Exactly
five years ago, on Friday 3rd August 2007, I met Roland, a
future friend and colleague, at the airport, fresh off his flight
from Germany. On Sunday 5th we met another future friend,
Piera, for lunch.
We
were due to travel down together on Monday 6th to Karongwe
Game Reserve to start a field guide course with Eco-Training......
Yesterday,
I returned from a safari, on which our last 2 nights were spent at a
luxury lodge in the Karongwe Game Reserve. Strangely enough, this
last few weeks has been the first time I had returned to Karongwe
since our course.
Whilst
bouncing around on the back of the open vehicle, bumping along on the
dusty two-tracks of the winter dry bushveld, I couldn't help
but reflect on how far I had come since that first stay in the reserve.
So
I resolved to blog on this page, a little about that journey........
I
leave town again on Sunday – heading back to Karongwe, but I will
have some time there to start sharing my journey with you, so watch
this space:)
In
the meantime here are some from photos from Karongwe – past and
present.
On the Game Drive.........
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| 2007 - Roland as "tracker" |
 |
| 2012 - an experienced professional doing the tracking |
 |
| 2007 |
Two male cheetahs on the reserve have been the subject of a predator research study for several years now. As they are "used to" humans one can approach them quite closely on foot......
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| 2012 |
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| 2007 - snack & smoke break on the morning drive |
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| 2012 - sundowner time (at moonrise) on the evening drive |
The accommodation.......
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| 2007 Eco-Training - home to Piera & I for 4 weeks |
There were 15 male students on course but they didn't seem to mind waiting a day or two for their turn in the shower........
 |
| 2012 Shiduli Private Lodge - all to myself for a night or 2:) |
7 comments:
Five years ago Sue? Time has flown. Especially for you, spending half your life 'stuck' in the bush or under water :-)
Five years on and i am still envious and 'stuck' in the city!
Hello Tertius, yes indeed, it's difficult to believe it's only 5 years - seems decades since I last was stuck in the smoggy rush hour traffic going IN to the city centre:)
One day maybe, you too?
A nice journey that got better and better. :) Thanks for sharing it here.
Fantastic photos! Makes me wish I was on safari again. The cheetahs you came across look so healthy.
Thanks for your comments Gowri and Penny.
I think the cheetah look healthier when they are lying down - can't really see much of them in the grass...
As a teenager I used to find it far more exciting to 'rough it' when out camping in the wild, but now though I still love the wild, I find I would want to see it in more comfort - that last picture just about describes it! (What a wuss). Another thought: I've never slept under mosquito netting - it doesn't seem to exist in Argentina - but how absolutely wonderful it would be not to have to care about those wretched creatuers...
Caroline
Hi Coral .. had to check where Karongwe is .. found it - up by the Limpopo .. looking forward to hearing more - the photos always evoke so many memories - and I love cheetah ..cheers Hilary
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