Just Got Back from my First Safari, June 6, 2012

[melequus]

Hi, All,

It was a wonderful first experience where I was introduced the spectacular world of safari drives and walks at Pafuri, Chobe, Khwai River area in the Delta, Kafue, Hwange and Zambezi NPs. My 70-400 SSM lens on my Sony A77 was perfect for getting some amazing images.

My next trip will be with naturalists and photographers who know the difference (and care to know the difference) between a leopard and a cheetah, an impala and a puku, etc., etc. I learned that there are a lot of rich people in this world spending lots of money on Safari who don't care to acquire knowledge about the wonderful world of southern Africa.

Thanks to SafariTalk.com where I learned about it, I spent one great, great learning day with Charles Brightman, Operations Co-ordinator of the Vic Falls Anti--Poaching Unit helping to catch poachers. It was one of the highlights of this trip!

[Game Warden]

What is Safaritalk.com? Anyway, be most interested to hear of your experiences with Charles when you have time.

[Atravelynn]

Welcome back. Although I care about the difference, I have even mixed up an impala and a leopard, though at a great distance. Unfortunately it was an antelope and not a cat.

 

So glad you did the anti-poaching trip. Will be most interested in that info.

 

Technical point: we are a dot net here rather than a dot com. Not as big of a mistake as mixing up whitehouse dot gov with the old whitehouse dot com, the latter being a spoof with lots of photoshopped nudity.

 

How exciting you have a next safari in mind.

[twaffle]

More disconcerting is the number of rocks and shrubs which I've sworn were lions, cheetahs and caracal. But I know what you mean, it can be annoying to sit with people who aren't interested in the different species of antelope or anything to do with the why and where.

 

I have just come back from the Flinders Ranges and am ashamed to say that I am terribly ignorant when trying to identify the different species of kangaroo and wallaby. Must brush up on that.

[PT123]

Cheers Melequus,

 

The title of your post made me smile from ear-to-ear because it reminded me of the feelings that I had when we got back from our first safari (i.e., when is our second safari going to be?!). I'm glad that you had a good time and look forward to seeing some pics and reading a trip report.

 

 

Lynn - of course I immediately googled whitehouse.com...

[pault]

You dated it like the birth of a child!

 

Welcome back and you had a wonderful safari lens with you (I haven't tried the camera). Hope you'll be telling us more.