"an african photo safari - telling the story" - part i
TRANSCRIPT
“An African Photo SafariTelling the Story”
Copyright © 2014 Don Mercer
Rustic 41 Creations
Don MercerRustic 41 Creations
Virginia Beach, Virginia
www.rustic41creations.com
Copyright © 2014 Don Mercer, Rustic 41 Creations
In Honor
of
Paul Renner and Larry Jordan, P.E.
and
In Memory
of
Regan Steelman
“An African Photo Safari”“Telling the Story”
Africa – The Continent
Currently home to 53 nations.
Days 1-2 – May 25-26
Norfolk to Dulles International Airport
To Dakar, Senegal: 8 Hours
To Johannesburg, South Africa: 8 Hours
Days 2-3 – May 26-27
RON: Southern Sun O. R. Tambo International Airport
Hotel
Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve
Outside Johannesburg, South Africa
“Southern Sun O. R. Tambo International Airport Hotel”
“A Hearty Breakfast before Heading to the Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve”
“Tawny Eagle”First Sighting in Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve
“Common Beisa Oryx”
“An Oryx Posing”
“Southern White Rhinoceros”
“Perfect Horns!”
“Horns in the High Grass”
“Ms. Ostrich”
“Mr. Ostrich”
“What a Giraffe Would Look Like with Feathers and a Beak”
“Blue Wildebeest”
“Portrait of aBlue Wildebeest”
“A Wildebeest Out for a Walk”
“A Lioness Resting”One in a pride of albino lions at the Nature Reserve
“Time for a Yawn”
“The Cutest of Kitties”
“Focus on the Eyes, and the Rest Will Follow … Even in Flat Light”
“A Male & His Pride”
“Count the Whiskers!”
“King of the Jungle”
“Spots Walking”
“A Cheetah on the Alert!”
“Watching You Watching Me”
A Cheetah: Five feet into the bush and it disappeared!
“Water Buffalo”
“Getting Some Face Time”
“Time to Show Its Teeth!”
“Stripes Galore”
“Giddy Up!”
“A Young Springbok”
“Nice Set of Horns”
“Wild Dog … Best Not to Pet!”
“Horns Resting”
“Marabou Stork”
“Spreading Its Wings”
“I Could Grow to Like Some Kitties!”
“Such a Cute Kitty!”
Welcome to Africa!
The Bad News: They weren’t sedated!The Good News: I left with all my body
parts!
“Here Kitty, Kitty!”
Photo Credit: Emily, a groundskeeper at Rhino & Lion Park, using my cameraOutside Johannesburg, South Africa.
Property Release: E. A. Hern, Owner, Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve – “Vaartjie” & “Medusa”
I did not tell them that I’m a
dog person …
Emily – Chief Assistant to Africa’s Newest Lion Tamer!”
“Mr. Croc”
“A Baby Hippo”
Day 4
Air Botswana – Joburg to Maun, Botswana
Air Moremi – Maun to Moremi Crossing
Our First “Bush” Camp
“Okavango or Bust! – Off to the Airport”Only Soft Luggage Allowed Due to Charter Flights in the Delta
“Airport Gift Shop”
“Johannesburg International Airport – JNB”
Day 4
“Maun, Botswana, International Airport – MUB”
“Our Air Moremi Pilot and Chariot, a Cessna Grand Caravan EX”
“Entering the Okavango Delta”
Map of Botswana Districts
Okavango Delta
“A Multitude of Islands with Water Everywhere”
“Descending Out of 1,500 Feet”
“Animal Trails Through the Marshes”
“On Final Approach for Landing at Xaxaba Airfield - FBXB”
“Arriving at Xaxaba – Zero Chance of Lost Luggage”
“Engine Run Up Prior to Takeoff”
Taking the Active Runway – Well, There Was Only One”
“Departing Concourse A for Our Boats to Moremi Crossing”
“Hike Down the Runway to Our Waiting Boats”Vaguely Reminiscent of the Walk from the Marco Polo Airport Terminal in Venice,
Italy, to the Boat Dock for My Ride to the Grand Canal … and I Do Mean ‘Vaguely’!”
“Boarding Our Boat”
“Amos – Our Head Guide and Helmsman”
“Delta Lilies”
“Solitude in the Okavango”En route by small boats from Xaxaba Airfield (FBXB: 19.551°S 23.055°E) to Moremi Crossing
“Papyrus Plants Along the Shore”
“Marabou Stork Up a Tree”
“In One of the Larger Channels of the Delta’s Waterways”
“A Close Call – Walking Tusks!”This critter was part of the welcoming committee at Moremi Crossing!
Talk about stepping smartly off a trail to give way to the high-heeled “attitude” with tusks moving toward me!
“Home, Sweet Home, in a Tented Cabin at Moremi Crossing”
“View of the Delta from My Cabin’s Deck”
“Sunset in the African Bush”
Day 5 – May 29
Moremi Crossing, Botswana
AM Game Drive
“Early Morning Departure by Mokoro for an Island Hike”
“Twilight View of Moremi Crossing’s Lodge”
“Delta Sunrise”
“Making Our Way Across the Delta”
“Arriving at the Island”
“Amos Explaining the Rules of Engagement”Surprise: No firearms allowed in Moremi Game Reserve! Our guides carried CO2 “bang” pen
guns. … Time to hobble someone!
“An Island Hike into Jurassic Park Lite”
“First Sighting on the Island – A Giraffe Sampling Breakfast”
“A Warthog Rooting with Dirt Flying”
“Red-Billed Hornbill”
“Looking for Game”Atop a small termite mound, what one guide later called a “snake hotel” – Far right: Paul Renner
“A Giraffe Wandering About”
“A Curious Giraffe”
“A Small Herd of Zebras”
“Warthog and Zebra Herd”
“Red-Billed HornbillAtop a Termite Mound”
“Mokoros in the Delta”
“Retuning to Moremi Crossing”
“An Elephant Across the Marsh from My Cabin”Time for a Tripod and 300mm Lens Just before Lunch!
“Our Dining Area – Getting Ready for Lunch”
Day 5 – May 29
Moremi Crossing, Botswana
PM Game Drive
“Pulling into the Reeds to View an Elephant”
“Elephant and Egrets as Viewed from Our Boat”
African Jacana, or “Lily Hoppers”
“A Jacana that Walked over Just below Our Boat’s Gunwale”
“Walking on Water”
“Yet Another Friendly Jacana”
“Then Over to the Other Side of the Channel for Jacana in
the Reeds”
“Lagoon Reflections”
“Well, They’re Not Southern Pines!”
“Our First Hippo Sighting! – Up in the Reeds … Better Shy than Spry!”
“Reeds Blowing Gently in the Breeze”
“Natal Spurfowl atop a Termite Mound”
“Our Wingmen Looking for Game”
“And When There Is No Game, What Do Photographers Do? …Take Photos of Other Photographers!”
“Just Before Rafting Up for Sunset and a Cold Beer”
“Sunset over a Lagoon in the Bush”
“Boat Dock on Return from PM Game Drive”
“An Owl Greeted Us in the Dining Room”
Day 6 – May 30
Moremi Crossing, Botswana
and
En Route to Xaxaba Airfield by Boat
“Delta Sunrise at Moremi Crossing”
“A Beautiful Sight to Behold”
“A Beautiful Sight to Behold”HDR
“Framing a Delta Sunrise”
“My Cabin’s Front Door”
It Remained Locked to Keep the Baboons Out!
“Looking Back on My Cabin When Heading to Breakfast”
“African Beadwork on Display at the Lodge”
“Amos and Paul Renner”
“Vera – Our Hostess at
Moremi Crossing”
Vera was from Zimbabwe, formerly Southern Rhodesia.
“Hippo Pool!”
“Hiking from the Boat Landing to Terminal One, Concourse A”
“Going Around! – Impala on the Runway!”