "what in hell is going on out there"?
More roaring makes my chest literally vibrate. I can not only hear, but actually feel this fight.
"John", I say, "I think these are the three Lions we observed this afternoon. Maybe the fight has really become serious. The roaring, growling, hissing, meanwhile has grown in intensity.
The ground and the tent are shaking as are John and I.
This is the first time that I actually feel fear in my heart.
A yelping as if in pain and then renewed roars.
As quickly as it started so does it finish.
The silence is almost uncanny.
I hear Klaus calling: "Are you guys Okay?"
We answer: "yes we're all right but shaken up a bit."
"Stay in your tent... don't come outside" Klaus advises us.
John and I agree that 10 wild horses could not make us leave the security of our canvas shelter.
I imagine all three Lions waiting behind a Maponi tree just for one of us to step outside and make a good breakfast for the trio.

At dawn, after a long time of silence all three of us venture outside our tents.'
There are Lion foot prints all around us. Some of them are so close that it is a wonder that they did not trip over our Tents'  guy ropes.

                                  *********************
Excerpt from my book: "Safari Africa 2011"

That's the one time there was fear in the heart of

Bertstravels.

Do you remember, John Nolan ?

Doctor, why are my eyes so square???

Well, my son, if you watch on Television every  match of the Australian Open in Tennis, then the Kitzbühel ski races, the down-hill, the Super G., the Giant Slalom, the Slalom, the Combination, the European Championships in Cross Country skiing, the European Championship in Figure Skating, and the Dubai Open in Snooker, what else do you expect ?  You're lucky to just get square eyes. You could have turned blind....
The last few days there was only Couch-Athletics for
Bertstravels.

Two exciting happenings:

First exciting happening: 
                                       It snowed last night. For the first time this                                          so-called winter. 
                                       Almost the end of January, and for the first                                        time we have about one cm. of snow
                                       on the ground. Kitzbühel, where they will                                           hold the famous "Hahnenkamm Ski                                                     races" will be very  very happy.

Second exciting happening:                  
                                        Roger Federer is playing in the semi final                                           of the Australian Open against Raphael                                               Nadal. I have never seen two better                                                   players. Right now it's 2:0 for Nadal.
                                         Boldly, a victory by Nadal is predicted by

Bertstravels.
           

A LIONESS.....AN ACACIA..:..AFRICA

"Surely", said John, "this must be

one of the most definitive sights

of Africa:

A Lioness, out in the open, waiting. 

Listening to every little sound, 

sniffing the air, 

now and then whipping her tail, as if

impatiently waiting 

for something to happen."

"Listen to this," says Ant, 

"John is waxing poetic."

All three of us smile a little,

and with our smile, we admit

that John has expressed our feelings

to a 'T'

excerpt from my book: Safari Africa, 2011                                                                                                

        

John Nolan! Remember ?                                                                                                                               

The elusive Rhino

But the third day...Oh my...the third day in the Madusadona.....

Gavin was unhappy!
I mean, he was truly unhappy.
"I am embarrassed" he said. "And I don't like to be embarrassed"!
"Why would you be embarrassed?" I asked, although I knew well what he was talking about.
Gavin said: " We have been looking for a Rhino for two and a half days now. I promised you that you would  photograph a black Rhino. We have seen Rhino tracks and Rhino spoor."
"But, unfortunately, no Rhino," I added.
Gavin seemed truly upset: "the worst of it, though, is that I have to leave now, since I have another party which I must guide tomorrow through Chizarira. And Chizarira is inland at the other end of the Lake."
I tried to make him feel less 'embarrassed'. I told him: "It's not the last time I'll be in Africa. There will be other times for me to photograph a black Rhino".
We were about 25 to 30 minutes from the beach where our house boat was at anchor.
There were a number of good sized trees, I think they were Maponi trees, and some dense bushes. They will make a nice blind and on the other side we have seen many Rhino tracks, some not as old as the first ones we saw.
I told Gavin: "I'll stay here behind these trees until about 5 o'clock and then I'll make my way to the house boat. Just tell Kelvin to pick me up at the beach at exactly 6".
At first, Gavin protested vigorously. But when I told him, that his responsibility for me had come to an end at 12 noon today and that with the rest of the day I could do as I please, he again told me not to stay alone here, but finally he left. He left a bottle of water for me and looked back three times before I lost sight of him.

I got busy building and improving this natural blind behind which I planned to stay until 5.30PM, come hell or high water. I dragged some loose branches from the area around me and wedged them between two sturdy trees.

My F3 with the 400 mm lens on the tripod got camouflaged with twigs and grass. The F2A with a 500 mm I fastened with a clamp on a sturdy branch just about the right height and the F400 with the 80 to 135m zoom lens I hung around my neck. Then I sat down on a log behind my blind.

and I waited...
and I waited...

Two adult male Impalas came past. I had taken so many pictures of Impala but there is always one more which might become the best of the lot. So I clicked away. There was no worry about running low on film. I had brought plenty of rolls.
A troop of African Painted dogs trotted past my blind and didn't give me a glance. The wind was in my favour and I was well hidden... and as quiet as a mouse.
It got to be 2PM....2.30PM....3PM.
I thought that I could fill  Noah's Arch with all the animals ambling by, except for a Rhino...
4PM and still no Rhino.
A whole army of carpenter ants moved within inches of the log on which I sat and I took some close-up shots of them. then I worried that if the Rhino came now, I might miss it, because I was photographing a bunch of ants.

I kept scanning the bushes opposite my blind. The fresher tracks we had found came right out from there.
I new that in 30 minutes I had to leave to get to the house boat by 6PM
It gets dark very quickly.
I fumbled around with my camera equipment. Once more I cleaned an already spotless lens...
Do something... keep busy... don't just sit there getting nervous....

It was just after 5PM...
Once more I scanned the bushes across from me.
There was a gray shape among those bushes.
Slowly, cautiously this gray shape became more and more identifiable as a black Rhino.
I could not believe my eyes. My heart was pounding, so I could feel it in my throat.
I had to will my hands to stop shaking.
The Rhino now had cleared the bushes and stood free and clear in front of a termite mound.
I started clicking with the F3 and the 400mm lens.
The animal looks around... I think it's looking right at me... I switch to the 135mm and force myself to use my cameras with great attention to detailed exposure, shutter speed, balanced levelling...
Seeing the bulk of this animal, I began to wonder If I could find refuge behind the thickest of the maponi trees in case the Rhino decided to attack me. But he, and it is a "he" paid me absolutely no attention.
He walked away from the termite mound, half way across the clearing, turned around, seemed to look in my direction and then directly at me. He snorted and lowered his head. He came a little closer. The sharp horn on top of his nose pointed directly at me. The Rhino was about 10 meters from my blind and from me.

Let me tell you: I felt no fear. I was totally calm and just bent on taking the best images I could.
It occurred to me that I have some of the best equipment money can buy and if I blow it, it will have been my fault.
I had to change film. I was glad my hands were steady and I threaded the new rolls without a hitch.
I took more pictures of this wonderful animal, which is threatened with extinction.
It is killed for the imagined  medicinal benefits of its powdered horn. Hundreds, maybe thousands were killed because of the greed of white hunters and the destitution of the native population.

This Black Rhino slowly ambled across the clearing and disappeared in the bush.
I sat there and shook with excitement and emotion. Now my hands too started to shake as I loosened the clamp from the branch, removed the other camera from the tripod, and carefully stashed everything in my all-accommodating Low-Pro bag.
I finished the bottle of water which Gavin had left for me and made my way toward the shore of Lake Kariba. In 20m minutes I was there and Kelvin was already waiting for me with the canoe.

Back at the house boat I tell them of my good luck. They can hardly believe me. After all the effort put in by Gavin Ford, then Zimbabwe's premier guide,I get to be this lucky when all alone?

                                             *****************************************************

Such things happen, when you are travelling with

Bertstravels

(excerpt from my book: Safari Africa, 2011

When my heart skipped a beat (4)

Slowly, cautiously, 

this grey shape became 

more and more identifyable

 as a black Rhino.

My heart was pounding right 

in my throat, and I believe that

it skipped a beat.

The Rhino now had cleared the bushes

and stood free and clear in front of 

a termite mound.

THE MECHANIC SAYS :

Well, let's have a look at this one. Haven't seen this
model in many a year!
Probably a "querky car-burator", or a "severely
cracked rear-view-mirror"
Don't worry, I'll have our apprentice fix this in no time.
Does "no time" mean " never" ?

...rain...rain...then more rain...

This is supposed to be Winter.... It's January....  the skiers, young and old are supposed to be on the Petzen, taking all the short runs on top, or taking the long run right into the valley...  12 km from the top of the skiable mountain, right to the now closed hotel at the bottom.
Only at the very top, where they put artificial snow at great cost onto the ground you can ski a bit.
I estimate this run to be about 500 to 750 meters, if that.
The inn keepers and eatery operators are crying the blues. The largest operation, a restaurant and hotel has closed its doors. Two smaller ones are hanging in.
It is a disaster for the area.
Can the gondola lift survive? Should it get more Government subsidies? Should it just close?
A hotly debated subject...

In the meantime, down in the valley, where I live, it just rains...
Not that I would have gone skiing... that's an activity I stopped when I was about 18... Now these numbers are in reversed order...  But I feel sorry for all the young people who cannot go skiing, and I feel sorry for all the merchants, who cannot sell their skies, ski-suits, and all the paraphernalia that is connected with this sport.

It is amazing when you consider how much depends on a few flakes of snow, compared to a few drops of rain.

Greetings from
Bertstravels

Hurrrrray !!!!!

...for Marie Michelle Gagnon !!!!

Way to go, kid !

Congratulation from

Bertstravels

The Hyena laughed

Ant is preparing dinner.
When we were shopping in Maun, Ant bought a string of farmer's sausages. He intends to fry them, two each, along with ready made mashed potatoes, ( add water, whip well, put some butter in frying pan and mashed potatoes on top, fry till brown underneath, flip over and wait till they turn brown on the other side )
then an orange for desert.
...
The mash-browns are almost ready and Ant is preparing the sausages....
It starts to rain.... not just a little.. within a minute it is pouring... we escape to the cruiser and find refuge there.... we talk about all manner of things....

I keep looking at the cooking site which is sheltered underneath a tarpaulin, strung from cruiser to a tree.
The flame of the cooker is blueish. 
Then Ant and I see the Hyena at the same time. She comes out from behind a dense bush. Without a moment's hesitation she trots up to the cooker, grabs a sausage and since they are still linked, the Hyena succeeds in taking off with all six sausages.
It all went so fast, Ant barely had time to rip the truck door open, call the Hyena a few choice names and the animal is gone.... sausages and all...
The rain stops as abruptly as is started.

We sit on the running board of the cruiser and eat mashed potatoes.

I am certain I hear a Hyena laugh in the distance.

Bertstravels.

(excerpt from my book: Safari Africa, 2011)

About Lions, Hyenas and Painted Dogs

Let me tell you something about Lions, Hyenas and Painted Dogs.
From "General Perspective":
"Lions are the noble beasts of the African bush and steppe.....
The King of Beasts"....  and so on

Hyenas are sneaky, thieving, carcass devouring, curiously laughing beasts, not to be trusted.

Painted Dogs are cruel marauding packs of efficient killers.

Now let me look at those three from a different, my, perspective:

At a kill the male Lion will inevitably eat first. Then the female, who in most cases has indeed made the kill, may take her fill, and then, if something is left over, the babies, according to their age and strength, may also partake of the meal. But if there is nothing left over, the baby goes hungry and in the worst case scenario, the baby starves to death.
If a young, strong male Lion, in a struggle for pride supremacy, has defeated the King of the Pride and driven him off, to take over the pride as the new leader, he first and foremost will kill all the infants sired by his defeated predecessor. Thereby he insures that his genes find an outlet.

The Hyena will, either in co-operation between male and female succeed in making a kill, or as is often the case, they may finish what a pride of Lions had started.  If they have youngsters in their den, they will eat from their kill, quickly return to their den, and, regurgitating, they will make sure to feed their offspring.

Painted Dogs also hunt in packs of males and females. They will gorge themselves on the meat of the kill, return to their lair and. also regurgitating, they will assure the survival of the young.

So now, you tell me which is the nobler of the three ?
The egomaniac, lazy, baby killing Lion, or the sharing, offspring-loving Hyena or Painted Dog.

I may be over-simplifying this issue, but that's the way I see it.

You want to argue ? Write to 
Bertstravels...

(excerpt from my book:  "Safari Africa, 2011)

A Comparison

                                                     A "Spotted Hyena"

A Painted Dog

The Boss of the Pride: 

When your heart skips a beat...-3-

There were but a few white clouds
in an otherwise blue sky.
Our canoes drifted quietly down the slow flowing
Zambezi river. Now and then a lazy stroke with
a paddle to keep the  bow pointing down river.

Hippos wallowed in the shallows near the shore.
Their quiet, content grunting once in a while
interupting the silence of High Noon

Kelvin estimated the temperature to be about
40 C. in the shade. Now and then I filled my Tilley
hat with water and put it back on my head
allowing the cooling water to run down my body.

Crocodiles of varying sizes populated the shore line,
wide gaping jaws catching what little breeze there was.
My camera shutter-release finger was working overtime
as we drifted closer and closer
to one of the sleeping crocs.
A little closer...
... now another foot closer.
The Croc awoke, or maybe it had not been asleep at all,

and with one gigantic leap into the river, it cleared
our boat, just feet in front of our bow.
In retrospect it was clearly a desparate attempt
to get away from us

at the time, however, when I saw its
yellow-greenish underbelly
it looked very much like an attack.
It made my heart skip a beat or two.

Soon we were back on the gently flowing river
and from then on
we stayed well away from snoozing Crocs.
***********
P.S. sorry about the "out of focus" shot of the
airborne Croc. It all happened so fast
that not even the auto focus could keep up with it.

When your heart skips a beat ( #1 )

Morning light breaks through the canopy and although it's only about 6.45AM the cool of the night is giving way and it's getting warmer.
Our progress is slow, which suits me fine. It gives me time to look at the plant life around me.
Moses, our guide, gives us the "stop" sign.
We come to a halt and I place my tripod with camera atop in front of me.
There is a group of Sable Antelopes. Magnificent animals. Black with a white underbelly and horns like scimitars curved back and looking formidable.
Some minutes later we get the "Stop" signal again from Moses.
"I think I hear lion up there", he whispers.
I have not heard a thing except for the wind in the Acacias.
"Stay put here" Moses says. " I climb tree and look."

He shoulders his rifle securely and begins to climb a Maponi tree which has grown at a 60 degree slant.
We watch him.
Christopher points straight ahead of us.
I look in the direction of his outstretched hand and I see:
A Lion head framed in the thicket, his yellow eyes staring straight at us.
The camera on the tripod in front of me.... I look through the view finder and at the same time I trip the shutter....  again and again and again.

I look up and the Lion is charging at full speed at us. There is no time to be afraid. You cannot hide behind a tripod. Christopher and I simply freeze.
The charging Lion comes to within about 10 meters of us (Christopher claims it was more like 5 meters max.), then he 
stops abruptly, grass and earth flying all around him. Then he turns and disappears off to our left into the bush.

Moses comes down from his tree faster than I have ever seen anybody do this. He had tossed his gun down in front of him to make his descent easier. Of course, by the time he is down from the Maponi and grabs his gun, the Lion has abandoned his charge and is long gone.

It's easy for Chris and me to turn pale. But if you have ever seen a Shona turn light grey, it's a sight to behold.

It is only then that I start to shake a little. Chris is totally silent and Moses has "fear" written all over his face.
Of course, it is the fear being confronted by an angry Lion and of losing a client or two.

Once everybody has settled down a bit, Moses explains that this "Shumba" only made a "Pretend Charge."
"He feeding behind bushes.  Lion angry we take away his dinner." Lion just says: "Go away"
Lion not want eat nice tourist from Canada... Lion eat gazelle..."

In spite of these assurances I remember well that "my heart skipped a beat."

Christopher Weare...remember ?

(excerpt from my book: "Safari Africa, 2011")

When your heart skips a beat...(.#1 cont.)

These Sable Antilopes were smarter than we were.
They took flight some time before the Lion charge.

White bellied, white cheeked, pitch black body
and scimitar like horns.
The Sable is a formidable looking antelope.

Moses up a tree,
in more ways than one.

Have you ever seen a Lion stare at you
from the bush ?