Mornings are glorious in the Delta. It is a comfortable temperature and the light is stunning. I don't know what's different about it but I just loved the dramatic sky of pristine blue swept with billowy cotton ball clouds. The gentle breeze on your face alternately warmed by the sun is lovely. I can only describe the overall smell as fresh. I guess what I'm trying to say is it's God's country - paradise.

We were on a mission to see elephants, giraffes and zebras. We had nary a hope to see rhino and buffalo in these parts at this time of year - it was summer, the rainy season, which means water is readily available most places so the animals don't need to travel to the basin for access - but we had our eyeballs wide open anyway. There are a lot of "magic logs" in the bush. It's a concerted effort to spot the animals and sometimes your imagination gets the best of you. We saw lots of birds, some of our old friends like guinea fowl, hammerkop, African fish eagle and jicanas, and some new like 2 vultures scoping the area from atop their perch. We were giddy over this sighting because we thought just maybe there was some action nearby. If there was we didn't see it but what we did see waaaaayyyyy off over yonder was what looked to be giraffe. As the crow flies it was maybe a 1/2 mile from where we were but it took us a good 15 minutes or more to get over there. It felt like a lifetime since they are very mobile (as you might imagine giraffes can cover a lot of ground in no time) and this is not a zoo. Thankfully for us they found a secluded arbor to graze upon and the sweltering heat of the day hadn't driven them deep into the forest quite yet.

Their beauty is like that of a model with a neck up to 6 feet long, eyelashes to envy and lanky legs that transport them with incredible grace. They are most curious critters, staring you down for the longest time. Don't be fooled by their gentility as they will put up a ferocious fight often hoofing their predators to death in a fatal battle. From afar we'd only seen a single giraffe but as our truck approached a herd of maybe 15 including a handful of unweaned babies was within view, albeit obstructed by the surrounding acacias. We watched them and they watched us with the same intensity for the better part of an hour. They prefer to travel in herds mainly for protection as they are a favorite food source among lions. After a gestation period of fifteen long months, calves "drop" from their mother's womb 5 feet and hope not to break any bones during the process. Barring the aforementioned, babies get up and walk almost immediately. Giraffes are herbivores and prefer acacia trees. It is imperative that they chew food completely and that their neck is not bent went swallowing even water because of the design of their digestive tract. The only way to really tell males and females apart, particularly if they're not standing next to each other is by the size of their horns. Males are generally larger in stature but their horns are much thicker and often the hair is rubbed off of them because of necking. Necking is done both during fighting and sexual rituals, mostly by males. There is a range and variation in color of a giraffe's camouflage coat keeping them safer than many in the wild savannas of Africa.

During morning coffee we had the pleasure of watching an eagle soar across the sky above of us in a maniacal dance with outstretched wings spanning 6 feet. She was probably panicking that we were lingering under the tree that held her nest.

Since Judy was so omnipotent regarding the giraffe and produced them on demand (we said "we want to see giraffe" and the next thing you know Judy said "I think I see giraffe over there off in the distance") we put in our order for elephant and zebra. We heard that another truck had spotted zebra but by the time we made it over to the pasture they were gone. So we're back on the beat and drove right up on a herd of blue wildebeest. For being so ugly these creatures are positively stunning. Their "blue" coats just glisten and gleam in the sunshine as they plod along gobbling up their path. Like giraffe, wildebeest are a favorite lion lunch and the two prey can often be seen together each with the idea that the other one is an easier target.

After lunch a few of us decided to cool off in the pool. It had been a couple of days since I got sunburned so with caution I positioned myself just right under the umbrella and slipped in and out of a lovely nap resting poolside where a cooler of cold drinks including my favorite, Bolingers, was so attentively placed. Non-stop activity made it difficult to journal every day so now was a perfect opportunity to get caught up. Soon it was time for tea and I wanted to check out the library since this was our last day at Moremi so I headed up to the lounge. As I stepped off the long deck leading away from the pool there were two baboons wreaking havoc on the stairway to the lounge and Judy was yelling at them like they were family pets! Apparently she had just witnessed them pulling flowers out of the pots, eating the tops and discarding the rest on the ground. They didn't take too kindly to her ridicule so like smart alecky children they did it faster and with more aggression even swatting at her (as pictured) and showing their teeth. I have to say I was a little frightened since they were standing right in front of me and blocking my path upstairs, oh, and they're WILD ANIMALS! But this was just the beginning of their antics. One of them ripped off a book of matches from somewhere near the fire pit and the other was annoyed that he wouldn't share so the chase was on. Bouncing on and off the thatched roof like it were a trampoline, swinging from limb to limb of the surrounding trees, in and out of the lounge, on and off the deck. It was madness. I had managed to get up to the lounge but now I was trapped until they disappeared into the forest screeching and fighting the whole way.

When I emerged from my tent for tea there were more baboons, or maybe the same imps, but on MY deck this time. We hadn't been briefed on how we should behave when they are that close to you so I stopped in my tracks and waited for them to move, my girlfriend laughing at my paranoia but I wasn't about to get my face sheared off as I still had elephants to see.

Campfire visitor

The night was upon us and we were getting ready for cocktails and dinner. A chaperone came to escort us to the dining room where a hearty, delicious gourmet meal awaits. For some reason I was feeling extraordinarily tired this night and could hardly keep my head up. I also kept running to the bathroom - probably all the delicious fresh fruit. I later learned that I was not the only one but everyone else thought they had cholera having just come from Zimbabwe. I generally have an iron stomach so I wasn't too concerned - it was just a tad inconvenient. Our group was 18 in number and we took over the whole camp at Moremi. The tables are beautifully set and arranged in a square u-shape around the room with a buffet table at the head. Some of the staff join each table for conversation as the soup is served and the meal is presented by the chef. It's a time of camaraderie and to learn something of the life of those who ardently keep us protected in the wild and provide a most amazing bush experience. Launce is the camp manager at Moremi and is a native of Botswana, in particular the town of Maun, a rustic but burgeoning town considered the gateway to the Delta. It was glaringly evident in Botswana that camp managers are white and the rest of the staff is black. (I'm not sure what to make of this observation. I don't know if it's racism or lack of educational opportunity or what but it was troubling to me and obvious. It didn't appear as though the staff much minded as everybody works equally hard and seemed to have a great rapport). I remember being a little annoyed this night because I was trying to hear what Setch, a local guy, was talking about but I was getting a repetitive historical account of what had just happened out on safari from the girls over-talking him. After dessert I decided just to turn in and try to get a few Zs - my roommate snores to beat the band and my earplugs would alternately fall out or wake me up with throbbing ears. This turned out to be a regrettable decision because after I'd gone to bed a few stayed behind and sat around the fire where a 6 foot cobra snake slithered past them. Daylight comes early in the Okavango Delta and daytime holds activities I am loathe to miss even for a snake sighting.

Where's Waldo?

Imagine the feeling that rushes over you when you see a live African animal in its natural habitat 20 feet in front of you for the first time. Breathtaking is all I can say. That first afternoon out we saw hippos, a crocodile, leopard, lions, and tracked elephants - none of them with any ease I must add; it was more of a where's Waldo expedition. But the guides are amazing - very professional, intuitive, and collaborative. They work together and share information about tracks and sounds, animal behavior and movement. The safari vehicle is a land cruiser with a canopy and stadium type seating. Besides me (someone who likes nice teeth but otherwise knows nothing about them), occupants in the truck include my friend, Cheryl, a dental hygienist, Cheryl, a teacher and her husband Geoff, a dental sales rep along with Gary another dental sales rep and his wife Judy an office manager in a dental office. These factoids I reveal to give you a sense of what our group was like. The two couples have been married for ages and have amusing and sardonic interactions. Judy and Gary in particular had us all in stitches most of the time with their banter. Cheryl, the teacher, was hilarious asking Frank to repeat and spell everything he said as English is not his first language and she doesn't speak Ndebele - the mother tongue.

We were all donning our safari gear, buttoned up to the neck and down to the ankles with lightweight mosquito repellent & SPF clothing we reinforced with a covering of bug spray just to make sure. I got eaten alive anyway but at least I didn't get malaria, which evidently stays with you forever if contracted. We topped off our fashion statement with hats and rugged shoes which ended up with souvenir elephant dug between the tread. Adornments included sunglasses, binoculars, cameras, water, pen and paper (to record interesting facts). Recall that I mentioned I took my old film camera to use on safari and my digital point and shoot as backup. Well I jammed the film in my camera and broke it the first bloody night out. Hence forward I was solely reliant on my happy snappy which I'm pleased to say performed pretty well.

So after a thorough ornithology lesson and the wonderment that is birds that aren't pigeons and crows it was time to get down to serious game viewing. We first came across a hippo pool where half a dozen or so were bobbing around. Hippos are enormous! The have a slick hairless coat and jaws that will crush just about anything. They are one of the most ferocious creatures in Africa and are responsible for most human deaths there each year (aside from war and disease). They hang out in the cool water during the day, able to stay under water for 6 minutes at a time, and rove around grazing at night. It is said that they are close relatives of whales and porpoises. While not vehemently territorial by nature, hippos spread their dung on trees on the pool's perimeter to stake claim in their watering hole. We were just about to pass through a flooded out dip in the trail when we spotted a 3 foot crocodile swimming in it! Good thing Frank had good reflexes and a reverse gear.

We could tell there were elephants in the area because of the destruction all around us. Trees are uprooted in search of water and bark is peeled off a large tree to get to the sap beneath it. They wrap their strong trunks around tree limbs tearing it off its trunk and stuff the whole thing into their mouth. It seems like they would run out of food in no time in their territory. But nature is so perfect that the seeds coming out during defecation germinate and generate new growth beginning the cycle all over again. We were so excited to see elephants (which evaded us that day) but as we rounded a curve there lay a stunning, slumbering pride of lions in a meadow. Lions are the laziest creature in the wild sleeping 22 hours and hunting the other 2. It is the job of the lioness to track and capture food but the male gets first dibs. A male is not considered part of the pride beyond 3 years old and may have a few prides in his territory. At three, strong and capable lions leave their mothers' clutches and seek their own prides and territories. This pride, about a dozen strong, was guarded by a big beautiful male who acknowledged our presence making sure we weren't a threat. Most continued to dream but a few of them were curious to see who the paparazzi was.

Frank got word that there was a leopard draped over a branch reserving his energy for hunting and waiting for the blistering heat to pass. So we sped off hoping to catch up with him before the other lookieloos chased him away. He let us gawk at him for a few minutes before becoming perturbed. He leaped off the tree and meandered back and forth in front of our vehicles for a while in search of private solitude. He was very cool to let us encroach on his space and most tolerant of our following his every move.

Night was falling and as I've already described cocktail hour as being critical to the safari experience so we high-tailed it over to the lagoon for a glass of wine as the sun set the sky on fire. A botswana sunset is one to behold and one I'll never forget.

March 5, 2009

Check out what Ron Kaye has to say about the election results and Measure B.

My dog has more sense

So I woke this am with hope in my heart that things took a drastic detour from the upsetting news last night that the mayor of Los Angeles was probably still the mayor - sadly, he is. But I don't think it was the landslide victory he was hoping for. He earned a paultry 55% meaning only 8% of the voting populous gave him the thumbs up which loosens the cog in his chances of becoming governor next year. Just when you think it couldn't get worse than Arnie "the governator" Shwartzenegger enter Tony V. That would really be a travesty. As it is I am baffled that he sneaked in however narrowly. There isn't anyone I know - conservative or liberal, white, black, brown, purple, rich or poor, who think he is doing a good job. The cronyism is rampant and troubling in this town but that's only part of the issue. If people don't care we're bound to get more of the same and we deserve every lousy, expensive thing they lay on us.

Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves

Los Angeles voters may have been disenfranchised today. True to form the corrupt city government machine is at work yet again and here's why I make this claim. It could be a series of coincidences but I am not in the mood to give Villaraigosa and his village idiots the benefit of the doubt.

I usually vote at 7am before go to work but this day Damon and I had talked about going together after work. I was on my way home when I got a phone call from my neighbor saying that the polling place where we've voted in every election for 8 years was locked up tight. Alright, so they moved the polling place. We located it on the back of our sample ballots and found that it had moved from a large classroom in a church school with plenty of parking to the back of a minuscule carpet store with no designated parking and inconvenient access. This made me think that well-intentioned voters may have just shined it not willing to endure the grief.

I walked in with my neighbor at 6pm and the volunteers congratulated him as being the 100th voter. One hundred voters in a Mayoral election of the 2nd largest city in America 2 hours before the poll closes? Are you kidding me? I shouldn't be so surprised as the election is being held one month earlier than it usually is and has gotten relatively little press. This particular polling venue was barely identifiable marked only with a dwarfed US flag stuck in the mud street side and a scribbled sign on the entrance to the store which is on a different corner than the building address and front entrance. When we questioned the poll workers they said "hey we just put out what they give us". Finding Easter eggs or the f'n Easter bunny for that matter is probably easier than locating our polling place.

My hope is that there was a enough dissonance with the abysmal performance of this mayor to spur a runoff in May. Tony V doesn't even want to be mayor - he has his sights set on the gubernatorial race next year. But the honest truth is that most people are apathetic - living in little bubbles not paying attention to what their government is doing. And more often than not they are plundering us. The incumbent mayor refused to debate any of his competitors citing that they were insignificant. This sends a message to me that he hasn't got a clue about what's going on in his city because he's never here doing the people's business and would be walloped on the issues. Moreover, it illustrates total contempt for the people of Los Angeles.

I decided to check in on the results before I post this and find that I too have contempt for LA voters. It appears as though the mayor will keep his job and I wonder which city his supporters live in...certainly not the same Los Angeles that I do. It is staggering how poorly engaged people are.

Exercise your right - VOTE!!!!!

If we are to save Los Angeles and have a hope in hell of restoring our standing as a safe and prosperous city we must unseat this do nothing, corrupt, incompetent mayor. Please go to the polls tomorrow and cast your ballot. It is your duty as a taxpaying American to engage in the political process and get involved in the future of your city. Viva Los Angeles and send Villaragosa back to cleaning toilets!