Green Season in Botswana - CATS, CATS & Wild Dogs

[SafariChick]

so pretty!

[graceland]

Our tent, the decking, plunge pool seen from the HUGE bed

 

and to the side the sunken living room....(never used BTW)

 

I think that is a housekeeper checking on the temp of the plunge pool in the background ( )

[graceland]

Outside Shower, Inside and Sinks...

 

I mean REALLY????? well, if you are paying top dollar I guess you need a house.....

 

 

 

The OUTSIDE shower was my fav...it was amazing and worked and had great views. All I needed...Thought some of the furnishings were more form than function, but we were not in the room that much....so enjoyed what we had. Bed was super comfy and THAT is imp't. Deck was great for miday camera image looks!

[graceland]

View from other side looking towards closets...okay these closets were built for TRUNKLOADS of clothes; as opposed to Duma Tau - new - but gave only provided narrow wood shelves... Feast or famine..

 

.Drove me crazy with those flimsy cotton panels - which section holds my clothes????? Always pulling them open; housekeeping always closing them; aggghh. There was a safe (secured to the wall) and a bar. The bar was fully stocked. Nice touch. BUT who is getting into it mid-day? I guess whoever is sitting in the sunken living room

[graceland]

However, the draw to me is the view

 

 

and the game to come.......

 

that afternoon........DOGS, and more..

[SafariChick]

I'm trying to imagine myself rattling around by myself in one of those giant rooms - kind of ridic! But the views are indeed lovely

[PCNW]

Omgosh, I thought I had read this report but I had only just started it. And now that I have somewhat of a connection to these places it makes it all the more interesting. Thank you, you're doing great.

 

[graceland]

Thanks PCNW...I wish I had found the Chitabe Tent and Camp pics - It seems first go round I deleted way too much, but it is a wonderful camp, full of character and fantastic GUIDES and staff. You cannot go wrong with this one; the amt. of game was incredible; every day was an experience -and large tents up on walkways so the view across the plains behind your tent always includes a few animals coming and going.

 

Thanks for reading.

Hope to finish when I get home (although I sneak in everyday to check on ST goings ons while away)

Edited January 12, 2013 by graceland

[twaffle]

I'd missed this last few additions, wonderful and I'm still really enjoying the ride.

[AKR1]

Same here

[Atravelynn]

Woah, the report took an almost surreal turn around there!

 

That's what I'm thinking!

 

Did I read Sangria? I think graceland was offering a round. Back to the report.

 

How young were those little lion cubs?

 

Good thing Name was paying attention during sundowners. Yikes! Maybe this lion goes through that routine daily for his own entertainment. Nice recovery to get a photo.

 

When you recount your guide coming to your tent to apologize in tears, I often wonder, as you did, what might be going on in the lives of the guides/drivers and others who can't simply call in sick. When I spoke with the leader of a group of Twa who performed a traditional song/dance for us in Rwanda, he stated that his child had died that morning. Good Lord, and here he was dancing, singing, and I think strumming a guitar, in the late afternoon.

 

Looking forward to the rest.

Edited January 15, 2013 by Atravelynn

[Atravelynn]

the way the greening of the season is lighting up the brown grasses and shrubs of the bush. I am mesmerzied by the flourescent light of everything we pass - I say ( to no one in particular) LOOK at that BUSH; LOOK at the Grass - can you believe how bright and green and lovely it

 

I could really relate to your enthusiasm over the grass. I took pictures of just the grass in Chitabe. Some of your lion shots show the rich colors of the grass and ground cover, in addition to lions.

 

Of course for this woman in the rover I wanted to rush out, pick up the warthog and throw it to her...but then she'd really be full on warthog, a southern belle, and two crazy ass men trying to protect the southern belle.

(Molemi would be smart enough to stay out of it)

 

 

Very funny, I can just picture it.

 

To go with your earlier mention of several bands, here's Xavier Rudd in Portugal and Game Warden joins them on stage at 5:46.

[media]

[/media]

 

You had Zee at Vumbura!? I thoroughly enjoyed him. Looking forward to your adventures with him.

Edited January 15, 2013 by Atravelynn

[graceland]

Zee --the consumate Africa Guide, Gentleman, Character of Characters, "the Cat Whisperer" extraordinare,

 

 

When he picked us up at the airstrip with four others from Duma Tau, I knew he was special. Funny, charasmatic, and a" cat whisperer" as evidenced by our game drive (and later on!) ~ leopard strolling in the grass; he picks it up, swerves off road - there she is....

 

And with our guide, Ron, the Ultimate Wild Dog Man; laughing and yelling as he drives the rover over and under; my head constantly on the glove box, dodging shrubs and trees.....following in and out of wood and plains, to capture the "capture"...a wild ride that we will never forget.. the dogs - those Wild Dogs - amazing creatures I had never appreciated so much as with Ron -who is quite the ever- willing guide to find them no matter. Once upon them, he perceives what is to come, and takes the rover to that spot. I've never laughed, gasped, dropped down, jumped up, drop back down, grabbing the camera, dropping the camera- only to watch in amazement once I see them at "work".....yes, WILD they are~~

 

and we find them in pouring sheets of rain

 

 

Alert, and on the Hunt....

 

 

[graceland]

Afternoon game drive, we come across a family of dogs....pretty darn fast..Ron has a sixth sense; I swear he hears them, smells them, hears their 'chatter'...

 

They have a rhythm; they sleep; they wake; they have social hour before a hunt

 

[graceland]

uh oh, "save" is not working.....I may get a "Pith" out of this afterall.....

 

King of the Hill is a Big Hit for the day

[graceland]

While I work on why "save" is not working, here is the King...(sorry for quality; we were speeding here and there and I just clicked as I could...trying to capture something!)

Edited January 20, 2013 by graceland

[graceland]

We continue to follow them; the dogs escape into some woods....Ron puts the car in gear and races to catch up; so much brush and trees....but they were lucky and though we missed the kill, we watch them in a frenzy; I've never seen such a frenzy to share the goods.....

 

[graceland]

Thanks a former member; coming from you a real compliment...I have followed your journeys the past year and of course very envious, but impressed with all your photos and stories!

 

There were at least 23 dogs during our afternoon game drive. Actually seeing them on a kill was indeed an adrenalin rush; we joked about how exhausted "we" were and all we did was sit in the rover!

 

 

And, they are very socially interactive before and after. The noise and the "odor" was a real jolt to me, having never experienced such an event. I have a video and will be trying to upload it today of the dogs and their impala.

 

Ron was indeed the best guide with the dogs; they are his favorite so nothing would stop him! Lucky we were with him, as the next morning would once again see him screaming with delight and gusto with his find!

 

That night a lively group gathered around the table at VP where meals are ordered by menu, not a buffet. We toasted Ron's success and the days and nights to come. There was quite an enthusiastic group staying at camp,making it all the more enjoyable sharing stories of life out in the bush.

 

I was beginning to dread the end of the week. There was still so much to see and do; I couldn't believe we'd squeeze it all into 2 more days.

 

I just did not want this journey to end.

Edited January 6, 2019 by kittykat23uk

[graceland]

Early am wakeup call; we are awake as usual..internal clock set for game drives...

 

Should have just stayed on the deck:

 

 

As soon as we arrive at the DR and grab a coffee, along with our Wilderness Stainless Steel Water Bottle, perfectly cold (love that) Ron comes running up saying, jump in the car...Dogs in Camp. Everyone scrambles, and as usual we are first in and first out (love that Ron is a competitive spirit!) and low and behold he drives a few feet turns right and ends up behind our TENT..

 

Where the dogs came into camp early morning and killed 3 of the young impalas we saw everyday grazing as we walked from our tent to the Lounge area...

 

 

 

Apparently they have brought the carcass behind the tents, or may have even killed them there, that we were not sure....but Ron was speeding around the area, circling coming back and forth as the dogs ran...Eventually we found some in the high grass enjoying seemingly confused as to who has the plate

 

 

 

[graceland]

Finding some fellows who obviously enjoyed their morning

as we did...I had seen a pair of Wild Dogs in '07 Sabi Sands; little did I know just how all consuming they'd be on this our first trip to Botswana!!

 

A Contented fellow

 

\

We reluctantly decide to move on; the dogs are scattered; it is raining but we want to continue on....

As we leave the camp - within minutes on the side of the road, Ron stops and makes a gesture to the side..

 

There he is, the Sable...I've been waiting for this as I think they are just sculptured beauties....I am thrilled we stayed out in the rain...

 

 

Ron feels there are more around as they are not solitary souls....

 

(I am only able to get two pics on at a time right now....yes, this has been a challenge for me ( )...but bringing back memories of an amazing time, so I can't complain)

[graceland]

There he is ~ found his harem

 

Beauty.....

 

Rain slowing a bit - seems to last less than an hour or so, and we are cruising along happily; about 8am and we've already come across the dogs and sable....what else will Ron have up his sleeve today

Roadblock

 

 

 

Faceoff!

Edited January 21, 2013 by graceland

[twaffle]

How did your back cope with all the bumping around? What a tremendous adventure captured so well with your photos. No wonder you came back exultant with your safari.

[graceland]

Thanks Twaf! I was so full of endorphins and adreneline daily that I never felt a twinge. Well, the worst were the tiny planes where we were bent from the waist to get to the seats....and for some reason they always put me in the first seat. Bending over and lifting are two no-nos...I only lifted my hand for amarula and bubbly.

 

And, of course sundowners work much more efficiently than ibuprofin.

 

Yes, going in with" low" expectations, we were astonished at our luck every day. If Wilderness would put me on payroll or gave me a week at VP, I'd not share what every guide told me was their favorite month. They will be overrun with bookings after this report, eh? haha

 

Can you tell I loved this journey. Even with blurry photos. (but it DID rain every day at VP!) I told someone the other day, rain brings the game out!

Thanks for reading along.....

Edited January 21, 2013 by graceland

[graceland]

One more of the beautiful sable....

 

Wish I could have reached out and pulled the grass aside - by next year I will conquer photoshopping,

 

 

Now I have to watch New England and Baltimore fight it out for Super Bowl status....

 

Really I do. Atlanta lost to SF (congrats Safarichick) so who will play for the East coast?

[graceland]

So we are on the morning of the first full day at VP; so far we've jumped out of bed and jumped in the rover to follow the dogs around the camp with their kill; we leave and find the amazingly beautiful Sable; get roadblocked by another dog lying in the road....its still raining and ho hum, what else can we find by 9am....

 

 

A herd of buffalo....I think I am dreaming all this up. We haven't had our coffee break yet. No one wants to stop; we are just looking at each other thinking, if this is a rainy day and Green Season and we are supposed to be fighting to find the game....where the hell are we????

 

We watch for a while; but they are content munchin

 

Stopping for coffee we spot something unusual in the greens and browns of the delta

 

red:

 

Fire Ball Lilly - even Ron gets on the ground to take a picture....a nice, calming break,

 

as there is more to come this first day of our 3 days at Vumbura...

 

 

Did I mention I love Botswana...