I really am going to change the subject! right after this post, there will be no more talk of Africa... until we get back. I'm 99 % sure.
I just found something I wanted to remember and share. One of the places we'll be staying is Mana Pools National Park. We learned that it's best reachable by canoe or small plane. Which means the roads in the park are not easily accessible. Which means much of the safaris are on foot.
From The Lonely Planet : "perhaps Mana Pools' greatest appeal lies in its concession to those who want to walk in the African bush. Some people won't be able to get enough bushwalking while others, especially after a tense night of unsettling noises, may be put off by the prospect." It goes on to say that the risks are very real, but following time~honored guidelines will practically ensure only pleasant encounters.
(hi! i'm down here)
Some Safety Hints:
* if you meet a wild animal, never approach too close, especially to buffalo, rhino and elephant. Approach from downwind and keep a sharp lookout for the lone animal that may be behind you.
* when walking along river banks, beware of logs that could turn out to be crocodiles and steer away from hippo runs.
* try to stay out of heavy bush or high grass where you can't observe what may be lurking ahead. If you must pass through such areas, climb a tree every so often and have a good look around before proceeding. Watch for ripples in the grass.
*while avoiding the big guys, don't forget to watch where you're putting your feet. Snakes also thrive along the middle Zambezi. A black mamba rears up when frightened. Stand still and it will slither away. Hopefully.
*if faced with a lion, never run, especially in the case of large cats. Keep quiet, and slowly back off. Or your retreat may trigger their reflex to give chase.
*don't even think about swimming in the Zambezi.
*Beware of crocodiles at the water's edge, they sneak up from under the water.
* Under certain circumstances it doesn't hurt to pray. Softly.
And then dance for the sheer joy of it all!
xxx love, lori
Learn them by heart, Lori, but mostly just trust your guide (you won`t be walking on your own??), they know their ways. I once sat alone at the banks of the Luangwa River, reading a book, when I suddenly felt I was watched. Very close to me in the water there was a croc, only its eyes showing, and I KNOW how fast they can be! So I jumped up and ran! But I read that if you surprise a lion in an old abandoned hut (as the person did who survived to tell the tale)which you just attempt to enter, then the best thing to do is SCREEEEEAM! Because a lion is also only a person and gets a fright, haha!
ReplyDeleteOh! How scrawee! As Noah would say.
ReplyDeleteI am loving Angela's response, wonderful advice and story.He,he.
Take GOOD care, Lori!!!!
Lotsa love, Natalie.
P.s ~ thanks for your advice, that is the way I was leaning too,actually.xx♥
Hi Geli and Natsy! here i am up at the same time as you, it's almost 1:30am here. I can't sleep, it's been a long day, and i knew i would find friends here. I will be careful Geli♥, Chuck will be very watchful too. It's so hard to be calm though, i'm so excited. Natalie, I just wrote you again. You can do it. And we can always email, you, Geli, and I.
ReplyDeleteoh yawn... maybe I am a little sleepy!
love and hugs♥
Lori, there is nothing either more wonderful or sublime than walking in the African bush. Those encounters with the wild beasts are awesome. I remember the leopard who sat behind me at the river, politely waiting for me to leave so he could drink. Or the elephant that scrutinised me across the dry river bed. It's okay, he said, you can watch but that's all. Or the croc who cruised closer, beady yellow eyes on me, trying to figure out whether I was going to be worth eating and just how fast he'd have to move to catch me. Or the baboon that trailed me for miles along a river, watching, barking, threatening. Or the wildcat that roared from the bush because I'd startled it.
ReplyDeleteAfrica is dangerous only if you are not aware and respectful.
You will have the most totally fantabulous time, I just know it. I'm hugely envious! xxx
Lori~ Looking forward to your adventure reports but anxious too. Be careful! The "rules" gave me a chill! I so look forward to your beautiful photos and stories. How long will you be in Africa?
ReplyDeleteIn my Prayers!
love Jan
Wow. How exciting! I feel, just by reading that, like I'm on my way there! Africa... never thought much about it before. Good luck, and I'm sure you'll have the time of your life.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a blast. You'll have a great time. I go riding on elephants in the Chitwan jungle where they have snakes, tigers, crocodiles and so on. Usually, I just see lots of monkeys and birds. No one ever told me it was dangerous, but when you are crossing a crocodile infested river standing up in a skinny canoe, you can figure it out. Please take lots of pictures.
ReplyDeleteWOW, those are amazing Incredible experiances Nicky!! And you are completely right, I will have every bit of respect. I've only walked a few times, and I have to say that I was so excited(and a little scared,ok,alot)but extremely respectful.And scared. Oh, i think i already said that.Ha!
ReplyDeleteJanis, thank you sweetie! we will be gone 20 days total, 4-5 will be traveling days though. Time for lots of experiances!
Hi Annalisa! and cute little boy with you! thank you for stopping in all the way from Australia! You have a great blog, it's very positive and motivating. Yes Africa, good times ahead indeed ;)
Oh Wow Butternut! Can I come with you??! that's awesome. And yes, it's true, I think a little common sense and aLOT of respect goes a long way. The amount of photographs is going to be a bit overwhelming.But In a good way.
xo♥ lori
Why should you stop posting about Africa? I get excited right along with you, contemplating your journey.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes please do NOT get too close to the animals! Yikes!!
Lori, you simply must keep us abreast in this adventure! We are living through you!
ReplyDeleteOh and listen to your "spidey sense. :-)
Lori, I do feel like I get to live the adventure through you!
ReplyDeleteDo you remember when Out of afica came out?? it was (and still is) my favorite movie!
I bought it and the soundtrack and listened to it over and over.
One evening while listening to the music I came up with a verse, poem what ever you want to call it!
I would like to share it with you...hope that is ok..
AS IN OUT OF AFRICA
The romantic music softly plays while i vision the tall grasses,
beautiful plant life and
the majestic mountains being stalked by the greatest of beasts.
Your beautiful face amd magnificent
blue eyes haunt me, and tempt me
to walk acrossed the field, endangering my life, to have this waltz that now plays loudly
for all God's creation to hear.
As you look back at me,
you smile, and I am only aware of
the music and the fact that I am tempted beyond belief; there is nothing I can do to stop myself.
I twist around and begin my stroll
toward your muscular body.
As we listen to tribal chanting,
you smile with patience, holding out your strong arms, waiting for me to fall into them.
I open my eyes and suddenly I realize that something is wrong; the dream is over and I am alone. The beautiful music continues to play and I close my eyes again;
longing for another dance with you.
©Lana Jurgens
I realized you get to live the dream...well sort of :-)
Sister friend, i am sooooooo excited for you!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is going to be so much fun, so much you will have a blast.
my hint regarding crocs after living with them for a long time.
look for slide marks on the banks that shows you where they usually enter and exit the water.
i am so excited you would think it was me going!!
love u
i am doing great
big smiles over here
xxm
Wowie!That is so SCARRRRRY!I mean i thought open jeeps were like the ultimate scary way to do a safari!But this?Are you sure you really wanna do it?My god if it were me I would be praying like,ALL THE TIME.
ReplyDeletePlease take care and memorize all the don'ts.Have a safe trip.
love
chaitra
I'll take that as a blessing from you Reya and contemplate away! i coulden't really stop anyway, and I dont' really want to try :)
ReplyDeleteDear Love, I will take your excellent advice to heart. and thank you so much for going on this journey with me. ♥
Lana! Oh my Gosh! that was so lovely, thank you for sharing it with me. I think you need a trip to Africa too. Yes, that is exactly it, Romantic. I do love Out of Africa, the book(i have a couple special copies gifted to me)and the c.d. What a soundtrack.sigh. I loved Kamante the best. Do you know about his book, Longing for Darkness? it's a collection of Kamante's tales from Out of Africa.It's one of my favorites. And you are right, i have been so lucky, my husband took me to the Karen Blixen House/Museum at the foot of the Ngong Hills in Kenya, as a surprise on my first visit to Africa.That's where I bought Kamante's book.♥
I am smiling back darling Michelle! thank you for the tip. I will be looking for rippling grass and slidey marks. And thank you for sharing my excitement, it makes it that much more fun.So much so.xoxo♥
Dear Chaitra, oops, we just missed each other! Oh, I'm sorry to worry you, it's really ok. I think those things have to be said, and I just wrote about the extreme. It's all true, but it's safe with knowledgeable guides (and common sense)as Angela and Vanilla,Butternut and Mango said. Besides, it's just so amazing, it's more exciting than scary. I think. So worth it.
ReplyDeletexoxo♥
Thank you lovely friends.
I am so looking forward to your pictures;-)
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a lovely and safe time!
Mana Pools is an awesome place... I'm actually jealous now! lol x
ReplyDeleteyou're making me very unhappy and very jealous!
ReplyDeleteI'm so near yet so far at the moment. One of these days. . . .
Meanwhile I'll dine on your offerings
xx
OK I HAVE to ask....where will you go to the bathroom???? LOL That would be on my mind! I am the worlds biggest chicken....I have to live this vicariously through you!!! hope that's ok :-)
ReplyDeletehey thanks for becoming a follower of mine...I can't promise much excitement...but hopefully I will have a morsel to catch your interest! :-)
OH BTW Lori..not sure if you had tried to leave a comment on my page...but I had it set to let me know if there were comments so I could accept them after viewing them. Unfortunately, I just realized that I had turned some letters around in my email address.So it couldn't let me know I had notes. So It would not have come to me...I changed the comments configuration again...so maybe I'll get it right here one of these times :-)
ReplyDeletewishing you a a grat cup of tea and lots of enlightenment today. I will be wishing you the best trip ever when you go to africa!
Good advice to keep in mind. I will remember it when I'm spying on the wild in my hood. The bunnies and squirrels of the flatlands can be very ferocious.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots and a most fascinating post. Someday...sigh.
i swear, i swear, i swear.....i can fit in your luggage!!
ReplyDeleteOh Tulsa, there will mountains of pictures! It's an incredible place to photograph, beautiful people, animals and landscapes. Everywhere!
ReplyDeleteKaren, you've been??Come with us then! Oh,do you have any words of advice for me? Wait, tell me when I see you face to face. Wow!
Janet, could you take your holiday too? come up and meet us there instead of Johannesburg? i've heard there's a fabulous kingfisher that lives at M.P. Oh,man!
Dear Wayward Soul, Haha! that's a good question. These are tents but permanent,with toilets,hand basins, indoor shower and an outside shower with a view of the river! So see? there's no need to go outside at all in the night and no reason to be frightened.
And thanks for letting me know, my comment did bounce back.
xo
Pyzahn, hahahaa! well, you never know about those little critters...and wow, thanks for stopping by, i'll have to go see where the flatlands are now! Thank you for liking my photos.
Bodaat, ok ok, cmon. you can keep my daughter company since she says she's coming this way too!
xo♥ lori
God, you are so lucky to visiting this place.
ReplyDeleteCJ xx
dear lori - no keep blogging about Africa!! we live here and love it - never get tired of the thrill :-) MP is awesome really - you will have the time of your life walking there. xx
ReplyDeleteI'm no longer excited by Africa as my boyfriends English visa was turned down and now he is going back there!! to the Ivory Coast. I will save up to visit hopefully, so my blog maybe full of Côte d'Ivoire one fine day!!
ReplyDeletex
Dear C.J., I KNOW!! I really really do, I am so thankful.
ReplyDeleteVal, Ok,I will listen to you and not feel bad about going on and on, I usually talk about only every waking minute. :) and thanks.
Oh London Belle, I'm so sorry, that is not a good situation for either of you, I'll hope for a happy ending here, good luck sweetie!
Thank you all ♥
Oh, how exciting and scary too, I am sure you'll have plenty of rules and support as well.
ReplyDeleteOh you just have the best time! And yes Geli is right, shouting at charging lions on foot works wonders! Show them you're not scared, throw rocks if needs be! Its worked for me on numerous occasions as a walking guide!! Can't wait to hear your stories. I'm just back from South Africa and blog deprivation so heading back to catch up on all yours!
ReplyDeleteI held my breath while reading that!
ReplyDeleteHow many sleeps to go 'til your wonderful journey?
I can't wait..... it's going to be awesome to read about.
best wishes Ribbon :-)
Lori Ann your blog is an adventure. Just like you wanted as a young girl -- travelling and adventuring.
ReplyDeleteLori Ann I don't do any art. I just write.
I wrote a post on February 4th entitled 'art heist' it will explain about the art.
Love Renee xoxo
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