Termite mounds and Camel Thorn trees; Hangin' out with the "Boys of lagoon"; Cold Wintry air; All about Cheetah safari; and lots lots more

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks.

 

Nyamera, Oops forgot about that!!!

[Jan]

Thanks Hari,

looks like there´s a lot guiding potential @ Lebala with Spencer, Thabo & Hector, not to forget Charles if he´s guiding.

This November it will be Lebala and Kwara for us and unless I´m winning in the lotterie no PV. Oh, I think it´s time to play in the lotterie

Hope not to be stuck all the time with 6 in the car.

Thomas

 

 

Wild Dogger, I like a private vehicle at the Kwando camps because I don't like the configuration of the

 

vehicles. They use the middle seat of three, and as a lone traveller, that's probably where I' be stuck!

 

The very first time that I stayed at Lagoon I was lucky enough to be alone with guide and tracker, and after

 

a couple of days was joined by a very nice Australian journalist, I wasn't complaining!! Since meeting Hari

 

on S.T., on his recommendation, I've always had Spencer as my guide, and very good he is ,too. At other

 

camps I usually go with the flow. Wilderness doesn't use the middle seat, so that's okay.

 

One always hopes to have congenial companions, and I have usually been lucky. It's an expensive business

 

going on safari, and travelling on your own it's just you against the world!

 

Having said all that, I'm off to Botswana in October for about the twentyth time, and i can't wait!

 

 

Jan

[Wild Dogger]

Thanks Hari,

looks like there´s a lot guiding potential @ Lebala with Spencer, Thabo & Hector, not to forget Charles if he´s guiding.

This November it will be Lebala and Kwara for us and unless I´m winning in the lotterie no PV. Oh, I think it´s time to play in the lotterie

Hope not to be stuck all the time with 6 in the car.

Thomas

 

 

Wild Dogger, I like a private vehicle at the Kwando camps because I don't like the configuration of the

 

vehicles. They use the middle seat of three, and as a lone traveller, that's probably where I' be stuck!

 

The very first time that I stayed at Lagoon I was lucky enough to be alone with guide and tracker, and after

 

a couple of days was joined by a very nice Australian journalist, I wasn't complaining!! Since meeting Hari

 

on S.T., on his recommendation, I've always had Spencer as my guide, and very good he is ,too. At other

 

camps I usually go with the flow. Wilderness doesn't use the middle seat, so that's okay.

 

One always hopes to have congenial companions, and I have usually been lucky. It's an expensive business

 

going on safari, and travelling on your own it's just you against the world!

 

Having said all that, I'm off to Botswana in October for about the twentyth time, and i can't wait!

 

 

Jan

Yes, Jan, I know the seat configuration @ Kwando and really dislike it. But paying another 80 or so bucks per empty seat is an argument.

Last year I showed my disappointment as we were seated several times with 6. And I will do again show it this year, if it happens all the time.

Travelling with my wife means in the worse case, that she takes the middle seat to give me better photo opportunities. A good option is to take the front seat beside the guide. You have a nice angle for pics. But it´s a bit uncomfortable to handle the photo gear. And my wife will get unhappy if I always leave her sitting behind me

Thomas

[Jan]

Thomas, I agree that seating in safari vehicles can be a pain. I usually try to sit next to the guide if they don't

 

use a tracker at the camp, but at Kwando of course they do. That was the main reason why I started to have a

 

private vehicle at Kwando. Now I will only have Spencer, and am very happy, at a price! I'm not a great

 

photographer, so do not have masses of equipment, just a small camera and extremely good binoculars.

 

How nice for your wife to be able to sit back and enjoy the action. I think that we shall miss each other at

 

Lebala as I don't get there until 22 October.

 

 

Jan

[madaboutcheetah]

Thomas, I agree that seating in safari vehicles can be a pain. I usually try to sit next to the guide if they don't

 

use a tracker at the camp, but at Kwando of course they do. That was the main reason why I started to have a

 

private vehicle at Kwando. Now I will only have Spencer, and am very happy, at a price! I'm not a great

 

photographer, so do not have masses of equipment, just a small camera and extremely good binoculars.

 

How nice for your wife to be able to sit back and enjoy the action. I think that we shall miss each other at

 

Lebala as I don't get there until 22 October.

 

 

Jan

 

Hi Jan,

 

Spencer is the only reason we go on safari. He's such an extra-ordinary human being - his guiding skills, talent, work ethic and hosting skills ........ all in one. There has also been many a time, he had to take care of our in-camp needs whenever the camp management has been dodgy and inept.

 

Hari

[Jan]

Hi Jan,

 

Spencer is the only reason we go on safari. He's such an extra-ordinary human being - his guiding skills, talent, work ethic and hosting skills ........ all in one. There has also been many a time, he had to take care of our in-camp needs whenever the camp management has been dodgy and inept.

 

Hari

 

 

Yes, Hari, Spencer is a real star, and thanks to you I now count him as a friend.

 

 

Jan

[twaffle]

Hi Jan,

 

Spencer is the only reason we go on safari.

 

Hari

 

Hari, I don't believe it. If Spencer retired are you telling us you wouldn't go on safari again? Never to see a cheetah in the wild? Nah … don't believe it one bit!

[madaboutcheetah]

good point, Twaffle.

[Jan]

Hi Jan,

 

Spencer is the only reason we go on safari.

 

Hari

 

Hari, I don't believe it. If Spencer retired are you telling us you wouldn't go on safari again? Never to see a cheetah in the wild? Nah … don't believe it one bit!

 

 

I think I'd employ Hari then. I'd then have a guide and photographer and then I'd just sit back and let him do

 

all the work! He's learnt so much from Spencer over the years.

 

 

Jan

[madaboutcheetah]

Hi Jan,

 

Spencer is the only reason we go on safari.

 

Hari

 

Hari, I don't believe it. If Spencer retired are you telling us you wouldn't go on safari again? Never to see a cheetah in the wild? Nah … don't believe it one bit!

 

 

I think I'd employ Hari then. I'd then have a guide and photographer and then I'd just sit back and let him do

 

all the work! He's learnt so much from Spencer over the years.

 

 

Jan

 

Too funny, Jan - sometimes I will guess the animal behavior or predicted movement - he'll ask me where did I get that from .........

 

Hari

[Jan]

Hari, I think you have cheetah in your genes-------must be all that running! Sleek of build, too. Mmmm,

 

makes me think--------

 

 

 

 

Jan

[africaaddict]

Some updates before I get to the cheetahs. The small Lebala pack of 4 were denning with 9 puppies. But, just prior to my trip the dogs had already quit denning and got mobile and so were not seen during my visit. Trust they are doing well wherever they may be. Last seen with 9 healthy puppies.

 

Lagoon Pack is 17 strong with 6 puppies at the den. They have become expert warthog hunters. I only went to the den twice. Location was not photogenic to begin with and the atmosphere was tense with a certain USA based digital photo safaris group.

 

Name of the photographer and applicable details, withheld from a public forum like this ...... but, if that's what photography is all about ...... i.e, putting yourself and your needs above the well being of the wildlife and being rude and obnoxious to fellow travellers and camp staff ....... PATHETIC!!! That's not the essence of Kwando and is far away from the Kwando experience that i associate with!!!

 

Please Hari, dieing to find out which group this maybe? I'm thinking if it was the group from RRS, Here:

http://reallyrightstuff.com/Newsletter/newsletter10.html

Love your report BTW!

 

Cheers

Marc

[madaboutcheetah]

Doesn't look like the same group, I refer to Marc ...... actually, the tour leader had 2 back to back groups ...... I only met one group (none of them knew anything about their cameras hence were on the digital group). The leader of the group was definitely not the person who's article you posted the link to ........

 

Let's await part 2 of their report and further details...... at the moment, I have to disappoint you ..... answer is NO.

Edited September 3, 2010 by madaboutcheetah

[Pangolin]

The statement in the article about no chance to change angles, composition, etc. once the vehicle has stopped is bogus. Any good guide will occaisionally reposition the vehicle to do just that (when possible without overly distrurbing the wildlife of course).

[madaboutcheetah]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/54235440@N08/5025471018/

 

Apologies for the long delay - have uploaded a handful of photos, that give you a glimpse of how cheetah mad I am ...... still have a long long way to go with looking at my raw files. Sorry for the lame excuses, a combination of a botched lap top earlier, work comittments and a lot of laziness

 

Shall post more as i keep editing the flash cards

[PeterGermany]

Great "Cheetah Diaries" Hari!

[LynneB]

Thanks for loading the photos Hari. I love lagoon boyz 10 where they look as though they are hiding behind the tree and also lagoon boyz 30 where one of them has his head resting on the branch and looks gloomy!

[twaffle]

Some beautiful cheetah portraits, Hari … thanks for sharing these.

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks, All ........ Appreciative!!! and motivation enough to get cracking on the rest of the editing

[madaboutcheetah]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/54235440@N08/...in/photostream/

 

Updated pics ........

 

Hari

[Pangolin]

Great photos! As usual......

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks, Pangolin ........... long way to go with the editing still ...

[basto]

Stunning pictures, a really wonderful cheetah-portfolio. Thanks for sharing!

 

/Tom

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks a lot, Tom. Shall post more as I keep working on my flash cards - I have quite a bit to go!

 

Regards

Hari

[Jan]

Wonderful photos as usual, Hari. Thanks.

 

 

Jan