Secondly, a brief synopsis of summer (such as it was) at home, Mike-style:
Sailing:
- 2 weeks falling out of /off dinghies, windsurfers and water skis in Greece. Great fun in warm water!
- 2 weekends of very different types: one a cruise around the solent in between drinking and eating; the second being two days racing in Force 6-7 winds (gusting gale force 8!), very wet, windy and hard graft. Half the fleet either didn't start or retired, so at least we finished Day 1, then won our class on Day 2 which was a bonus and cause for a few beers.
- 2 weeks crewing a yacht across the Channel to Channel Islands, France and back. 17 hours to cross on way out, dodging supertankers in Force 5-6 winds which was interesting, took 9 hours coming back on a perfect wind! Took in a French medieval festival in Dinan too, which was a real drinking event around jousting and Viking fighting contests - all really weird.
Won't bore you with the photos of boats in harbours!
Drinking:
- Baker's breakfasts
- Con Club coffee mornings
- Hop Poles happy hours
- Balcony bevvies (not many in that bloody weather)
- Evening pub promenades (had to work hard on that one!)
Definitely no photos.
Golf: getting worse, clubhouse reviews over a pint on some LVA Society days
Get on with it!
Ok, and so to Africa. An organised tour, as I am too chicken to do that on my own on public transport, over 10,000 kilometres (6,000+ miles) in 7 weeks and a complete and amazing mix:
- Of countries - South Africa, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia
- Of peoples - Afrikaan, Asian, but mainly African tribes, some still trying to maintain traditional lives (San and Himba Bushmen in Namibia and Botswana particularly), values and art / skills but many others now urbanised and amalgamated. Of younger generations of all colours getting together. Of smiling, laughing, waving children of any colour and status
- Of animals, birds, fish, whales and plants by the thousand in numbers and species. Of poaching and protection, dangers and safety, commercial ranching profits and fencing versus wild animal migration and life
- Of politics, wealth and poverty, corruption, lingering racism and of fighting for rights. Of immigrants from Zimbabwe and all that goes with that
- Of camping, cabins and guest houses in the cities
- Of camp fires, barbeques, cabin stoves and restaurants
- Of storms, blasting heat, fog, gale force winds and cold nights
- Of tar, dirt, sand and no roads (and punctures). Of hours of traveling and of numb bums and toilet stops . Of dust getting everywhere
- Of mountains, plains, hills and valleys (rich and poor), sand dunes, forests, deserts, water (falls, rivers and seas), beaches and coastlines
- Of vans, trucks, safari trucks, quad bikes, pushbikes, hikes, whitewater rafts (sometimes in them, sometimes out!), microlight aircraft, light aircraft, ships and shipwrecks, cable cars, taxis, dug-out canoes, river sunset (ie booze) cruise boats, kayaks
- Of swimming, drowning (nearly), cooking, washing up, pitching tents and taking the bloody things down again, flying and falling, climbing and walking, sitting in trucks. Of tent collapses and moving with me in it!
- Of friendship, drinking, eating, laughter, boredom, annoyance, patience (eg border crossings), planning (good and bad), guidance (all good guides of course)
- Of pubs, clubs, pool halls, bottle shops. Of keeping a rolling stock of beers in the cooler box, and whisky in the backpack. Of water bottles everywhere, even trying to edge the alcohol out of the precious cooler box space. Disgusting behaviour
- Of flies, mosquitoes, scorpions, spiders and other things you really didn't want to be near.
- Of good advice: "never mind the flies it's the elephants and hyenas you want to worry about" and bad advice: "Let's have a round of shooters between each beer!". The bad advice always seemed to be ignored - Springboks, Jagermeisters, Dead Donkeys, Spitting Cobras come to mind
- Of the missing prides of lions (heard but not seen) and the wished for packs of leopards (don't exist)
- Of stunning photo opportunities taken and missed. Of trying to edit them down to a manageable amount for the internet and your perusal. Sorry, might have failed there, you should see how many I've got!
Cheers! Mike xx
Photo links (x2) (don't ask what happened to #2):
