Winter has returned to Bleiburg

Sometime ago, I think it was in the beginning of December last year, it snowed a little hereabouts.
Since then there was one day warmer than the one before so that one might have thought that we had shifted several degrees South.
Last night however it started to snow. 
It still snows. 
By now we have about 25 cm on the ground.
The skiers are not complaining. For the first time this winter they may ski down, all 12km right into the valley.
Oh well, what is one person's joy is the other person's misery.

no comment!

my car

my neighbour's chimney

The Patience of a Hippopotamus ...

...has limits..
When a Grey Crane uses his back as a resting and observation platform the Hippo may get just a trifle testy and let it be known, in no uncertain terms, that it has had just about enough.
Fortunately the Hippo is a strict vegetarian and its gaping mouth and snapping jaws are more threat than action.

Alexis Tsipras - the Saviour of Greece ?

Well, he did it: 

With enough votes to send 149 delegates into the 

„Helenic Parliament“, Alexis Tsipras, fell only two seats short of an absolute majority.

No problem: His Left Radical Party „Syriza“, headed by Tsipras, simply forges an alliance with the far right wing populist party, „Independent Greeks“.

The two parties are almost at extreme opposites of the political spectrum and agree virtually only on these demands: 

Cancel part of the National Debt, refinance the rest and stop the austerity program.

In order to win over the majority of Greek voters, Tsipras made promises, which, as everybody knows including himself, he cannot possibly keep.

1. Substantial Increases in Minimum Wages,
2. Free Food and Free Electricity to all who cannot afford to pay for these commodities, are only the beginning of this „Social Paradise on Earth“ which Alexis will create in Greece, at least so he promised prior to the election.
3. The creation of 30,000 new jobs, and Zeus only knows what other wonderful gifts are in the grab bag of Alexis Tsipras.

„The time for Capitalism has gone and a new order will come to Greece and to Europe.“ so he says.

This new order, it seems to me, will be: „To those who need, from those who have.“

Does this sound familiar ? It should, because all the countries who espoused this philosophy, had to first of all establish brutal dictatorships and then have either gone bankrupt or have just in time changed this mantra.

It is of some interest to note that Alexis Tsipras named his youngest son „Ernesto“, in homage of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, the Argentine Marxist and Fidel Castro's Co-Revolutionary.

(In Castro's Cuba it was Ernesto's job to decide who should be accused of being an enemy of the revolution and therefore must be executed.)

How will Tsipras pay for all this promised largess ?

By collecting all the evaded taxes of the rich and suspending payments, until final re-negotiations of the loans which Greece had obtained from the rest of the European taxpayers.

The repayment of this debt, which amounts to about 320,000,000,000.00 Euros, at lower interest rates and longer amortisation periods should be done in proportion to „future economic growth“.

Can you not just imagine the financial juggling of Greece's GDP showing absolutely no growth and therefore absolutely no repayment of just debts?

In fact, Greece, in the very near future will require additional loans from the EU or it will face inevitable state bankruptcy.

No wonder, then, that the new government has already announced, contrary to the avowed platform of its coalition partner, to remain within the European Union and to keep the Euro as its currency.

In order to bring Greece back onto its feet we need, so says Mr. Tsipras, do some very simple things:

„We need to eliminate corruption and tax evasion, we need to establish a fair taxation system and we need to make Europe understand that we cannot repay the loans... cannot service the debt...

We, so says Alexis Tsipras, must write off a large part of these previously granted loans and renegotiate the terms of the remaining amount. ( ...and I always believed that the Lender is the one who may and in some cases has to „write off a loan“. The borrower does not have the right to „write off“ a debt. He can only „renege“ on an agreement to pay back the borrowed amount.

And this is what the two Greeks are planning to do.

But that's not all: The lenders of the earlier mentioned 320 Billions Euros placed some conditions on these loans: Greece had to promise to embark on a savings program. A „household budget“ was asked for to make repayment a possibility and to bring the Greek economy onto a firm basis.

All this was to be achieved through a semblance of fiscal responsibility.

The two parties, forming the coalition government, agree that this savings program must be stopped at once, as it was „strangling their economy.“

But wait, wait a cotton picking minute: Greece will need more borrowed money in the near future to stave off bankruptcy. Which lender will rush in to lend them more, when they cannot handle the current load ?

Will they have to abandon the Euro, which they cannot manipulate, as their currency, and return to the Drachma ? Sounds possible: First the market will establish a value of the Drachma, and once this is done the printing presses in Athens will start to rumble 24 hours a day and 'voilas' we repay the 320 Billion of Euros with our new currency, showing the crumbling Acropolis as the backdrop.

Except, of course, that the following hyper-inflation will truly play havoc with Greece.

There are dark clouds looming from Olympus.

Bertstravels 

can hear the thunder.

Mosy Tent

In the last postings I used the words "mosy tent".
Two readers asked me for the meaning of this expression.
"Mosy" is a colloquial short form for "mosquito"...
The ceiling and sides of this tent consist simply of a mosquito net, securely fastened to a sturdy floor.
The advantages of such a tent are indeed many fold: Firstly it allows for free circulation of air, so the tent does not become stuffy during the warm nights. Secondly you can lie there, on your back, and contemplate the stars in all their splendour and last but not least you see the early dawn rise over the horizon.
Of course, when rain is in the offing, and good guides, and we had the best, will know this without a weather forecast, or when we were in an area with a larger lion population, we would either use a large canvas two men tent or put a "canvas fly" over the mosy. 
This way we would stay dry and, more important, we would not arouse the curiosity of a wandering lion.

So that's the meaning and the purpose of a "mosy tent".

Two "mosy tents" under the low, overhanging branches of a tree.
This somehow defeats the purpose of star gazing but provides cooling shade during the day. In front a canvas "wash basin" to wash your face and feel a little refreshed. Shaving ? Who the hell
shaves in the middle of the bush ?

Two "mosy tents" and a visitor coming a bit too close for comfort.

John having a little "noon day snooze"

My "mosy" right next door and our guide's canvas a bit away from ours.

THE CHILOJO CLIFFS

I promised yesterday to show the Chilojo cliffs in all of their splendour.
We had our tents positioned on the shore line of the Runde river in such a way as to see those rock formations first thing in the morning when we would open our eyes.
The elephants were gone, the mourning doves had ceased their incessant "guroo, guroo, guroo,
the silence was palpable and for a moment the thought crossed my mind: "That's what it must be like when you are all alone in the world".
Soon, however, the rustle, the yawning, the morning cough coming from John's mosy tent brought me back to reality. Then the clatter of the breakfast cooking pans promised the start of another day.
What adventures would this new day bring ?

This sandstone formation, the Chilojo cliffs,

extend along the shore of the Runde river

Elephants at Chilojo

In the southern part of Zimbabwe, close to Mozambique and to South Africa, there is the game preserve named Gonarezhou. It is with full justification that Gonarezhou means: The Place of many Elephants. 
Along the Runde river stretch the cliffs of Chilojo.
It is not possible to describe in words the feeling one gets, when the evening sun turns these cliffs into a kaleidoscope of colours and down below, in the largely dry river bed, a family of elephants have gathered.:
Since I cannot describe it in words, let me try to show it to you in pictures:

Above the deep green of the trees there are the red cliffs of Chilojo.

Maybe tomorrow I shall show you the Chilojo Cliffs in their entire beauty.

Bertstravels would like to go back there one more time.

The fastest on four legs

It was in the region of the Madusadona on the south shore of lake Kariba, when we witnessed the chase. Unfortunately it happened so fast and was a bit too far for decent pictures.
With lightening speed the Cheetah brought down an Impala, dragged it into the underbrush and hid it well. For the longest while it lay there and surveyed the surroundings. We had driven  to within telephoto lens distance and eventually the Cheetah accepted us as non threatening. Finally, when it was sure that there was no immediate danger from other carnivores, it dragged its catch from its hiding place and started to feast. 

I took many pictures and my guide shot some great videos.
Here are just three of the images.

Calm and Quiet

As an antidode to all the excitement of the last few days, 

please view this grass, undulating in a gently flowing brook.

The above images were taken in Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada...

and, once in Algonquin, a Loon with a chick is not far away.

Two interesting items in today's Kleine Zeitung.

First interesting item:

Justice in Saudi Arabia :

A very few days ago the representative of the ailing King of Saudi Arabia marched with many European leaders along the Champs Elysee, condemning the brutal slaying of 12 persons in the offices of the satirical news paper, „Charlie Hebdo“.

He was widely quoted as saying that such cowardly terrorism, such "barbaric brutality" had nothing to do with the faith of Islam and must be condemned by all reasonable people.

A few days later, journalist, cartoonist Raif Badawi, who had been condemned by the Appeals Court of Saudi Arabia to 10 years in jail, a fine of 200,000.- Euros and 1000   (one thousand ) lashes with a whip, was indeed whipped publicly in the square of the „Al Jafali Mosque“, where on many Fridays public execution by beheading with a sword are also carried out. Fifty strokes, the first installment of this cruelty, are to be followed by 50 strokes each over the next 49 weeks in intervals of 8 days.

The assembled crowd, who had gathered to view this display of medieval barbarity called out in unison with each of the 50 strokes: „Allah akbar“ – God is great -

( I would venture to guess that, had any one of the assembled been the recipient of 50 strokes with a whip, he/she would hardly have praised the Lord and called him great with every stroke tearing his/her back to shreds. )

The charges brought against Raif Badawi are: Insulting the Religion of Islam and protesting against the „rightful“ Authorities. (Quotes mine).

This is apparently the way in which Saudi Arabia demonstrates its tolerance for the free expression of varying opinions and its interpretation of the laws of Islam.

Second interesting item:

Listen through the key hole.

British Premier wants to listen in.

David Cameron now wants to establish a far reaching listening post, to monitor the electronic world of communications.

„If I remain the Premier“, he is quoted, „I shall work for all inclusive legislation, which will assure that terrorists will not be able to communicate freely.“

It is reasonable to assume that many other countries will do so or have already done so to the extent of their ability.

We already know that the German Secret Service had listened to a telephone conversation by the then USA Foreign Secretary, Hillary Clinton, flying in an air craft, with the Secretary General of the United Nations Mr. Ban Ki-moon, in the head office of the U.N.

Remember the uproar which reverberated throughout Europe, when the listening activities of the U.S. National Security Agency became public ?

What a lot of phony, dishonest complaining was done then, when everybody else was doing it, but probably not quite as well as the Americans.

These are the two items in today's News Paper, which caught the attention of

Bertstravels.

Thoughts about "Charlie Hepdo"

I do not usually make predictions because Life has the tendency to do the unexpected, to take a turn in a direction one least anticipated.

This time I will dare, however, to embark on the difficult and dangerous path of prognostication:

After an initial flurry of high level meetings, learned discussions, educated editorials and 'high-faluting' sermons from a variety of pulpits, all about „Je Suis Charlie“ and about what the civilized world must do now to combat terrorism, most everything will slowly but surely return to the phlegmatic do-little attitudes of yesterday.

Yes, this is my prediction: ( and I hope that I'm wrong )

Within three months, Charlie will have been largely forgotten, because it is too enervating for most to remain at a high pitch of emotion.

A serious concern:

The call will shortly be out, if it is not already voiced, that we need more police, that new laws must be forged to stop such insanity as displayed by fanatics of all stripes.

The French will do this, the Germans that and the Italians another thing.

I would be surprised if Europe could agree on a common modus operandi as a response to this ever growing danger of the so-called Islamists. Europeans can hardly agree on the time of day, so how would they ever agree on such a weighty matter ?

Sure, the leaders of over 40 Nations marched arm in arm along the Champs Elysee, swearing allegiance and common purpose. They will return home and be confronted with the same all consuming problems of their own countries: Gross National Debt, Unemployment, Poverty, Housing, Health care and a myriad other difficulties which will demand their undivided attention.

Remember 9/11 ?

Rarely do you hear it mentioned nowadays. Although this crime killed over 3000 persons, maimed untold others and caused billion of dollars in damages, it seems that only the Americans have engaged in a sustained plan of action to learn in advance of such attacks in preparation.

Action, for which they were roundly criticized in the rest of the world.

And now comes „Charlie Hepdo“ !

And the call for action is loud. More Police, More laws.

I believe that Europe must be extremely cautious, because more police and more laws have a habit of developing their own growth and the one thing we do not want here, are countries with the ear marks of a Police State. The lowering of democratic principles, and, as a consequence an increase of State control, would be precisely what the Terrorists would welcome. If there is one thing they abhor it is the free expression of opinion, and all the other principles which make a country into a Democracy.

I am not suggesting that no positive action is required. On the contrary. Just for once Europe must engage in unified actions to combat Terrorism from whichever source it may come.

But not at the price of our treasured democratic principles.

Bertstravels

...and Religion Begat Terrorism...

Once again I would like to quote the head line of our daily paper, The Kleine Zeitung, of 9th January 2015:

„Terrorism has no Religion“.

I think the editors are completely wrong. Their head line should be:

„Religion is terrorism!“

I have, in prior postings here, repeatedly quoted from the Bible, the Old and the New Testament and no one can doubt that both books are full of terrorism. The Old Testament tells of Moses and his Israelites, killing members of other tribes by the thousands, killing all the people of 10 kingdoms but allowing the virgins to remain alive to be distributed, along with all the goods, to the victorious terrorists.

We read of God, as described in the Bible, the greatest terrorist of all times, since he not only ordered this multiple destruction but committed one of the greatest terror acts himself:

The Great Flood, where every living human being, except for the members of one family, and every animal, except for a pair of every kind, was killed by drowning.

The New Testament also speaks of condemnation for ever and ever to hell fire. It threatens anybody, guilty of a long long list of alleged, non-confessed „sins“ to be sent to hell and there to suffer excruciating and ever lasting pain.

Such threats surely are acts of terrorism of the worst kind.

Sura 9:5 of the Quran says this: „When the sacred months are over, slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them and lie in ambush for them. If they repent and take prayer and render the alms levy, allow them to go their way. - God is forgiving and merciful. ( he is ? after all idolaters have been murdered  !)

For this and other passages in the Quran, as well as for all the violence-inspiring passages of the Bible there are, of course, explanations. The apologists of both religions are busy explaining this and explaining that, until nothing of the original text is left for contemplation.

All of this makes absolutely no difference: I am certain that Christians quoted their Bible when they attempted to justify the killing of non-believers, as Islamists quote theirs.

In fact, it is the above quoted Sura 9:5 of the Quran which Islamic Terrorists quote most often when they go about their mayhem, in spite of the explanations and despite the claims that the Quran is a book of peace. Maybe it is. Unfortunately many of its adherents do not understand this and merrily go about killing „giaurs“ - infidels,

in its name.

Does it really matter how the book is explained ?

That the author did not mean this!... in fact, he meant that... and some other „wise man“ suggests that, no, the author meant neither this, nor that, but another thing all together.

If it takes so called „Scholars“, "Theologians",  to interpret the book in sometimes contradictory ways, then the Book is poorly written and the Author was a bad, or at best, a mediocre writer.

Over the ages religious works, interpreted in a multitude of different ways, were more a hindrance than a furtherance to   

"peace on earth to all good men."

Karl Marx, whose opinion I do not share to the slightest degree, with one singular exception, reportedly said:

„The first requisit for the happiness of the people is the abolition of religion.“

Bertstravels
for the only time agrees with Karli.

Je Suis Charlie

A small group of terrorist killers murdered 12 co-workers of the satirical magazine "Charlie Hebdo" in Paris, France. 
Among the dead are the editor and several cartoonists of this publication.
I am not about to report about this cowardly, heinous crime. All the News, print and electronic, are full of the facts. Let me look at it from another angle:

The reaction of the sane world is, as might be expected, in unison in its condemnation.
"We All Are Charlie" is the front page of the local paper, the 'Kleine Zeitung'.
The call for close co-operation between all European countries in the hunt for these and like minded terrorists,  is heard on each panel show and during every News Cast.

Every politician calls for 'extra vigilance' in the struggle against terrorism.
Isn't this a lovely switch from the very frequently heard criticism of the efforts of the USA to prevent further terrorist attacks after 9/11 which resulted in 3000 killed.
"Exaggerated Reaction" and "American Paranoia" were the terms often used by the media then.
Remember ?

This is how things change and reactions shift when the 'grenades hit closer to home' !

The fact is, that the entire sane world must finally stand together with utmost energy and total cooperation in its fight against religious and political fanaticism.

We all must believe: Yes! "Je Suis Charlie"

In 1963, the then President of the United States of America, John F. Kennedy, in his famous speech, held on the steps of Berlin's City Hall, spoke about political threat and he said this:

"...Two thousand Years ago, the proudest boast was: 
"Civis Romanus Sum" ( I am a Roman Citizen ).
Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is :"Ich bin ein Berliner" ....all free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words: 
"Ich bin ein Berliner"
Kennedy spoke of freedom and liberty of every man and woman. The German Press, however, refusing to recognize and honour the clearly expressed meaning,  ridiculed it, saying that after all, 
"a Berliner" is the name of a popular sausage.

Let us hope that Europe will finally wake from its slumber and come to recognize the dangers to which it is exposed due to political, but mostly due to religious fanaticism.

Bertstravels

Roasted Corn Seller

Whenever, on our travels through Zimbabwe or Botswana we drove through a settlement, small or smaller, various foods and/or jewellery were brought directly to the car window and offered for purchase. I always bought some of the offerings, even though I might not need or want them. 
In some areas tourists were rare and possibilities for the men and women to earn some money were few and far between.
I particularly like the picture of the "Roasted Corn Seller" whose face almost disappears under his ware.

Two strange tales

The Upside-down tree and Adam and Eve

I thought about the „ungrateful tree“ , the Baobab, and God's angry reaction to this lack of gratitude. Remember ? God had completed his best effort in the creation of trees, but nothing was good enough for this tree. He wanted more and more. So God became so mad, that he uprooted the tree from its natural position and jammed it back into the ground, root up...

Is it very far fetched to find a comparison in the Old Testament story, which tells of God having created his best piece, Man?

When Man wanted more and more, and disobeyed this „do not eat the fruit of this tree“ instruction, God also got so angry, that he punished the first human couple of his creation and, while he did not put them head first into the ground, he, nevertheless, punished them with banishment from what was originally meant to be their natural habitat.

If I can believe the second of the above stories, why should I not also believe the first ?

Bertstravels

believes everything !

The "Upside Down Tree"

Its real name is the "Baobab Tree."
Many folk tales are spun around this peculiar tree, of which there are nine species.
The most intricate tale is the one about its creation.:
God had decided to make a really beautiful tree and spared no effort to achieve this goal.
When he was finished he asked the tree if he was happy with the way he looked.
The tree saw his reflection in a still pond and said: I would really like to be a little taller. So God made the tree taller. Then the tree suggested that he should now also have a larger circumference.
So God made him bigger around. The tree then complained that its leaves should be a shade greener and its fruit should taste better.
Finally God got so angry with this ungrateful creation that he tore the tree from the ground, turned it upside down and jammed it back into the earth on which it had stood.
Since then, when the dry season is in full swing and the tree has shed its leaves it truly looks as if its roots were reaching heavenward.
The Natives therefore call it: The Upside Down Tree.
Some other interesting bits of knowledge, which are as true as the story of its creation are:
If you eat its blooms, you become mighty and strong and you can defeat Lions in a fight.
Other tales predict that if you eat a bloom, you will be killed by a lion.
More tales are told about this tree than about any other.

The Baobab, or "Upside-down tree" with its root system seemingly pointing to the sky.

During especially dry periods, elephants in search for nourishment will strip its bark 

and finally chew its moisture bearing wood.

The white blooms of the baobab open at night only.

Here is a baobab at late sunset.

When any other tree is stripped of its bark all around the stem, the tree will die of thirst.

The Baobab, however, is capable of sucking moisture throughout its trunk, and simply grows another layer of bark.

When, however, the damage inflicted, mostly by elephants, is too serious,

the tree can no longer support its own weight, is incapable of sucking sufficient moisture

and finally, rotting from the inside out, breaks down into a fibrous mass.

Some of the largest baobabs have been carbon dated

 and an age of 3000 + years has been established.

Too much is too much and finally 

the tree breaks down into its fibrous consistency and disappears.

My good friend and travel companion, John, 

admires and feels a sense of sorrow

that this giant lost his struggle for existence.

OLD STUFF - NEW STUFF

The weather has been so lousy, that I just have not been out taking pictures. It is wet-cold and the fog hangs low. So, I am staying home, digging up some images which were taken in warmer
climes and some time ago. ( April 2013 )

In the South/Eastern section of Zimbabwe, not many miles from South Africa to the South and Mozambique to the East, there is a wonderful Nature Preserve called Gonarezhu.
Two Rivers, the Runde and the Saave join and finally, crossing Mozambique, they empty into the Ocean.

After an adventurous trip through this preserve we reach the Runde river and where it is very shallow we dared go for a swim. Actually it was more like a bath, than a swim. 
The reason for seeking a shallow part is quite simple: Crocodiles operate only in deep water and, whenever possible they stay away from the shallows. A little further down the river became much deeper and there were several Hippos playing around, and who knows how many Crocs.

It wasn't until I got home and had a good look at these images that I noted a decided similarity:

Nature had a wonderful way to arrange his receptors:

Ears, Eyes and Nose are pretty much on one level.

This way the Hippo can be almost submerged with his whole body and still

hear, see and smell what goes on around him.

When a Hippo "yawns" it is actually not yawning,

but warning you to "stay away  and leave me alone"

A warning well heeded every time.

The shallowness of the Runde river 

allowed us to go for a little bath.

Crocs do not work or hunt in shallow water. 

They want to pull their victim down into the deep

and devour it with leisure.

 It was my turn to "devour" something at my leisure.

A cold bottle of beer !

How could it be cold, you ask, in the  middle of a hot day in Gonarezhou ?

Very simple: We had an ice box in our vehicle, operated by battery,

which in turn was charged during the day with a solar panel.

As our guide used to say: "Any fool can be uncomfortable".