Skeleton Coast

This is it friends, the last of the trip! It seems like I have been here for both a lifetime and yet still no time at all! I have learned so much from all the places I have been on this trip and from the amazing people I have met while traveling including the locals. Today we made the second last leg of our journey to get to our last destination! Can you guess where were heading to last? No? Even if you can, I’ll tell you anyway! We are now in the Namib Desert, more specifically the skeleton coast in Namibia which is in the south of Africa.

In order to get where we were going we drove from Botswana just over the Namibia boarder and then we climbed into a super tiny bush plane that only carried up to four people including the pilot. Needless to say that the ride was not the smoothest plane ride I’ve ever taken and I wondered if my breakfast would stay down at some point because of the turbulence. However if I had to do it all over again, there would be no question in my mind that I would!  The views that we saw from the windows of the plane were unlike anything I had ever seen before! Not only were there san dunes that I had only imagined actually existed in Disney movies, but it clashed directly with the ocean! The drastic change from desert to ocean was absolutely unbelievable (Take a look for yourselves below).

                             

 As we flew over this crazy landscape, our guide in the plane explained to us that the desert was an extremely dry place and gets next to no rain year round. The only moisture it really gets is from the fog that rolls in off of the ocean. Though deserts are hot, at night the deserts get pretty chilly and when the warmer seawater moisture meets the cold temperatures that the desert has at night, it condenses the moisture from the ocean and creates a massive cloud of fog.

(So much Fog!)

The moisture that comes off of the ocean is enough to sustain the wildlife that live in the area but that’s about it (I’ll tell you all about the wildlife in just a little bit!)! After the flight and taking in all the wonder we landed and took a short drive to our camp

(The main foyer)

(Our room)

 The camp we stayed at had the most incredible view of massive sand dunes that could easily be mistaken for mountains instead of sand dunes because they are so massive and extend so high and far. We stayed at the camp for the afternoon and lunch and dinner were both provided because we are in such a remote location.

The next day we set out to explore the sand dunes and see some of the ships that had crashed along the shore! The amount of sand that I had to dump out of my shoes at the end of the day was way too much, and just when I thought I’d gotten it all, of course somehow there was always more to pour out! We found out on our hike that the skeleton coast has been named so because the waters and the shore are so treacherous that they have caused many ships to crash over the years. The beached ships have become dilapidated and have begun to fall apart leaving nothing but their skeleton, thus giving the coast its name.

One of the dunes we tried to climb

       After a long hot day of hiking and getting covered in sand, we traveled back to the camp and rested until dinner, which was the most delicious vegetarian meal I’ve ever had, it was so flavorful and amazing. After putting myself into a food coma, I’ve just poured into bed waiting for more adventures tomorrow.

Today we went going to see some of the local tribes that live slightly inland from the coast near Etosha Park. On our way there we saw not as much wild life as I’d hoped to see, but our guide explained that it was due to the time of day we were traveling. Later on in the evening on our way back we would see more. However I did see a couple of desert elephants and on our way back we saw lots of birds and even an entire pride of desert lions! I didn’t know that there was a difference between the kinds of elephants and lions that we saw here and the ones we saw back on the savannah, and though our guide explained the difference, I can’t quite remember what it is (sorry guys, guess you’ll have to Google it).
The wildlife was incredible to see and even more incredible with the setting sun. The most interesting piece of information I picked up on our trip today was definitely that the conservation areas that are the skeleton coast and the surrounding protected areas (the land and the conservation areas themselves) are all owned by the local communities! I thought this was great because the communities then have control over the hunting and other rules of the land. Their protection of the land is a great way to encourage tourists to come to the area for two reasons. The first reason it encourages tourists is because the protected land ensures only sustenance hunting for the tribes therefore ensuring copious amounts of wildlife for tourists to see. The second reason it encourages tourists is because they are providing wealth to the local communities through fees and taxes that the camps have to pay to use the land. As well as local employees at the camp so that the community can benefit even more.  There is a trade between the camps and the local communities that allows for tourists to come in and the communities get money and jobs and in return the community members agree not to poach to be able to sustain this business of money coming in and them preserving the land.

The Skeleton coast is like nothing I have ever seen before. The way the ocean meets the desert is comparable to nothing I’v seen or heard of before but tomorrow we fly back over the skeleton coast to get back to a bus that will take us to the airport. This is our flight home unfortunately, and I am so sad to leave. Our guide said that if were lucky that we will get too see a colony of seals! This trip has been the most eye opening and best experience I have ever had! There are so many places in Africa that are so geographically unique and I could never see at home. This trip has been a memory for the ages, I can only hope that I will be able to take my kids on a trip like this one day and that I can show them the wonder and splendor the world has to offer!

 

Update: we did end up seeing a colony of seals on our way back!! Take a look, so many of them!

 

Remember that the world is bigger than your backyard and has so much to offer. Go out and experience different cultures and environments, you will never regret it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

http://www.wilderness-safaris.com/countries/namibia

Brian Troy- owner of Leopard Adventures

 

 

The Waters of the Okavango Delta – Botswana, Africa

Hey guys!  After what seemed like not a lot of travel (because I fell asleep for a lot of it) we arrived at the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, more specifically the Okavango Delta. Here’s where we are now

We didn’t take those plane routes but, it gives you a great idea of where we’re located in Africa and where the Delta is!

The delta is the most interesting place that we have visited on our trip! It’s so rich with animals and water. So you guys have a better idea of the delta’s importance, let me explain how the delta came to be why it is so important in this area of Africa. UNESCO designated this a heritage site so that this beautiful piece of geography can be preserved and protected for many generations to come. Long ago there was a tectonic shift that changed the physical landscape of the area. This shift caused the river that once carried water from the mountain rains to the ocean to become fractured and disconnected. The water that came from the mountain rains no longer had a path to travel to the ocean.  This has led to what we now know as the Okavango delta, a vast expanse of shallow fanned out channels and swamps of water. The reason the delta is so critically important is because it’s about 6000-15000 square kilometers of water that lies within about 900,000 square kilometers of otherwise completely dry arid desert.

This is what the Kalahari Desert looks like, you can see that it is very dry and that the Okavango Delta provides much needed water for wildlife in the otherwise dry desert.

It is the only body of water that provides the wildlife with enough drinking water to survive. It rains for about 2 months (January and February) and the water spread for the next 4 months. It becomes most critical throughout the months from June to august when it is dry season in Botswana, and it is able to provide life-sustaining support to the wildlife that will come from many miles in any direction to reap its benefits. The cool part about the delta is that because it’s the only water around all the wildlife flock to it, which puts the tourists (ME!) at an advantage of seeing so many more animals! It’s such a unique experience to Botswana that brings in so many tourists every year to different camps. This is not only great for the tourists but it’s great for the local communities that have the tourism and it’s funds coming in because of camps hiring local guide who have great local knowledge about the delta and everything in it.

This was the view from the common sitting area at our camp. What a view!

Now that you have an idea of why it’s so important you can see how I could think it’s the best part of the trip! There were lots of chances for us to get our boots muddy and explore the delta, which was awesome! Looking at all the neat plants and bugs and of course all the different animals that were scattered over the part of the delta we visited. I ended up with a few soakers when we had the chance to get out of the boats and I thought I was stepping on solid ground, only to find out that it’s was not solid but a only a reed raft, whoops! I think I may have given some fish quite the fright.

The water lilies that we saw were so bright and smelled amazing (they’re my favorite flower so I was not complaining)! The chances of seeing the wildlife are great! We saw everything from hippos and crocodiles to zebras to flowers and lots of beautiful plants.  The high instances of seeing wildlife have gone up even more because as of January 1^st 2014 hunting has become illegal in all of Botswana. Some of the areas of the delta have fairly large patches of land that don’t flood (because the flood waters are fairly shallow) that a bunch of camps have been placed on for people to stay- ours is one of them and it’s incredible to be in the middle of all the wildlife and noises at night!

We did a half day today of exploring the delta today, and came back in time for a delicious lunch and an afternoon to relax in the shade of the umbrellas at the camp and enjoy watching the things that happen in the delta throughout the afternoon. Tomorrows another day of exploring the delta by boat but were going for the afternoon into the evening so we can see different things.

As always I’ll keep you posted friends!

Nat

 

 

 

 

References

http://www.wilderness-safaris.com/countries/botswana

Brian Troy- Owner of Leopard Adventures

Surfin’ Safari! (Okay, no surfing, just regular safari)

South African bush adjacent to Kruger National park

“I can’t believe that today is the day!” is what I said to myself as I woke the morning I was to leave for South Africa. Looking back it doesn’t seem as though that was only about a week ago, so much has happened since then! It’s not even over yet and it’s been more than I could have ever imagined!

Us (with a couple of the other people in our tour) in our land rover with our guide at the front

As you might have noticed I decided tostart making my blog slightly more personal. Previously I have taken a more factual approach but I found that to be kind dry so ill be adding more pictures as well as telling you guys (my readers) about all the awesome feelings and experiences that that traveling to Africa has given me. Maybe it will help convince you guys too that Africa is an incredible place that you want to visit too!!

It’s getting a little further into our trip now and we have reached the exciting time of going on safari near Kruger National Park in the South of Africa. Today we set out in an open toped land rover to drive around the South African bush in search of many of the animals that I had only imagined I’d ever see in my dreams!

Lions and tigers and bears oh my! Ok so there were no tigers and no bears, but we most definitely saw lions, a whole pride of lions with cubs and males and females, it was incredible!! We hadn’t been out for more than an hour when our awesome guide pointed out the lions that were making their way to the shade of a tree for the day.

Driving though the bush adjacent to Kruger National Park is where most people go when they go on a bush expedition. This is the area that pioneered the tours and seeking out wildlife for tourists to see.

 

Felt pretty neat having a picnic lunch and watching some elephants have theirs at the same time!

As we were stopped for lunch just before midday (at this point is was getting pretty hot so we stopped in the shade for some lunch) our guide explained to us that the land that we were driving on was farmland used for cattle grazing about 80 years previous. It was the local community who decided that the land would be transitioned from farmland to a wildlife reserve because the land was no good for cattle grazing anyway. It blew my mind that the size of Kruger National Park is comparable to the size of the country of Israel (4.5 million acres)!

After lunch was finished, we were on our way again. Before the day was over we had seen soo many animals, we saw leopards keeping cool by hanging out in trees, saw elephants and giraffes reaching for the last of the leaves on some of the trees and even saw another bunch of lions! We had just crossed the river and were waiting for the land rover behind us to cross when these lions came out of a thicket of bushes and stood right beside the other land rover, it was unreal!

They separated the tents into small groups so that each person could enjoy the amazing sounds of the night (the other tents weren’t too away though)

After such an eventful day we had the choice to go back to the camp we came from or go to another site for the night and sleep under the stars. There was no doubt in my mind that I would be taking advantage of the incredible landscape here in South Africa and soaking it in every waking moment – as well as sleeping moment.  We pulled up to our “camp” for the night, which was no more than cots surrounded by mosquito netting to keep out any creepy crawlies and bugs.

 

You cannot get much closer to experiencing the true Africa that that!  The sounds, the fresh air and the animal calls that happened at dusk were beyond any experience I’ve ever had and probably will have again. The experience that going on safari today has brought to me is 100% due to the opportunities that only the land in in the South of Africa can provide. The flat lands of high grasses and desert like areas let us see so many animals because when looking off towards the horizon you’d think that the grasslands continued forever and that the world was flat. The pictures that I was able to get will stay with me forever and I’m sure that one day they will convince me to go back (not that it will take much) and see it all again!  Tomorrow were setting out on a bush plane and then a bus to reach our next destination, the Okavango delta.  Can’t wait to see what adventure awaits me next!

 

We wanted to take a classic tourist safari picture, so our guide took it for us. We had no idea there were so many giraffes behind us when we asked him to take the picture though!! It wasn’t until we were going through the pictures that wed taken that day that we realized it turned out to be such an awesome picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

http://www.wilderness-safaris.com/countries/southafrica

Brian Troy- Owner of Leopard Adventures

Worth the walk

Rain Forests of Uganda, Rwanda and Republic of Congo

 

        The first thought that often comes to mind for many people when they think of Africa is the dry arid areas that are home to a good portion of the wildlife that people associate with Africa. However, there is another side to Africa that many seem to forget about. The mountain rainforests of Uganda Africa are home to one of the closest living relatives to humans, gorillas.

          The rainforests of Uganda, Rwanda and Republic of Congo are home to many animals, the majestic gorilla being one of them. With less than 900 gorillas remaining in the wild today they are amidst many unfortunate creatures that have managed to obtain a place on the critically endangered list of wild animals. Due to their low numbers it is no shock that the mountain gorillas are only found in four separate national parks (African wildlife Foundation, 2014).         

According to the map above, this is where many of the 900 gorillas that remain roam the mountains.

            With so few gorillas remaining and in so few places in the wild, there are limited opportunities for people to go see these spectacular creatures. Travelers often look for an experience that are a once in a lifetime opportunity and going to trekking through the silver fog mountains in Africa can provide visitors with such opportunities. The physical geography of the land is a major component to attracting visitors and tourists because it is in the tropical rainforests that the gorillas can find the specific habitat they need to thrive. This means that the gorillas become the anchor for tourism in these areas.  Their exclusivity to these regions draws people from near and far to come admire their might and grandiose.

       Due to the tourists that these mountains and gorillas bring this means that the regions receive a large economic boost from the incoming currency. The desire for people to hike into the mountains creates a need for mountain trekking guides and other services for the tourists experience to be enjoyable. Often the local community surrounding the mountains and areas where the gorillas live takes on this responsibility, which in turn gives them paying jobs and benefits the local community.

      The hike to the see gorillas is not for the faint of heart and will be hard work! Climbing the steep mountain trails can be challenging at the best of times, not to mention in the rainy season. Though the rains only fall for about three hours out of the day (Bwindi National Park, 2014) and the rest is sun, the rainfall and humid environment can make for a slippery climb to seek out the gorillas. Most people choose to go from June to September as well as December to February because those are not rainy season time. However if cost is your main concern then going during the beginning of the rainy season might not be such a bad idea due to the lowered tour and excursion costs. The Uganda Wildlife authority decided to lower the cost of gorilla tracking permits to enable the tour companies to encourage tourism by lowering costs to visitors (Bwindi National Park, 2014).  

     The scenery and the experience that the mountains in Uganda, Rwanda and the Republic of Congo can share with the people who come to visit is remarkable. This experience will leave you breathless and knowing that you have now seen a wonder that you could have only dreamed of at one point in your life.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

References

http://www.bwindiforestnationalpark.com/gorilla-trekking-uganda-bwindi-safari.html
http://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/mountain-gorilla
http://www.onthegotours.com/Africa/gorilla-trekking
Brian Troy

Grazing Across the Serengeti Plains

Serengeti Plains and Maasai Mara Biosphere

Many people dream of traveling to far off places, to see the world and experience what it has to offer. One of the most iconic places many people wish to visit is Africa, the place where the wonder of the wild enthralls many. Africa has so much to offer and experience and is unlike any other place in the world.  The Serengeti Plains and Maasai Mara Biosphere are such an iconic representation of what most people perceive Africa to be.

This region is home the “Great Migration” (also known as the circular migration) (Africa with SAAD, 2014), which takes place in parts of both northern Tanzania within Serengeti National Park and southern Kenya within the Maasai Mara game reserve (Travel Buddy, 2013).

Wildlife Migration Path (CKC Tourism and Travel, 2013)

Within this region of Africa, the great wildebeest migration takes place; this is when millions of wildebeest, zebras, and Thompson’s Gazelles migrate to follow the rains that create lush green grass for grazing upon (Africa with SAAD, 2014). When the animals arrive in a particular area is one hundred percent reliant on when the rains move.  The herds start to arrive to Serengeti National Park about May and June and will usually leave around September. However the park is not only home to these migratory herds, but to many animals such as lions, impalas, topis, black rhinos, hippos, more than one species of giraffe, antelopes, bat eared foxes, hyenas and countless species of birds (Africa with SAAD, 2014).

Serengeti which means “extended place” in the Maasai language (WWF, 2014) gives a good explanation of the physical geography of the plains of the Serengeti, very open and possessing abyss like qualities.

This paradigm shift that the rains create on the landscape from dry, barren and near lifeless to lush, vibrant and full of life is unparalleled by any other place. Though millions of years have gone by, the climate, landscape and wildlife have remained virtually unchanged.

This creates the perfect circumstances for tourists because they will not be disappointed by the degradation of the land or other changing circumstances. Every year over 100,000 people visit northern Tanzania within Serengeti National Park and southern Kenya within the Maasai Mara game reserve (WWF, 2014), in an attempt to view the migration. With over 1.5 millions animals making the migration and traversing the Mara river (As seen in many documentaries, including “Africa: The Serengeti” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh4BhuRcGe4) people flock from around the world to see this wondrous event take place.

There are many activities that are offered for the tourist visiting the area to encourage them to come back again and again to continue to be enamored by the physical landscape that compares to no other. Activities such as; hot air balloon rides, wildlife watching drives, hiking, guided nature tours, horse back riding, safaris and even cultural and historic site tours (Travel Buddy, 2014) allow tourists to experience the unique physical landscape of the Serengeti Plains and the Mara river. Due to the ultra unique landscape, the wildlife that resides there is also very unique. The uniqueness of the physical landscape and the wildlife it encompasses becomes the draw for many people to visit because it is not something that they can see anywhere else. The physical landscapes of Africa especially within the Serengeti plains and Mara River along with their paradigm landscape shift from the rains offer an unrivalled experience for tourists of all ages and backgrounds.

References

http://ckcsafaris.com/Great%20migration.html
http://www.travelbuddyafrica.com/tanzania/national-parks/serengeti-national-park.html
http://africawithsaad.com/maasai-mara/
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/teacher_resources/best_place_species/current_top_10/serengeti.cfm