Hi Marcie - sounds like the PERFECT introduction to South Africa. It is SUCH a good idea to take a few days once you land to acclimate to the time & relax. Birkenhead House is remarkable; a dramatic setting and terrific staff. We have yet to stop at La Residence, but know how much Jim and Mary Ellen enjoy it. The safari experience is that much better if you are rested, a little more settled in to the environment and on the local time zone.

Today is the trip over to Sasakwa for lunch, then tomorrow we'll be lunching at Sabora (the tented camp) prior to our flights to Johannesburg.

We'll see you on the 8th and look forward to saying hello to the rest of our merry band of explorers and explorettes.

Pleasure, Anne

A message from South Africa to LCTers all
The first 16 LEOPARDS have answered the call.
First came Sheila and Ken with his big camera sack
With Aussies Claudia and David closely in tack.

Next joining this fun loving Australian quad
Were Cheron and Mark and their out of shape bod's.
Marcie and Tom followed, looking always so cute
Just before newbies Rich and Joan who were in close pursuit.

Later we found lounging veterans Linda and Chris
Sitting with Kathy and Alan, who looked slightly amiss.
It turned out that Al's look was merely a gaze
As he stared at Table Mountain and was truly amazed.

The only ones missing, the ones we sought most

Were our leaders,our mentors, our experienced hosts.
It turns out that Ken and Ngaire were always around
Protecting their flock, keeping us safe and sound.

From Cape Town to Hermanus to Franschhoek and beyond
We've been made to feel at home, like we really belong.
I must say the Birkenhaus and La Residence
Are really quite awesome and worth every pence.

(POEM CONTINUED)

Everything about LEOPARD so far is serene
But a word of caution to Marc, Gail and Eugene
To Peggy and Mitch and all you trivia group
I have some special advice and it's a real scoop.
They don't play trivia in South Africa I've learned
And if you want to play pooch, you will really get burned.
If you come all this way and lust for a card game or two,
Skip LEOPARD in the future or you might feel blue;
But if you seek friendship and laughter and lots of great sights,
Try to make LEOPARD II with all of your might!

Love it, Mark! Obviously great inspiration can be found in this beautiful spot! This is truly a little bit of heaven....everything about our trip so far has been beyond amazing.

That's a terrific piece of poetry, Mark. Have a safe and easy flight to Joburg. We are so looking forward to seeing all of you on the 8th.

The Softer Side of Safari

We are finalizing our packing in preparation for an early breakfast, game drive, lunch at the Saboru camp and then day rooms until our flight around 4 pm to Kigali and onward journey to Joburg.

Our hosts have been delightful. We played "who do you know?" in the South African camp management world at tea today, and lo and behold we've got several connections at the first and second degree of separation. I've located Marius Coetzee's first camera up here in the vast plains of the Grumeti reserve.

Last night's dinner featured Tapas, Tanzania style. Our maitre d' Paul was pleased as punch to have us try the local cuisine, served 4 ways. The dishes were lightly spiced, with a dollop of spicy sauce on the side for those who wanted the full local effect. Jim assured us the local sauce could put Dave's Insanity Sauce to shame.

Chris has gone out of his way to help us with wine pairings at dinner. As a result, we have gone out of our way to limit the alcohol prior to dinner. A duck sous vide main course was simply irresistible last night - and damned if I can remember the terrific blend of wines chosen for that dish. It was a really interesting pairing.

This morning our maitre d' nicknamed Gary's coffee melange as 'cocktail coffee'. How perfect - mix up decaf coffee, hot chocolate mix, a little milk and top it off with amarula cream liqueur.

Today's non-game drive entertainment was vervet monkeys playing hide and go seek with me through the locked door to the outside shower. They bounced around on the tented roof as if it were their personal trampoline. The water hole was slow on entertainment, except for the tiny warthog piglet who was born to play. He got dangerously close to a baboon, who thought a tasty morsel of warthog would be just fine as a post-lunch snack. Wham! out of the grass charged four - count 'em, four - adult warthogs at full speed. Two tore after the baboon, who quickly dropped the piglet. The other two tore after the piglet, who was running in full evasion mode. The baboon was chased far, far away much more easily than the piglet was redirected towards the safety of the den.

After sitting on the edge of my chair watching the outcome of this interspecies battle, it was time for a facial. I promptly fell asleep and woke up to a very dewy complexion.

We've enjoyed a number of jackal and bat-eared fox sightings on this trip. Zebras were calling up a storm today; could the 12 lions in the immediate area who periodically were eyeing the herd be the cause of the commotion? Inquiring minds wish to know.

Yesterday's non-game drive entertainment was all about the watering hole. Several water fowl - yellow billed storks, the giant Maribou storks (a/k/a funeral directors), the unusual African spoonbill storks, a grey heron and an African pied wagtail were busy grabbing all the insects and other edible waterborne creatures in the watering hole. The African fish eagle swooped in to make his scheduled landing around 2:30 pm. The various storks flew up by specie, riding the thermals, until each of then had left for the day.

Today's game drive featured the cheetah brothers back from a failed kill run. They were snoozing up a storm in preparation for a hopefully successful kill run in the early evening hours. We enjoyed a number of giraffe sightings, complete with babies. The topis are an Eastern African centric species, and they have lots of babies. They are a bit like hyenas with longer front legs and a loping gait. The babies look like bobble head dolls as they run; hopefully, their necks grow strong enough sometime soon. The lions were also in full on snooze mode. Two warthogs trotted within 30 feet of them; only when they got close did they realize their mistake. One took off at top speed; the other was a little slower to realize the danger. Only after at least seven of those lions perked up and stared it down did it depart as fast as its little legs could carry it.

It will be tough to leave this lovely place .. but it's made so much easier knowing we'll be joining the South African Sixteen.

PS Mark - brought my Pooch Addict pin

Pleasure, Anne

Mark that was a GREAT poem, I think your best so far. Since I did not turn up to play cards this afternoon you were all treated as it gave Mark time to create this poetic masterpiece.

We visited Le Pettie Le Ferme winery today and had the wonderful winery owner John, treat us to his version of a cellar tour that is so different to any other wine tour. We tasted wine right out of the barrel. Followed by a lovely lunch with a view and I had fresh mountain trout. I ate mine and half of Cheron's I love friends that share!

We all chilled out and sat in lounge chairs at pools edge and gazed at the beautiful mountain scenery. Ken Simpson asked if I wanted afternoon tea. I said kiddingly "only if I get fresh scones, with jam and cream" Off disappeared Ken to come back a few minutes later to tell me he "had a word with the chef". The chef was whipping up a fresh batch of scones especially for us and they would be ready with english breakfast tea in 15 minutes. They were REALLY good, I did my usual piggie imitiation and had three totally smothered in jam and whipped cream and that yummy cream appeared to have fresh vanilla added. HEAVEN - great company, scones, tea served in fine bone china cups, gorgeous scenery and a perfect temperature.

Now we are all eating here at La Residence for the last night I think a tradition started by Ralph. That man knows a good thing when he sees it and has some very bright ideas. It will be another stuning four course dinner with great wines, roll me out of here in a barrel.

Anne you get the most out of everything and so happy the waterhole has been providing you with entertaiment as you rested your shoulder. Chitwa Chitwa has a HUGE lake that should have some activity for you as well if you decide to take some game drives when we are there. We are all looking forward to seeing you on the morning of the 8th.

Some time I'll have to have a poem-writing contest with Mark. Pretty good. I'm very much enjoying the posts from both groups on the Dark Continent and trying (without much luck) not to be too jealous.

--------------------------

Eugene

WOW for poem and WOW for scones!!!!!

Awesome poem!
Is there going to be a LEOPARD II? If so, sign me up!!

poetry and Anne

writing like the angels

I am just loving every report I read wherever it comes from! Packed up tonight for a week at Outer Banks with my entire family, so can't envy too much, but sure am enjoying the read!

Oh to have been able to do this trip! Alas, Anne and Mark bring it all home to us don't they?

I think Mark is the new Bard of the Bush! As Anne continues on with her wonderful prose we have all enjoyed in so many trips to Africa, from Egypt and the Nile to Rwanda and the gorillas, Kenya and/or Bostwana I think, and now to Tanzania. Keep it up, both of you! And of course, Ngaire's wonderful commentary, and Ken's and Mary Ellen's pictures!

Kathy, I just knew you and Al would love this trip! My ROAR's and SAMBA are two of my best ever travel memories, thanks to Ngaire's perfect planning.

La Residence at Franschhoek:

Richard and Lori checked in at City Lodge ORTambo Airport.

Well I'm with all you Leopard people in spirit. I have on my Singita T-shirt that I bought during our ROARing adventure.

May all the memories you derive from your South African adventure fit comfortably in your memory bank.

Cheers! Ray

I sure am missing posts from our LEOPARDs - guess they must be deep in the bush - no WI-Fi signal and certainly no time to post!!

Did you Leps do the White shark tour in Hermanus? Would love to see pics

I imagine the LEOPARDs are having Internet issues. It's pretty difficult at the Camps. Yes, a number of them did the Great White Shark tour and several went down in the cage. I'll see if I can provide further information.

-----------------------------

Eugene

I saw on the land mail that they were going to do it, but never saw any reporting on it. I was hoping to hear their tales! Thanks, Eugene.

Cape Town to Chitwa Chitwa to Kings Camp

We're done with Cape Town and have headed out east
To look at leopards and lions and wildebeests.
Off went Joan and Rich to Leopard Hills they say
We all wished them well for a pleasant stay.
In their absence eight new people did come
All of these people were safari alums.
There was Lori and Richard, Pamela and Jim,
Mary Ellen and her Canadian (who is looking quite slim).
Also from Tasmania came Anne and Gary
To look at the wildlife, some tame, some scary.
At Chitwa Chitwa we saw leopards and such
But lions and rhinos not all that much.
The rangers at Chitwa named Tristan and Surprise,
Harli and Rexon, all wonderful guys
Their knowledge and skills got us all elated
Watching a cheetah kill after leopards mated.
All you LCT'ers might have taken note
That the group has failed to lately post.
It's not for a lack of interest to tweet
It's just the local internet is unconsciously weak.
When we arrive at King's Camp people will answer the call
(And Anne can recover for her posting withdrawal).
Life continues to be great and everyone's jolly
As we move along in our South African folly.
Everyone here hopes you are all doing fine
As we journey out in hopes of seeing lions dine.

Yay! They're alive!! Thank you Mark! Very fun, creative post! That really is cool how you do that.

Oh, Ann.....?????

Internet is so iffy on trips like this. Photos almost never have the ability to post. We should be happy with short text write-ups and the sometime photo.

Hope everyone is loving S Africa as we do. Can't wait for our 4th trip back!

Doug

we're here, we're here ! At Chitwa Chitwa we didn't have wifi, just one very slow community computer. Now we're here at King's Camp. I love it here, such a nice lodge. We had great morning drive, came back to scrumptious breakfast and now I'm finally checking in while sitting on the open patio with a cool breeze thinking to myself....it just does NOT get any better than this.

I know I always say that "every" trip is/was my favorite but being here in the bush really is the VERY VERY BEST. I think everyone should experience this at least once !!!!

Linda and Chris Bailey are on LEOPARD. (They also went to Victoria Falls.) Linda is doing a Shutterfly blog for their trip. I heard from them overnight, and as I suspected and Marcie confirmed, Internet at Chitwa Chitwa was almost non-existent. The Bailey's gave me permission to post the link to their blog (below). Chris also indicated that he thought that Linda would be able to post some time today from King's Camp. There are some very nice photos, including from the shark excursion where both she and Chris went down in the cage! See
Linda Bailey's Blog.

----------------------------

Eugene

Also checking in from King's Camp. We absolutely love it here! I'll leave the details to those who are far more eloquent than I. Just suffice it to say, Olivia, you are right. This is absolutely the trip of a lifetime. If you are ever lucky enough to do this with Ngaire and Ken, it just doesn't get any better!!!

Ken is on the computer with his pictures so I am trying to type on this laptop. I am so fast on a regular keyboard but this is so difficult for me. So I will make this brief. So far the sightings have been fantastic. I will let Anne tell the stories and I will just cover the highlights.

At chitwa chitwa we had two pairs of mating leopards in close proximity to the vehicles it was really stunning. We have never had such a spectacular display before. Then we saw cheetahs and we were fortunate enough that our vehicle was in the right spot to see a cheetah chase down an impala and the chase literally encircled our vehicle. We saw the cheetah leap but could not see the impala at that moment but the ranger said he could. Different angle makes a difference. The kill was made and then three cheetahs were eating away. All four of our vehicles were there I was so happy everyone got to see this sighting. We were able to stay a little longer and we knew there were four cheetahs but only three were at the kill. The cheetahs starting calling and one went off into the push calling and did come back with the fourth cheetah. It is time for lunch a lot more to say but have to go now.
.

This is just a fabulous trip. Every day is a new adventure! King's Camp is wonderful - very comfortable and we had a great game drive this morning. I'll let others describe it for all of you.

Just catching up with Anne's last posting from Tanzania. Here are the photos to illustrate her story of the tree climbing lions, ace ranger and the rescue..............

The biggest one strolls away with the remains



And jumps into a tree to have a little rest



He's not the only one who likes to hang out in trees.





Cats - whatever their size - really spend most of their days resting



Except when they are disturbed by the constant noise of shutters clicking and electronic sounds from digital cameras................Not to mention those odd, two legged critters moving around the range rovers



Did you know that the battery is under the passenger seat?



When that didn't work, the rescue vehicle attempted to tow us...............at high speed..............while driving backwards into a big hole........



Just another day here in Africa

Great posts, poems and pics, thanks. This is the first trip we've missed. Not going to happen again! We're going on the next one!

A couple of photos from Kings Camp before our evening drive:




Same Leopard

Nice tongue!

-------------------

Eugene

Love hearing from all of you - the pictures are wonderful!

Just catching up... wow, Mary Ellen - those cheetah pix are terrific!

On to the Safari:

After gathering in Johannesburg and taking the quick trip to Federal Air, LEOPARDS stuffed two Caravans to the gills. Some were spotting large game from the windows; others were snoozing or passing the time on our way to Chitwa Chitwa. The camp mascot is the giraffe; the camp name itself is in honor of a longtime resident bull giraffe. Every time he passed, a sound best described as "Chitwa Chitwa" eminated from those creaky knee joints.

Our game drive staff and luggage folks whisked us away to our new home away from home. Chitwa Chitwa is remarkable for a unique mix of individual room decor. Shade management is better here than any other camp I've visited. Public areas offer ample shade, and a huge lake supports hippos, yellow billed storks, African fish eagles, crocodiles, African spoonbill storks, Egyptian geese, water buck, nyala, yellow and red hornbills and a few itinerant species (more on this later). The outside dining area is completely shaded with thatch roofing as breezes flow through the space. The deck space is beautiful, spacious and our camera pros photographed the latest and greatest developments along the banks of "Lake Chitwa Chitwa" - where the men are beautiful, the women are strong and the animal action is above average.

We settled in for lunch as Ngaire and Ken took photos of each room, followed by un-"pack and play" of safari life. Tristan, Reckson, Hali (pronouned Harley) and Surprise led us on game drives, and what a store of surprises they had for us. Open seating was the order of the camp, and we all enjoyed getting to know each ranger. Day one's highlights ranged from the large (breeding herds of elephants, a lone rhino who posed perfectly for our photos) to the uniquely small (a pearl spotted owlet). All well and good, but we need some Big Ranger Action. Crackle .. Shagan language .. crackle .. "Copy" and off we speed. Hmmm ... Lion? Leopard? We knew something really good was nearby. It turned out to be a giant sundowner fest. Everyone could compare notes .. some seeing one type of animal, others picking up on something else .. and enjoying the opportunity to be sharing friendship, drinks and snacks as the sun settled in for the night. The stars gradually took over the night sky as we returned to camp.

We had made a solemn pact .. no going back to your rooms or changing clothes for dinner. We hoofed it straight to the bar and swapped stories until the tom-tom drum announced our dinner. Table for 22, please! It was great fun.

Safari on Steriods

The next morning, we straggled in for a quick coffee and compared notes on our first night in the bush, fueled by Big Game wishes and Malarone dreams. Note: check a watch FIRST when one thinks one has heard the ranger knock on the door to ascertain it's not a Malarone fueled moment. If it's not 5 am, it's not time to get up. The day's game drive was taken up with finding 2 .. count 'em 2 .. leopards who were playing the mating game. Theres nothing serene or sweet about this behavior. The female harasses the male with side swipes and the occasional smack in the face until either he mates or smacks her back. Mating definitely involves growls and bites on the neck. The path to these leopards was fraught with trees, grasses and hang on to your roll bar moments. The sighting was well worth it .. and we wish all the best for the happy couple when the stork arrives with leopard cubs.

After a return to camp and breakfast and/or lunch, we returned to our game drives. The leopards had moved a short distance, and everyone got to see the leopards who had missed them in the morning. More mating leopards! WOO HOO! Dinner was our boma night .. certainly the best I've experienced in Africa. All of us wore a native African cloth over our clothes, and the setting was simply magical.

On our second day, we observed more terrific wild life sightings. No lion, but all the rest of the big five were ticked on our species checklists. The afternoon drive featured nursing young elephants near the water hole, elephants splashing in the water hole, a gorgeous male leopard surveying the hunting terrain on a termite mound .. incredible! We found another rhino and then moved on towards the camp to end the day. Surprise got a real surprise .. saying "but we're HERE" on the radio and quickly reversed course. We got the last slot on a CHEETAH sighting at sunset. Four .. count 'em four .. cheetahs had arrived. They moved onto territory without traversing rights, but not before 2 of our four vehicles had enjoyed a quick sighting.

Next morning, we were off on a cheetah hunt. They kindly crossed back on Chitwa Chitwa property and took their time to scope the landscape for prey from the top of termite mound. Hmm .. possible breakfast prey were in their sights. They took off down the hill with us in pursuit. Sure enough, they landed an impala.

It's one thing to want to be there for a kill .. it's altogether another thing to have it happen. Three of the cheetahs aggressively started at the rear of the impala and worked their way forward. Unfortunately, the suffocation throat hold had only stunned the impala. It passed away fairly quickly thereafter, but not before a gruesome few moments and a lot of gruesome noise. We left the sighting and headed off to heed the call of another set of leopards mating. Along the way, a few other camp vehicles passed by on their way to the cheetah kill.

This second sighting was in a much clearer location. The female wasted no time smacking the male across the face to get busy and attend to her needs. He snarled, mated and shook off the whole process by taking a short walk before falling over in a heap. This scene repeated a few more times before we left for coffee and muffins.

Half of the group left on the morning flight to King's Camp, while the other half had lunch at Chitwa Chitwa before heading out to the airstrip.

Welcome to Beautiful Downtown Timbavati

We were all reassembled at King's Camp by the 3:30 evening game drive.

Patrick and tracker Albert were on the hunt for less than 20 minutes when we came across the two new lion bossmen in the Timbavati. The bigger of the two tips the scales at 261 Kg (about 572 lbs)! Albert had helped with a research effort (one of the two had a radio collar that was getting much too tight as he grew; it needed to be loosened for his safety). The paw of the larger lion was as large as Albert's face. Ahem .. pay your respects as there are new sheriffs in town, lionesses.

After that amazing sighting, we enjoyed a large elephant herd and a very rare sighting of a baboon spider (that's a taratula for the US audience) before a lovely dinner.

The next day, we rolled up to another incredible safari moment: leopardess Tumbela had nailed an impala overnight, dragged it up a tree and was chomping away whilst two hyenas patiently circled for scraps underneath her feeding. The lighting was decent and many good pictures are going home with the LEOPARD guests. We also came across the southern ground hornbill .. an endangered bird who we saw on the wing before they disappeared into long grass. All in all, another wonderful day drive on safari.

Our company is starting to lose enthusiasm for the 'eat or go hungry' mentality of the bush. Lunch attendance is slowly declining as more of us hit the 'food coma' wall after breakfast.

This afternoon we found Tumbela, who had also hit the 'food coma' wall panting in the grass and doing her best to lift her head to look at the incoming range rovers. She gave it up and flopped over for a well deserved digestion session in the waning light of day. The hyena den after Mom returned to very young cubs and a couple of older ones who are about 9 months of age was our final sighting of the day. It was a fascinating sighting. We went on a rhino trek to no avail, but others spotted the rhino. I hope that's on our agenda for tomorrow.

Pleasure, No. 7

Finally finished all the posts to date - Great photos, reports and poems! Wish we were there!

Thanks!
Wonderful photos & tales made better by the telling.

Doug

Loving the kitty pics!

Yay, the posting continues! I was going into withdrawal.

Sign me up for the next safari, I have to do this!

Oh my! Incredible pix, poetry and Anne's inimitable prose!! Quite overwhelming what y'all have seen!

Thanks so much and continue, please!

FYI: Linda Bailey was able to post a new entry on her Shutterfly blog with narrative and a number of photos from Chitwa Chitwa.

-------------------------

Eugene