Clutching my throat, I asked my guide Hans, “Do you know what plant this is?” “That’s not a good plant. It’s poisonous, and you shouldn’t touch it. You need to wash your hands thoroughly.” “But, I put it in my mouth.” Blank stare, followed by Hans’s eyes growing wider. “I took a bite of it and now my mouth is burning. Really burning. It’s like I’m gargling with carbolic acid,” I managed to explain in a hoarse voice, as my throat … [Read more...]
Into Africa: Can BushCats Save the Beasts?
“There is an elephant holocaust going on in Africa today,” says Paul Maritz, the last gentleman adventurer. “Up to this point elephant counts have been done by error-prone Mark 1 Eyeballs, and nobody believes the numbers. You really can’t motivate people to take needed drastic actions unless they are convinced you have the facts. And so we need to get the facts.” Rhodesia born Paul and his brother David have created a flying machine they … [Read more...]
Malealea Lodge – Lesotho
This remote lodge is located just under 2000 meters in the mountains of Southwest Lesotho (the land locked country within South Africa). Because of its isolated location it is a destination in and of itself. It is peaceful here - the wind blows through the pines and the air is fresh. Delicious mountain air becomes even more invigorating to breathe after a heavy rain. The highlight of a stay is the fact that it is remote - coupled with a … [Read more...]
Ancient Bushman cave paintings
Just returned from a fantastic outing on the horses to see ancient Bushman cave paintings. We rode through expansive fields of mostly corn until we reached a viewpoint overlooking an impressive gorge. From here it was on foot down a very steep rocky trail to the first of the caves - called "echo cave". It was obvious why this cave took its name after we shouted ourselves hoarse, practicing our new found Lesotho words including "dumella" - a … [Read more...]
Africa Adventure
Our tour through Southern Africa began in Zambia and on arrival into Livingstone we were transferred to our accommodation on the banks of the Zambezi River, a few miles upstream from the Victoria Falls. Arriving in plenty of time before the tour began I made the most of the opportunities available in the area - this being one of Africa's adventure capitals offering a range of activities, from bungy jumping to sunset cruising. Our first day was … [Read more...]