At Chitake Springs, Zimbabwe

Campsite with solar panels.

These panels get connected to a battery, 

which in turn is connected to a cooler box,

which in turn cools our Gin and Tonic 

which in turn gets consumed in moderate quantities.

Of course the ice box is also used to keep meat fresh, and wine cool.

A blind set up at Chitake springs

from which marvellous fotos were taken of various animal visitors.

Stern, Frederik

"Fritz Stern" Historian, is the prime example of the mental deterioration of Austria's Press.
They cite his dumb sayings, as if they were the "Ultimate Revelation"

The Secret is unveiled:

Hotly debated: Who caused the nude statues in Rome to be encased in wooden boxes ?
Was it the Premier ? Noooo
Was it the Pope ? definitely  Noooo
Was it the Minister of Culture ? No luck !

It was Signora Sapora!
Who the hell is Signora Sapora ?  
She is the Chief of Protocol of Premier Matteo Renzi.
She is, they now say, a "two bit Civil Servant" who worked her way up the ladder through the benevolence of several senior politicians.
Can we put this unimportant, boring rubbish to bed now ?
Yes ! We sure can.

Good night !
Bertstravels.

Nudity and Religion

The President of Iran, Hassan Rohani came on a State Visit to Rome.

As everybody knows, Hassan does not like nudity. In particular does he abhor nudity of women.

Oh horror of horrors, what shall we do ? In Rome's museums naked statues abound. Great works of art, created by Italy's great artists, such as Michelangelo, Donatello, Bernini and many others who depicted the human form in all its beauty and elegance.

But works like Michelangelo's “David” or “Pieta” show nudity of men, while statues celebrating the female body are almost too many to count.

Quick now, a visitor is coming, who does not like, is actually offended by nudity.

What do we do ? Somebody, (now everybody denies having had anything to do with it), somebody decided to build wooden enclosures for some and drape others in black cloth.

The Mayor of Rome insists he knew nothing. The Minister of Culture absolutely denies having given these instructions.

Not to worry, Hassan Rohani was “very pleased with the hospitality shown him.”

Isn't it interesting to note that all this prudery, this phony chastity, always seems to come from the religious corner of society.

History records the absolute storm of indignation which came from the Papacy at the unveiling of Michelangelo's “Last Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel.

Pope Paul IV wanted to have Michelangelo's work destroyed because of all the nudity 'so abhorrent to his Christian sensitivity.' He changed his mind in the last moment, declaring himself satisfied with a simple 'paint-over' of the most offending parts.

Christianity, as most other religions, have always had a difficult time accepting nudity of the human body, although the human body, according to their belief, in all its nakedness, was created by their God.

It is a most fortunate development, that these works of Art are no longer considered abhorrently offensive, not even in the Vatican, in whose halls the greatest works of art reside today.

No longer are the greatest works of art, be they paintings or sculptures, defaced or outright spoiled, by over painting.

What degree of consideration do we now owe to a visitor, whose culture cannot accept that, which in the Western culture has become the norm ?

Do we really need to build wooden enclosures, hiding the image of an unclothed person ?

Do we need to wrap it in cloth, hide it in a back room and, yes, deny its very existence ?

Some authorities in Rome seem to suggest exactly that. Then why do they stop there ?

Mr. Rohani is a Muslim. Therefore, one can assume, he does not like to see women on the street without their faces being covered by a Hijab or their bodies wrapped in a Burqa ?

Should not Rome's authorities issue an order, forbidding Roman women to be seen on the streets without such coverings ?

If they wanted to go all the way in their hospitality, why did they not close all pubs, bars, or other ungodly outlets for the sale of alcoholic beverages ? Muslims don't drink, don't you know ?

When I visit Timbuktu I will have to accept their cultural idiosyncrasies and I do not expect them to change their ways, because they might offend me.

In the defense of Mr. Rohani: Nowhere is it said that he asked for this.

Some overzealous little Civil Servant in Rome wanted to make himself important. The Fool.

Bertstravels

truly is not bothered by any of this 

Spider

Not absolutely my favourite animal, spiders are a most interesting life form.
This one builds her web in wide open spaces.
She sits there and waits for a strong wind, which  she uses to be blown considerable distances, while producing a long thread. Having reached the other side of her intended span she fastens the thread to a bush, returns to the halfway mark and starts to spin her net.
At least the width of two car tracks and high up enough, so that we actually drove underneath this deadly trap.

Once a mighty Elephant

It gives you a strange feeling when you come across the bones of what once was a mighty animal.
I don't know how this one died. Maybe he died of old age, maybe a poacher killed it for its ivory.
Nature is unforgiving as are the bullets from a poachers rifle.

Pulled apart, probably by scavenging Hyenas or Vultures, 

the  bones of this Elephant

have been bleaching in the African Sun for quite a while.

Part of the head with grinding teeth, but without tusks.

"Ant" holds one of the thigh bones, (hip to knee)

giving us an idea of the size of this animal.

LION'S PAW

To get an approximate idea of the size of this Lion's paw print, Ant placed a matchbox beside it.
( the name of the matches is coincidental) 
The  box measured 5cm by 8cm.
From this, one might extrapolate that the paw print measures approximately 15 x 20 cm.
So, this is not a small animal, and when you run accross it, you had better be safely inside the vehicle.

.

The Baobab tree

Some posts ago I told the fable of the creation of the Baobab tree.
The real story of this tree is almost as interesting as the fable:
Baobabs grow very slowly and the usual ring-counting to determine the age of a tree does not work due to the very faint and sometimes disappearing ring marks.
Contrary to all other trees, the Baobab survives even if the bark is removed over its entire circumference. This "upside-down tree" sucks its water supply throughout its entire trunk and not only between the wood and the bark. It stores up to 100,000 litres of water throughout its entire wood system and thereby sometimes provides the only water source for elephants during the dry season.

Baobabs shed their leaves during the dry season

and truly look as if their roots pointed toward the sky.

The famous "Bains Baobabs" on the shores of  the swiftly disappearing shallow "lake"

which forms during the rainy season.

These "Bains Baobabs" are said to be 

between 3000 and 4000 years of age.

This age estimate is truly only an "estimate" 

and may be somewhat exagerated.

The Naturalist and Explorer, Thomas Bains, 

when coming to the Nxai Pan in Botswana, 

painted these trees about 150 years ago 

and, viewed today, one can see almost no changes

in their appearance.

Our guide, Ant, climbed into the tree, to give an idea

of  its size.

The fruits have a velvety covering and are used to produce oil and/or spices.

As the Elephants, during a long dry spell, seek water deeper in the interior of the tree,

the very structure becomes endangered and finally the mighty Baobab falls.

Chillojo Cliffs

One of the remarkable hallmarks of the Gonarezhou National Park in southern Zimbabwe surely are the Chillojo Cliffs.
In the early morning light they reflect the tenderest of pinks in a variety of shades.
The noonday sun shows them in stark brilliant colours, while the evening sun bathes them in the strongest shades of beige and dark reds.
These rock walls must be seen to be believed in all their glory.

In southern Zimbabwe:

from the shores of the Runde River rise the Chillojo Cliffs.

More scenic Africa

Beautiful Africa

If you look carefully, you may spot the two mosy tents 

just below this cleverly installed shower.

Above and below.

A family of Elephants at the Runde river for a morning drink.

In the background the Chilojo Cliffs in the early morning light.

I do not remember for certain if this is the Save- or the Runde river.

I will just have to go back there to make sure.

African Landscapes

Almost all my postings of Africa show various animals, 

at a distance or in close-up.

This time I decided to show some pure landscape pictures,

so that nobody might arrive at the conclusion 

that there is nothing but animals in Africa.

In Gonerazhu National Park

unending vistas of light bush land

with here and there a tree reaching into the sky.

Ant, our fabulous guide scouts the area to make sure

that it is adequate for a camp site.

A fabled "Baobab Tree"

Fabled ? Yes, read this:

When the Good Lord created the trees in their multitudinous varieties, he created, what he believed to have become his masterpiece: .The Baobab.

He looked at it with pleasure and asked the tree 

if he was happy to have become such a wonderful creation.

The Baobab looked at himself 

in the reflection of a nearby lake and said:

"Well, all together it's not a bad job you did, Lord, but I think my leaves could be a little larger."

So, the Lord enlarged the leaves and asked: " Now are you satisfied?"

The Baobab again looked at his reflection and suggested that the leaves could well be a bit greener.

The Good Lord, became a little frustrated, but, in order to make the tree happy, he deepened the leaves' shade of green. 

Without waiting even a second, the tree moaned and complained, that his bark was too rough. He would like a smooth bark.

This ingratitude and dissatisfaction made the Lord so angry, that he simply pulled out the Baobab from the earth and jammed him back in, but in an upside-down position.

His upper branches therefore look like roots and it is no wonder that the Natives

call the Baobab the "Upside-Down Tree".

During the trip through southern Zimbabwe a never ending variety of trees, bushes, grasses

and in the background, the hill range accompany us.

Now and then a small community of Shona have settled 

and engage in agricultural activities.

We reach the Gonerazhu National Park, with the Runde river 

and on the South shore, the Chillojo Cliffs.

AUSTRIA ! Where goest thou ?

At first I could not believe my eyes. 
So I started at the beginning and re-read the article in the local news paper of 11^th January 2016. I read most carefully, so as not to misinterpret anything reported therein:

There is a food chain in Austria, called “Spar” with outlets almost everywhere. A regular food supermarket, trying to satisfy every taste.

The management of this chain noted that Vienna housed many Muslims in certain districts which might make it profitable for Spar and comfortable shopping for the adherents to the Muslim Faith, to carry on its shelves food items prepared in accordance with Islamic rules.

Products, such as meats, must be prepared in accordance with the rules of “Halal” (permissible).

(Members of the Jewish persuasion prefer to shop in stores which offer “Kosher” items.)

Spar did, however, not count on the bigoted and narrow-minded nature of many Austrians.

A storm of protests rained down on Spar, obviously from people who thought it inappropriate to cater to a group of persons whose religious convictions differed from their own.

The usual low-intelligence, primitive and hate filled outcries: 
“If they want special treatment, they should go home, where they came from. There they can get all the Halal they want.” could be read on the Internet and heard during discussions in the Coffey-shops.

If Spar, or any other provider of foods and sundry items wishes to cater to a special group, why should any one object ? What harm does it do to anybody else ? Is it really any skin off their nose ?

Of course not.

These protests do not come from any reasonable thinking persons, but from those so hate-filled, so full of Islamophobia or, in fact, Xenophobia that they will not tolerate any variance from their own life style.

As if this were not enough, the banking institute “Bawag”, also in an effort to cater to the preferences of about 600,000 Muslims living in Austria, introduced special accounts which neither charge, nor pay interest, since this practice does not correspond with Islamic financial rules.

Instead of the calculation of interest, fixed fees in varying amounts are being charged or paid which satisfies their rules.

An absolute storm of protest rained down upon Bawag, again mainly through the Internet with comments like these:

“This constitutes the first step in the total Islamisation of Europe” and

“this is the saddest day in the History of Austrian Banking.” and

“given that this Bank bows down to the demands of religious minorities, I shall at once close my account there.

It seems that statements like the above again emanate not from a clear thinking person's careful considerations, but from the addled minds of  haters of all that is not their own.

I regret to have to report that the first mentioned Spar has abandoned their effort to carry “Halal” foods on their shelves.

I am, however, still convinced that such prejudice-laden and xenophobic comments come from a minority of Austrians and that the majority of Austrian citizens are more clear thinking and more tolerant.

This is the fervently expressed hope of 

Bertstravels

Typical Africa - some -

Just a very few of Africa's denicens:

One of Africa's smallest Antelopes, the agile "Clipspringer"

The fastest animal on four legs: The Cheetah, guards his/her kill, a young Impala.

Hippos  leave the water only reluctantly during the day.

It prefers to stay submerged, 

even if an African Jakana or Lilly-trotter dances on its head.

Two Oxpeckers look for insects on the Kudu's flank.

"Impala ?" said one of my early guides, 

"they are the flowers of our country!"

Why did Nature paint a white target on the "Waterbuck's" behind ?

An efficient hunter, Africa's "Painted Dog" mostly moves in packs.

This black maned Lion is the undisputed king of the Kalahari.

A young Elephant on the shore of Lake Kariba.

"Cape Buffalo" eye us with curiousity, as we eye them.

Threatened by extinction, 

a "Black Rhino" checks out a Termite mount.

Typically Canadian

Some typically Canadian Wildlife

A Loon and her chick in September.

By November/ December the chick will fly South with the rest of the Loons of Northern Canada

Since these Merganser Ducks do not like frozen lakes

they too will head for Florida come Winter in Canada.

A Loon upon her nest.

One of the Big Ones.

A Moose with 10 spikes on each shovel.

A Fox. He stays around all year long.

With all the snow on the ground he must find foraging difficult.

A Canada Goose.

They fly South in huge flocks.

Another Moose. A 5 ender.

In Summer they are mostly grasers, 

But they become efficient browsers during Winter