Reflections from JFK

Blogging from JFK during a five-hour layover, glad to be on American soil after a most successful African odyssey, but a longhaul flight overnight from Jo'burg, South Africa non-stop to New York. We're beat and can't wait to see TIA and then our 50-min. drive home from the airport.

It's strange to be sitting at a table at Terminal 5 blogging to holiday music filling the airport, as a 20-foot Christmas trees sends gate-goers on a minor detour to catch their flights this Wednesday morning, the last of November. We are at a nice charging station in the middle of the airport, charging the laptop, my iPhone and Tom's tablet. We would be charging my Nook Color, but I left it on the plane from Victoria Falls to Jo'burg and it is long gone.

It was only yesterday morning we were seven time zones awat, stalking the big cats in the Timbavati Private Game Reserve that is part of the Greater Kruger National Park. That morning an elephant had destroyed the lodge sign on the dirt road and tore down a tree, leaving it across the road for us to go around. Maybe he had seen one too many tourists that week. We made a timely exit, perhaps.

I post here some additional shots from Kruger that you may enjoy. I have about 6,000 pix to plow through when I get home. We land at 5 p.m. today. The buffalo are cape buffalo (not to be confused with water buffalo in Asia); the zebra is a Burchill's, noted by the shadow stripe; the little green guy is a chameleon we found in the middle of the path; the wonderful antelope is a kudu (delicious -- really! We also dined on zebra, warthog, ostrich and springbok, and no, I'm not kidding. At first I thought it was really weird, but then I bought into the fact that after all is said and done, we are carnivores); and the monkey is of the vervet variety.

Lion Around in the Bush

Came out of the bush yesterday from Greater Kruger National Park (no Internet service) in South Africa where we had great game viewing, great weather and a true communing with nature in our remote safari lodge, where the shower drained slowly due to a backup of dung beetles swirling down the drain as we dodged them in our daily soapings. And oh, by the way, I never thought I would hear myself say, "I'll have the warthog stew," but I did.

Loved all the animals, but the elusive leopard was a real treat when we came upon it in the woodlands as it had a bead on a small herd of impala. I'm afraid our presence thwarted its efforts, but only temporarily, I'm sure.

We were incredibly close to the leopard and to the lions (20 feet -- an easy leap) in our open Land Rover. The guide assured us they see the vehicle and not the humans in it, and advised us from standing and breaking our horizon line, lest they see us for what we were -- tasty -- and some of us more well marbled than others!

However, the lions seemed sated, as they lazed and lolled near a well-eaten giraffe carcass. The suckling cub in particular grabbed our attention. And when the cocktail hour rolled around, our guide and our tracker assured us we could climb down from the Land Rover for a pleasant sundowner of libations and hors d'oeuvres at an unoccupied watering hole, giving that term a whole new meaning as we sipped wine and gin and tonics in the bush.

Hippos, Elephants, Zebras, Oh My!

A game drive at Chobe National Park in Botswana, just over the border from Zimbabwe, proved to be a great Thanksgiving Day alternative to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and football. Instead of floats, we observed the great animals of Africa, seen here. Instead of football, we played bouncy bouncy over Botswana's red dirt roads. With temps in the 70s it was a perfect day. And we returned to our lodge on the Zimbabwe side in Victoria Falls to a wonderful turkey dinner prepared by the Stanley and Livingstone Lodge chef and his staff. We were all thankful to be citizens of the USA and visitors to this extraordinary land, Africa.

The Dunes of Sossusvlei

Before leaving Namibia for Zimbabwe, we drove inland via dirt, salt and gravel roads many hours to reach Sossusvlei in the southern part of the Namib Desert in the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The dunes reach over 1,000 feet and go on for miles and miles and miles. Our group (the hardy ones) climbed a lesser dune, but it was a tough slog in 90s heat and 80s humidity. I turned around shortly and changed from climber to photo documentarian, a much easier task. 

The colors of Sossusvlei are breathtaking -- soft sages, creamy golds and soft reds against a backdrop of the high sienna dunes under a brilliant blue sky. I have never seen the same color palette anywhere. Namibia is an extraordinarily beautiful piece of this earth, but hostile in every way. I loved being there.

School Day in Victoria Falls

Our Odysseys Unlimited tour group of 24 people from 10 states visited the Chinotimbo Primary School, bringing school supplies and books to a most grateful teaching staff and little learners. The children performed an energetic ritual tribal dance for us and we were allowed to roam through the classrooms and photograph the school and students. They were so happy to see us, and loved our cameras and seeing themselves after we took their pictures with our digital cameras. I captured a few pensive moments to add to my "Faces of the World" collection.