Mokoro Ride at Little Vumbura

The Okavango Delta, which is an inland delta, covers over six thousand square miles of waterways, palm filled islands and lagoons. It is the greatest natural sanctuary left in Africa- providing a home to the greatest number of animal, bird and plant species in the Southern Hemisphere. Our mokoro traversed the flood plains under the guidance of our poler Mos, a member of the BaYei tribe. The people of the BaYei tribe have been using the mokoro as their main form of transportation for hundreds of years.

Here are a few of the things we saw from our mokoro as we made our way out to a small island...













One term that we heard a lot when we were on safari was "Boys Choir". This term basically describes a bachelor group of animals who are all hanging out together, waiting for their turn to face a dominant male and a chance to mate. Usually, we heard the term associated with the large groups of male Impala we saw. Here is a photo of our 'Boys Choir' taken once we reached the island during our mokoro adventure:


left to right: Oliver, Ed, James, Mos, James and Lazarus

And here is our group as we returned to camp:



It was now Wednesday, May 20th and we were scheduled to depart in the afternoon for our next camp, Savuti. Here's a shot of the back deck area of our tent at Little Vumbura Camp:



We were surrounded by water and at night we would hear the hippos sloshing around - elephants visited us also. The staff at Vumbura was fantastic and we especially enjoyed our host/manager Boyson. Here James says goodbye:



Here's the walkway to the boat launch area:



We made our way to the runway, with plenty of time to spare... that was until we ran into a problem. A BIG PROBLEM. We found a cranky bull elephant had decided to have his lunch right on the runway. Lazarus decided we needed to push him back, before there was an 'elephant vs. airplane' confrontation!









The funniest part was that Lazarus kept yelling to the elephant, "Go Away, the Plane is Coming!!" That big boy was having none of it! He stomped his feet and made all kinds of noise while slowing backing off. But, he let us know that he was NOT happy about it!!

Chitabe, New Friends & Little Vumbura

We spotted these handsome lion brothers on our first full day at Chitabe.


I guess before I go into a description of another day on Safari, I should give a basic outline of what a day in camp consists of… So, here’s how it usually goes:

5:30 AM – Wake up call (a personal knock on the door of our tent)

6:00 AM - Escort comes and we are taken by flashlight to the lounge area. We grab a cup of coffee, some yoghurt or a muffin and then head out for the game drive.

6:30AM – Game drive starts.

11:30 AM- 1:00PM – Return to camp and grab some brunch.

2:00 PM- 4:00 PM – Siesta

4:00PM – Tea is served in the lounge area. Light snacks, beers, wine and tea are served.

4:30 PM – Evening game drive begins

6:30 PM - About this time, we pull off to a safe spot and enjoy a ‘Sundowner’. Light snack and drinks as we all enjoy the sunset.

8:00PM – After returning to camp, we are given about 30 minutes to shower, change and join the group for dinner. Dinner is shared with our guide, members of the staff and hosts/managers.

9:00 PM - After dinner drinks, conversation around the campfire.

9:45 – 10:00 – Lights out

The atmosphere at Chitabe camp was just fabulous. There were just 6 guests in total: James & me; Ed and Marty; and Tom and Leigh. Tom & Leigh, from Cleveland, Ohio, married last Fall and were on a belated honeymoon. We all enjoyed an instant camaraderie, and the six of us had such incredible moments together… so many discoveries, so many laughs and truly joyful times.


We were having so much fun on our first morning game drive that the 6 of us decided to continue on, without returning to camp for brunch. We had so many incredible game sightings, that we didn’t want to miss a thing. Imagine our surprise when we came to a clearing and found the following scene:



We even had a ‘loo with a view’ !!



We enjoyed our brunch in the bush and had a fantastic afternoon. We enjoyed the setting sun that day with such excitement - the things we had seen were awesome!!





We returned to the camp around 7:30 PM having spent 13 hours with our guide Oates. It was a long day, but we were so happy that we did it because the following morning drive (Monday) was our last at Chitabe. Our flight into the Okavango Delta and the Little Vumbura Camp was to leave at 11:30AM. It was only a 20 minute flight, but it could have just as well been a world away - so different was the environment in the Delta.







The Game viewing at Little Vumbura took a back seat to exploring the channels of the Delta. There was, however, plenty to see. On our evening sunset cruise, I located what I thought was just a really pretty owl. Turned out to be a Pell's Fishing Owl - an owl revered by birdwatchers and apparently quite elusive. Marty was calling it 'Michele's Owl' and we ended up chasing it from tree to tree for a good hour, capturing incredible photographs of this stunning creature.



Check out the talons on that big boy!!



Our guide Lazarus, and his game warden observer, James, pulled ashore on a small island in the channels. Lazarus gave us an incredible lesson on the Delta, the movements of flood waters and the deposits of salt left behind. He also pointed out hippo tracks which were all over the area. Those guys are fast (yes, really fast!) and we heard them snorting in the distance.





Here's a few photos of the SAME sunset as it progressed during our ride home:







Upon our return to camp that evening, we were treated to a 'Traditional' dinner. The staff sang celebration songs and danced with serious enthusiasm. I finally began to understand the phrase " A Joyful Noise"... that was what popped into my head as I listened to the harmonies of the male and female voices and the pure, uninhibited beauty of the dance.







I'm going to close for the evening and hopefully I will have some quiet time in the morning to share the rest of our time at Little Vumbura. It was at this camp where we took a mokoro (dug-out canoe) safari...Very cool.

Africa - Our Long Awaited Honeymoon!

James & I have been away for the past two weeks - on an adventure 18 months in the making. I didn't want to jinx myself, tempt fate or whatever - so I mentioned it to only family and close friends. I should begin by explaining that today is our 9th wedding anniversary! When James and I got married, we were in the process of moving from Virginia to Pennsylvania. We got married on a Friday and took a quick trip to the mountains in Western PA while Maddie (who was 6 years old) went to the beach with my Mom & Dad. Everything surrounding those few months in 2000 was done in a rush... the move, the new job for James, and the wedding. We promised ourselves that one day we would take a proper honeymoon - and we finally did.

Our itinerary included 4 different safari lodges in two different African countries. Our first three stops were in Botswana, in three very distinct ecologic and geographic regions. Our forth stop was in Zambia - to see Victoria Falls and experience a lodge that practiced sustainable tourism and responsible development. The last stop was the closest to my heart for reasons I will explain later... I will have to do quite a few entries to cover the whole of the trip, but I'll start at the beginning...

On Tuesday, May 12 we departed Dulles Airport outside of Washington D.C. and flew to London Heathrow. We took a day flight, so we didn't lose a day in transit. We arrived at our hotel, on the bank of the Thames, by 10:30 PM that same night. Our friends Ed & Marty were already in London, having flown over the previous Friday. We had arranged to meet up in London, do a bit of sightseeing, and leave for Johannesburg, South Africa on the evening of the 14th. We had two full days to enjoy the sights of London.

We spent our first day visiting St. Paul's Cathedral and walking along the Thames. We stopped for lunch at a riverside pub and continued our walk back toward our hotel which was directly across the river from the Houses of Parliment, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey - and right next to the London Eye. We had 'typical' London weather - a bit damp and overcast, but it didn't dampen our enthusiasm for being back in the city that we both loved.

The next morning, Thursday, we departed for Hampton Court. I have been totally enthralled with this palace since I first visited it back in 1990. I don't know if any of you are watching 'The Tudors' on Showtime, but I love it. Visiting this palace that was a summer home to Henry VIII was a real treat, given it is currently celebrating the 500th anniversary of Henry's coronation with special events and exhibits. James, Ed & Marty had never visited the palace and I was so excited for them to see it...














On Thursday evening, we departed London and flew overnight to Johannesburg. We used airline miles to book our seats in Business Class on British Airways, so we were able to have a good nights sleep on their 'lay flat' seat/beds. We arrived refreshed at 9AM and stayed the day in Johannesburg. We didn't have a chance to do any sightseeing, so we enjoyed the resort we stayed at... (the exchange rate was great, so I went to the spa and had a swim, a steam, a massage and reflexology!) James took care of business calls because it was our last chance for phone calls or internet service for at least a week.

On the morning of the 16th we departed Johannesburg and flew to Maun, Botswana. From there, we took another plane to our first lodge, Chitabe.







We landed at the lodge and were met by our guide, Oates. The 25 minute ride from the airstrip to the lodge was an exciting one. It was just a small taste of what was to come, but it was thrilling! Here are just a few of the sights we saw in our first hour at Chitabe.











The handsome leopard pictured at the top of this posting was actually found on our morning drive the second day we were at Chitabe. It was about 6:15 AM, the sun was coming up and the light was fantastic as our guide followed the leopard's tracks and we came upon him, as though sitting for a portrait, just 50 feet in front of us. It was a pulse quickening moment - I had to keep saying to myself, "I can't believe I'm here, seeing this magnificent animal."

You should also know that none of my photos are photoshopped or enhanced. I'm not a great photographer, but the environment was excellent and the light was fabulous. I still can't believe I was able to get some of the shots I got. In the two weeks we were gone, I took over 3000 photographs. I'm in the process now of sorting and deleting.

I'm going to close now, as I am still a bit jet lagged (we returned on Monday afternoon after spending the previous 28 hours in airplanes and airports...) Tomorrow I will share a bit more of Chitabe and then move on to our lodge in the Okavango Delta - Little Vumbura Camp. Until tomorrow...!

Muffins With Mom

Just take a close look at the photo above... have you ever seen such a hilarious character study? Each of the children have such incredibly unique and lovable personality!

Today was Muffins with Mom Day at Josie's preschool. It was a fantastic event! All the Moms had name cards at their seats. I happily sat between 'Michael's Mom' and 'Megan's Mom'. The 3 & 4 year olds performed a number of songs about Moms and Love. Here is my Josie belting out a tune:



After the performance, the Moms had a chance to dance to two songs with the children. The students then served their Moms a delicious plate of strawberry shortcake. Josie even took my fork out of it's beautiful handmade daisy napkin ring and placed the napkin on my lap! And since no good deed goes unrewarded, the kids then stood in line again for their own serving of ice cream with chocolate syrup! Yummy!

Josie and her classmates made beautiful flower pots with cards attached - each signed in their own hand. Josie did such a great job writing her name - I'm sure I was the proudest Mom in the room! We finished off our lovely luncheon with each Mom being presented a beautiful red petunia plant and having a photo taken. I wish all my days were this fun-filled! I never tire of hugs, kisses, songs and dances....

James Honored by His Alma Mater

I'm a bit late in posting these photos of the Distinguished Alumni dinner. James, along with 8 other individuals, was honored at the Kellogg Ranch Restaurant at Cal Poly, Pomona on Friday, April 24th. I flew out on Thursday night to Los Angeles, while my sister, Claudine and my parents took care of the girls. It was a wonderful event. Dinner was prepared by the students of the Hospitality Management College.

Here are a list of the honorees:

College of Agriculture
John E. Andrews
Class of '92

College of Business Administration
Lawrence Taff
Class of '80

College of Education and Integrative Studies
Robert Pletka
Class of '06

College of Engineering
James S. B. Chew
Class of '84

College of Environmental Design
Victoria Basolo
Class of '91

College of Letters Arts and Social Sciences
John Mortberg
Class of '70

College of Science
Una L. Morris
Class of '70

Collins College of Hospitality Management
Jill K. Bosich
Class of '93

Athletics
Daniel Andrews
Class of '90

All of the honorees were so accomplished and humble. Each of their speeches reflected their love of Cal Poly, their commitment to 'giving back' and their love of the faculty who nurtured their interests and ambitions. Every one in attendance was so welcoming and accepting of the honorees.

I was truly inspired by all the nominees, but two of them (besides my husband!) really touched my heart. The first was Dr. Una Morris. She came to the US from Jamaica when she was just 17. Her mother had died when she was 10 and she arrived in the US with little to her name. She was an runner in the 1964 (Tokyo), 1968 (Ciudad de Mexico) and 1973 (Munich) Olympics. She had to practice with the men's track team at Cal Poly because there was no women's team! She went on to become a respected Radiologist. Her speech nearly brought tears to my eyes as she thanked her professors and the family that took her in when she came to the US.

Second honoree I just loved was Jill Bosich. She was the second youngest honoree. She spoke of the overwhelming choices that young students face when they have decided what 'they want want to do', but are unsure of which avenue to take to get them to the place they want to be. I believe this is a situation that many of us faced as college students, and Jill spoke so honestly and affectionately of the individuals who guided her to her current success.

It really was a lovely evening. We were thrilled to have our friends Nick and Mary join us at the event. Nick, who has been James' dear friend since 4th grade, and Mary live in Massachusetts. If you have read this blog for any amount of time, you know that our summers are not complete until we spend time with Uncle Nick and Aunt Mary at their home in Marshfield. Also present was Fred, James' friend since kindergarten. James, Nick and Fred have all maintained close contact through the years and all are quite accomplished in their own right. Also sharing our table at the dinner were James' former professor and friend, Dr. Mike Sheldon. Mike nominated James for this honor. Mike's wife Tina was a classmate of James' and they have remained friends for over 20 years.

Rounding out our table were James' Mom & Dad and the Dean of the College of Engineering, Professor Ed Hohmann.


Mike and Tina




James with Cal Poly President Mike Ortiz, Dean Hohmann, and a few of the honorees. (Photo taken just after I told James he needed to straighten his tie!)

After the dinner, Fred and Nick & Mary joined us on the patio of our room at The Inn at Kellogg Ranch. Mary and I had a good time observing the 'Three Geniuses' as they shared beers, smoked cigars and solved the world's problems. All and all, a really spectacular evening!

The next day (Saturday) I hopped a plane home to the girls. James had to stay behind to attend to work in California. It was a quick trip, but one that I'm so glad I made.



Here the 'Three Geniuses' goof around with James' image that was posted, along with the other honorees photos, in the reception area. I'm so glad that some things never change...

Birthdays & Egg Hunt

Have a Happy Easter!!