Yoga Safaris with a Difference.

It was about this time last year, just when it had started snowing, that I looked back over the year I realised what a roller coaster of the year it had been. The recession had hit me hard, there was little money in my bank account, I had had an emergency operation on my neck and there had been a bereavement in the family. So here I am sitting in my office, looking out of my window, and watching the predicted 8 inches of snow falling, and looking back over a completely different year. This year has been a great year for work, there is money in the bank, I am fighting fit and healthy and so are my family and friends.

So what makes this year different from all the others?

There are a number of things that have made 2010 a great year for myself. Firstly, the enforced timeout after my operation made me think about my priorities in my life, both personal and business, which I applied this year. It opened my mind to be able to identify opportunities when they revealed themselves, and not to go rushing around hunting those opportunities down. Instead I just let them come to me. It was inspiring how it all happened. Secondly, I spent a little bit more time with friends and family, although I have to admit I need to increase this in 2011 as the balance is still not quite right. Thirdly, I made more time for myself, me time is exceptionally important. And lastly, the most important thing of all, is that I had belief in myself and what I was doing, I had direction, I had focus.

Which is why I want to help others get back onto the right track and become successful too. Sense Africa has a Yoga Safari going to Malawi in May next year, where your holiday is combined with a time for self-discovery, a time for time out and a time to move forward. I do confess that I cannot provide all of this which is why Liz Foster, a professional coach and yoga instructor, is accompanying the trip. And you couldn't do this in a more inspiring location such as Malawi!

Sense Africa – restoration for the mind body and soul.

How To Use A Mosquito Net

At times it may seem a bit obvious on how to use a mosquito net but when you are trying to disengage yourself from the clutches of a rogue one, these tips may come in useful.

1. First make sure that the net has been tied up above your head in a knot, as this will prevent anything from crawling into it during the day.
2. More often than not your mosquito nets will be arranged for you, but if this is not the case make sure that when you untie it there are no friendly bugs in it!
3. Doublecheck there were no holes in the net as this will defeat the object. Tape of any kind is an instant fix.
4. Pull the net taught over your bed and tuck it firmly under the mattress. This prevents the net brushing against your face at night. It is best to do this before supper, because after supper and the superb wines that you've consumed, it may make things a little bit more complicated.
5. Spray inside the net with insect repellent to kill any rogue insects, just to double check there is nothing unwanted sharing your bed with me.

Sleep well!

Guns, Beds and Mozambique Spitting Cobras

My Land Rover was packed full of kit for living in the African bush. It was a short wheelbase Land Rover, had no windscreen, no roof and I'm not too sure whether it had any doors to begin with. It was certainly built for an African adventure.

I arrived late in the afternoon at Devuli Ranch where I had been told that a house had been put aside for me to use during my one year stay in Save Valley Conservancy. I drove into the compound with relief - I had pushed started my Land Rover twice on the way down. That was the first challenge over and done with. The compound consisted of about seven houses, dotted in the African bush, with a swimming pool as the central feature and all surrounded by secure fencing. This was to prevent wild animals from wondering into the area where we were living, making it a bit safer to walk around at night from one house to the next. It did not, however, exclude all the wildlife, which I was to later find out.

Derek Henning came to greet me and welcome me to the Save Valley Conservancy. He pointed out the house that I was going to use, and my eyes really popped out of my head. The entrance to the house had two vast wagon wheels either side of the gate and bright pink bougainvillea was growing over the wagon wheels. My house was enormous; there were five bedrooms, an enormous living area and the Veranda surrounding the whole building, it was a little bit more than I needed. It was the original house that had been built when the first white explorers came through the area and had not been lived in for a while.

"Jenny, how are you with snakes?" asked Derek.
"Well, not too bad," I murmured, nervously wondering where this conversation was going.
"Just that the house has not been lived in for a long time and Mozambique Spitting Cobras have been seen in the area. So what I would advise is that you take this and leave it in an accessible place."
I took the double barrelled shotgun from Derek rather gingerly. "Just fire from the hip", he continued, "because if you fire from your shoulder you will probably dislocate it. Do not worry about the house, it is fine if you pebble dashed the walls, just aim and fire."

My eyes were out on stalks by this time, this was certainly an interesting introduction to living in Africa.

For two years I slept with a loaded double barrelled shotgun under my bed.  I never used it, but was certainly aware of its location and it took me a few weeks to get used to the idea that I had a gun under my bed!

Life in Africa is often unpredictable, which is also the charm of the continent. Prepare for the unexpected and your life will be enriched.

My First Experience in the African Bush

My first real job after University was working for Raleigh International in Zimbabwe. I had been employed as an ecologist, for a minimum of the year, to set up a number of conservation projects in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe was Raleigh International's new destination and I had eight months to set up a number of projects for the first expedition the following year.

I had never been into the African bush before, I was naive about all things Africa. 

So, I drove down to Save Valley Conservancy to stay with a lady called Karen Paolillo - she had single-handedly saved a pod of hippo during the drought which Zimbabwe was in the clutches of at the time. It was June 1992, the early rains for the year had not materialised, people and animals were dying.

Karen and her husband Jean lived in a small caravan in the middle of the bush in Save Valley Conservancy. Jean had been prospecting land for minerals and Karen had come along with him, only to notice the plight of the hippos. Their caravan stood on the edge of the escarpment overlooking the River Turgwe, which should have been a river of glorious water but had been reduced to a couple of small puddles. Karen had become increasingly aware that the hippos no longer had water to drink or to retreat to in the heat of the day and little food to eat. The situation had become serious if these hippos were going to survive.

So Karen has taken it upon herself to feed these hippo, using the little savings that she had. Each day she would go out to find where the hippos were hiding in order to feed them. More often than not they were in dense riverine bush attempting to hide from the powerful rays of the sun. Hippos skin is very sensitive to the sun, which is why they need to submerge themselves in water during the day, otherwise the skin will crack and blister. Cracked skin, and the searing heat, can lead to the death of a hippo from dehydration.

So there I was, naive Jenny, carrying a bag of hay and walking through the bush. Karen was busy looking for a a young hippo and its mother which she had not seen for a while. We were searching a dry riverbed as Karen thought that this was where they would probably be hiding out. I was given strict instructions by Karen to stay in the middle of the dry riverbed whilst she went into the undergrowth to see whether she could locate the two hippos. All of a sudden there was this large crashing sound from the undergrowth, coming in my direction, and I became frozen to the spot. In the back of my mind I was looking for nearby trees to climb but my legs were not going anywhere. I was terrified! A few seconds later Karen emerged from the undergrowth, smiling. She was pretty pleased that I had done what she had asked me to do, which was to wait exactly where I was, but little did she know that my legs could not move anyway. What an adrenaline rush!

That was the first time of many wonderful wildlife experiences, where the heart gets a little bit of the workout. But I will never forget that particular moment, it was the first of many, and it is the one that sticks in my mind.

Coca Cola and Communication

My brother Jason, had never been to Africa before, so the obvious solution was for him to come with me. This was a few years back when I was working for a gap year organisation, setting up conservation and community projects in Swaziland. He came out with me before my recce for the next expedition, and we had a two-week holiday – well a bit of a busman's holiday for me, but certainly a holiday for Jason. We had some memorable experiences; a full day by Mahlindza Dam watching the animals coming into drink, Jason spending a night snuggling up to some animal to keep warm in the night (whatever it was, it was on the other side of the tent and Jason had a good nights sleep) and the mist clearing giving the most spectacular view in Malolotja. But one of the funniest situations we had was a lesson in communication.

We decided to have lunch in Simunye Country Club – there is a swimming pool there which we were taking advantage of as it was extraordinarily hot that day. Before taking a dip, we decided to have a drink and Jason went to the bar to order them. A few minutes later the waiter came out with my Sprite and disappeared back into the bar area. Jason's Coke was not there. I was halfway through my Sprite before Jason queried the fact that his drink was missing. It was a hot day and he was parched.

"Not to worry", I said, and I went over to the bar to find out where his drink was.
"I was just wondering where our Coke was," I said.
"They're just making it now."
"They are just making it?"
"Yes, it will be ready in 20 min."
"A Coke takes 20 min to make?"
"Yes."
"Oh."

It then dawned on me what had happened. Jason had ordered a 'Coke' but the waiter had misheard and thought he had said 'cake'! I felt terrible, the kitchen staff were slaving away over an unwanted cake.

"What type of cake are they making?"
"Plain."
"Please could we have two slices of plain cake and also a Coca-Cola?"

Well, we couldn't really let the cake go to waste could we? And it was worth every minute of the 20 min wait!

How To Create Stunning Photos

Memories of Africa are what we strive for whilst on holiday and the most popular way of remembering this is through photographic evidence.  On returning from holiday, camera memory cards are usually full to the brim of useless photos and those award-winning photos that you thought you had, and which turn out to be uneventful blurs.  I am a self taught photographer, and I am not that fantastic at taking pictures, but I love my end products and it gives me great joy.  So here are some simple techniques that I have learnt to avoid photographic disappointment and to create photographic envy.

1. Always have your camera at the ready as you never know when you will see something of interest.
2. Whilst in a vehicle, hold your camera at the ready or have it on your lap.  When on your lap the camera is cushioned from the vibrations of the vehicle – constant vibrations can jolt the camera mechanisms out of place.
3. Using a small beanbag or a window mounted tripod helps stabilise your camera and keeps pictures pin sharp.
4. If you're taking pictures of wildlife, focus on the animals eyes – if the either out of focus and you will lose 'picture' appeal.
5. And remember not to take too many close-ups of animals, create space in your photo and give the African backdrop a chance to shine, it is a fantastic photo in itself.

They say that patience is a virtue – all good things come to those that wait, and it does most of the time!  And as a final thought, try not to spend all of the time looking through the camera lens, enjoy the surrounding so that you can really truly "sense" Africa.

Translocating Elephants

When I was first in Zimbabwe (and that was many years ago) I was working in Save Valley Conservancy, situated in the south east lowveld.  It was in 1992, the rains had not come, people were starving and animals were dying, it was not the best first impression of Africa.  The earth was sun baked to such extremes that water holes had become dust bowls, river crossings were not longer needed as you could drive anywhere and the nearby swimming pool was bone dry as the local wildlife has drunk it dry with the help of evaporation, it was the time of extremes.

And where I was based was not the worst hit - further south in Gonerezhou National Park, the game there were suffering, horrifically.  Gonerezhou was famous for teeming wildlife, in particular the massive herds of elephants inhabiting the area.  It is a beautiful part of the country and exceptionally wild in some places, truly the essence of Africa.  But in 1992, it was more accurately described as an elephant grave yard.  Gonerezhou was littered with the skulls of elephant, it was a place of death and the stench was indescribable.

So action needed to be taken.  And elephants saved.  So the members of Save Valley Conservancy came up with this plan of translocating some of the elephants out of Gonerezhou and into Save Valley Conservancy.  In Save there were alternative sources of water and the game were being fed to keep them alive, and if some of the elephants could be saved in the same manner, then it was worth a try.

So on an early African morning, there was a group of us waiting in the bush for the arrival of the largest elephant translocated in Zimbabwe.  We had heard that an enormous bull had been captured, put into a crate, loaded onto a truck and was being driven up to Save by road.  An incredible feat as at the time as it was the largest animal ever to be moved in Zimbabwe, and could potentially be the beginning of a mass move of elephants and other game out of drought stricken areas.  So we were rather anxious as to how the elephant would react to its journey and to its new surroundings. 

More often than not it is advisable to put a newly translocated animal into a boma for a while, or a holding pen, to allow it to get used to its new surroundings and become acclimatised to the different sounds and smells.  However, with such a large animal, this was not going to feasible, so the plan was to open up the crate and allow the elephant to walk out into a remoter part of the Conservancy where there were little distractions and where the vegetation was similar to that of its previous home.  So there we all were, waiting for the newest addition to Save. 

He arrived in the mid morning, and the crate was positioned so that the entrance pointed into the bush.  There were a number of trucks and cars parked at a respectable distance away and we all waited with bated breath.  The door was opened..... and nothing happened.  He just stood there, watching, waiting for what I do not know.  He was not coming out, that was one thing for sure.  Half an hour passed and nothing had happened.  A few people had left but I still watched with anticipation to see the first elephant released into Save Valley Conservancy.  Still he did not budge.

And then suddenly, with no warning at all, there was a trumpet and 4 tonnes of elephant charged out of the crate, scattering complacent viewers and leaving a wake of destruction in the form of broken trees and one dented truck.  And then there was silence.  That was it.  One elephant introduced into Save Valley Conservancy. Rather an anti climax really.

But that is the excitement of being in the African bush, the unpredictability of life. In the blink of an eye it had all happened and there was now a bull rampaging around my stomping ground.  I would have to be a bit warier when out in the bush now.  And that made my life a bit more exciting in the following months as we met on a number of occasions!

Walking with Ostriches

Last month I was out tracking rhino on foot.  There were four of us, Africa our guide, Terry, Vicky and myself. I love walking in the bush, you never know what you are going to see and who you are going to be walking with.  So we set off into the unknown making sure that we were quiet and that we knew where the good trees were in case of charging rhino or elephant.   

I was bringing up the rear, making sure that the unexpected was expected and that none of the feisty elephants would sneak up on us.  You may think that this is rather impossible, given their size, but an elephant's step is one of the quietest out there and it is mind boggling how you can loose an elephant in the bush, they blend in so well.  But loose them you do.

So there I was, giving the landscape the old terminator scan, checking for elephant, when suddenly, looming over my right shoulder was the head of an ostrich.  (My terminator scan was temporarily dysfunctional.)  I have no idea where she suddenly came from, but there she was, walking behind me as if she was part of the tracking party.  I have to admit that she did give me a bit of a scare and I did move pretty fast away from her to ensure my body remained in tact.  Ostriches can disembowel a person if they choose to do so.  However, this one was more concerned with being part of the group than removing my innards. 

Terry and Vicky had a good laugh at my sudden erratic movements, until they got the same eyeballing treatment, and this ended up with all of us trying to get away from her.  She was none to pleased with this and 'herded' us together taking over my job of bringing up the rear.  Well I wasn't doing a good job was I?  She stayed with us for 20mins, enjoying our company before moving off to find something more interesting to follow.

Walking with Dinosaurs?  Ostriches can be far more eventful.  And the rhino can wait...

Bee Keeing in Swaziland

I pride myself in providing tailor-made holidays, and I do like a challenge.  However the most recent trip to Swaziland I did have a rather odd request from Terry and Vicky - to look at a local bee keeping and to exchange methods and ideas.  Knowing quite a few people in Swaziland I did a bit of asking around and came back with Bulembu.  Bulembu is an old asbestos mining town in the highlands of eastern Swaziland which has a number of small industries such as bottling spring water, diary produce and honey production.

So we set off to Bulembu, along a rather bumpy, dirt road which is used by logging trucks hurtling along precipitous tracks.  We had to stop, rather quickly, to avoid a falling tree that was being manoeuvred across the road. At times I was wondering whether the sump would still be attached to the car when we got there, it was a was a horrific road.  We arrived in one piece, shaken but not stirred, to find Joel waiting for us to give us a guided tour of the honey extracting process.  My learning curve was vertical and Terry and Vicky were fascinated with the similarities of bee keeping in Swaziland with that of England.  The most interesting aspect was Joel's participation in it all.  He had originally been involved with the asbestos industry and once it all closed down he had been transferred to start up the bee keeping.  With just a book on bee keeping in Southern Africa and a bit of support he has built up a total of 900 hives in four years!  Terry and Vicky could not believe it all. 

After visiting a number of hives and looking at the combs and how they extracted the honey, discussing the problems of the honey badgers and other marauding animals it was time to return to Phophonyane Lodge. 

The sump is still attached.

What Makes a Good Sunset?

I was looking out of my window last night and was amazed at the sunset that I saw over Cardiff, probably in celebration of Europe winning the Ryder Cup.  It is not often that you get to see such a fabulous sunset in the UK, whereas in Africa the sunsets are pretty spectacular and much more frequent.

African sunsets are memorable. This is probably because we often see them whilst over looking watering holes, with the sound of the wildlife in the background and with the taste of a sun downer on our lips.  And this is probably after an incredible day of watching wildlife and experiencing the local culture.  All truly romantic and breath taking. 

But what does make a good sunset?  Is it the colour? The vividness of it? Or is it the location?  What ever it is to you, I find that sunsets are personal experiences.  My favourite one was at Sossusvlei in Namibia when there had been a sand storm and the dust in the air made these flashes of red across the sky.  Truly remarkable.

Packing Made Easy

I love packing, it is the excitement of knowing that I am going away and that there is time for a rest on the plane!  The whole idea of travelling agrees with me.  However, packing can be a bit of a nightmare for some and to make life a bit easier here are some tips to remove the stress from the start of your holiday.

1. Have a list of the things that you need so that you do not forget anything.  Sense Africa can provide you with a generic list if you want.
2. Start a few days before by just putting things that you think you might need aside in a safe place.
3. Use a soft bag as this is easier to transport around whilst in Africa and also is less cumbersome than a solid suitcase.
4. Keep things to a minimum, you will probably not be staying in one place for the whole holiday so the less you have the less you have to pack at each stage.  And that means less stress!
5. Pack the larger items first so that you can squeeze the smaller ones around it.
6. Pack items in the same way each time so you know where everything is.
7. Put penknives etc in your main luggage.
8. Put valuables such as cameras and phones in your hand luggage.
9. Also have a spare set of clothes in your hand luggage - sometimes bags do go walkies for a while!
10. Have a book handy so when you get to the airport early you can relax.

With this in mind I have printed off my list and going to pack for Tuesday when I am off to Africa, happy days.

Swaziland's Merchant Navy - a land locked kingdom...

A friend of mine, Robbie, who does voice overs, sent this through to me and it put a smile on my face.  It is an extract from the The Star in Johannesburg, South Africa.  It sums up the determination (with humour) of the African people when facing a curved ball;

"The situation is absolutely under control," Transport Minister Ephraem Magagula told the Swaziland Parliament in Mbabane . "Our nation's merchant navy is perfectly safe. We just don't know where it is, that's all."Replying to an MP's question, Minister Magagula admitted that the landlocked country had completely lost track of its only ship, the Swazimar: "We believe it is in a sea somewhere.  At one time, we sent a team of men to look for it, but there was a problem with drink and they failed to find it, and so, technically, yes, we've lost it a bit.  But I categorically reject all suggestions of incompetence on the part of this government.  The Swazimar is a big ship painted in the sort of nice bright colours you can see at night.  Mark my words, it will turn up.  The right honourable gentleman opposite is a very naughty man, and he will laugh on the other side of his face when my ship comes in."

Love it.

Birding in Africa

I am really excited as I have just got 'Roberts' Multimedia Birds of Southern Africa' through the post.  I can see your eyelids closing...

I was never really interested in birds until I went to Africa.  In the UK most of the birds are rather dull in comparison to their African cousins although at times those cousins do visit the UK but it seems that they have to possess a 'dull' passport to get here.  No, the African birds are gloriously coloured (like this white fronted bee eater), often have some really quirky nature to them and are easy to spot.  So after my first visit to Africa, many years ago, I got rather hooked on birding becoming a bit of a twitcher myself, and proud of it.

And most people who come on a Sense Africa trip also get the bug (or is it the bird?) and spend a lot of time pouring over bird books identifying all manner of birds around the water hole.  Best done with a gin and tonic too, if you want to take the more light hearted approach at birding.

So back to my new found acquisition, where I can listen to bird calls of every bird seen in Southern Africa, and a host of other useful information to marvel at. Twitcher signing off.

Malolotja's Zip Lines

Swaziland is opening up to be the place to go for adventure - whether it be white water rafting, horse riding, caving, hiking, abseiling or even extreme mountain biking, Swaziland seems to have a wide range of activiti4es.

And the the new adventurous activity is a collection of massive zip wires in Malolotja.  Malolotja is a place of stunning beauty, and do not worry, this has not be spoilt with the addition of a zip wire.  In fact, you can not see it until you are clipped in.  There are 12 lines, of varying lengths and heights(!), the longest being 140m long and about 80m high.  I have to say from an ecological perspective they have done a good job as there has a minimal impact on the surroundings.  The zip line goes through the trees, rather than having them all cut down, the bases between each zip blend into the surroundings and the best thing of all is that you can get a birds eye view of Malolotja gorge.  Stunning!

Give it a go if you dare.......

Giraffe Necking Duels

Whilst in Swaziland last month I was on safari in Mbuluzi Game Reserve.  Mbuluzi is a small and intimate reserve where you can drive or walk at your own pace. In my opinion, it is the place for giraffe sightings in Swaziland as it is where you can see them up close and personal, it is breath-taking.

It was the time of year where males were pumped up with testosterone, ready to take on some poor unsuspecting female.  And if they had not got a female in their sights then they were fighting amongst themselves to assert dominance.

So on safari, one sunny morning, I came across two giraffe circling each other and trying to beat the other into submission....with their own heads.  These two giraffe were sizing each other up, constantly walking around each other before unleashing their in-built mallet. I was amazed at the force that each of them mustered and the accuracy of the blows, at times the force lifted the other giraffe off its feet.  The longer the neck and the heavier the head then the more damage the blow can inflict.  And this maybe one of the reasons for the giraffes to grow a long neck, natural selection in action. Some of these battles can be fatal but more often or not one of the giraffe will surrender before anything serious happens.  Despite the fact that these battles can be bloody, they often look graceful and choreographed, more like a dance than a duel.  But then appearances can be deceptive.

Later that day I saw one of the giraffes again, and he had a bleeding horn, but I was not too sure whether he was the victor or not.  Necking is serious business.

Reverse Culture Shock

I find that coming back to the UK is often more of a culture shock than arriving in Africa. This could be because of the lack of smiley faces in London this morning, the unhelpful attitude of the people in rail ticket office (my flight had got in much earlier than expected so my pre-booked tickets had me waiting for 2 hours for my train home) or maybe just the grey overcast morning that I had arrived in. It made me want to turn right round and fly back out to Africa.

Despite the lack of sleep, which I am sure did not help my state of mind, I am genuinely pleased to be back and with a host of memories about the school expedition.

So, "when I was in Africa...."

Last Days - White Water Rafting in Swaziland

This was our second to last day of the expedition and one that the girls were really looking forward to as most of them had never been rafting before.  There was also a new dam half way down the stretch of river that we were rafting, so some of it would be new for me as well.  The Great Usuthu River is quite a friendly river to raft as there are rapids followed by pools of calmer water to collect paddles, rafts and people and as we were doing this in two man inflatable croc rafts it was likely that we would be thankful for these brief sections of tranquility!  I knew that I would be as I am not a fan of white water rafting.

Begi, our rafting guide gave us an amusing safety brief, along with a warning to everyone about the crocodiles which would be sharing the river with us....  The eight of us paired up and unfortunately poor Lexi was partnered with me, which she regretted as I got us stuck on the first rock we saw and fell out at the first rapid.  This did not instil her with confidence in my white water rafting ability.  The first stretch of the Great Usuthu River is pretty tame and we meandered past people washing their clothes and cows drinking at the waters edge.  This was a chance to get to grips with paddling as a team - or not as the case maybe.  Lydia and Menace spending most of their time going backwards.

The first major drop in water level was next to the weir by the new dam.  There is a large weir with a gap for the overflow, this is about 7m high and forms a shute into the river below and we went down this.  The scary thing about it is that you have no idea what the drop will be like until you are on top if it and by then it is too late to do anything about it.  Looking back, that was the easiest rapid of the river, but at the time it was a BIG drop.  The river then flows into a small gorge where it gets even more exciting.  This is where carnage occurred and a few of us spent more time swimming than in the raft, myself included.  I was gutted.  The last rapid is the largest one and only Kate and Bex stayed in their raft and Jess managed to stay in hers whilst watching Ellen take a little swim.  The rest of us, Lydia, Menace, Lexi and myself managed to fall out at the beginning of the rapid and between us all I think we managed to visit all the rocks in that stretch of river.  We were pleased that it was lunch and all over!  We all slept on the way back, a cumulation of shear exhaustion and a massive dose of adrenalin.  But what a great adventure.

In the afternoon a visit to he Cuddle Puddle was on the cards where we soaked in natural hot springs, had a sauna and some of us even had a massage.

The last day was spent shopping for souvenirs in local markets, visiting Ngwena glass factory and the Swazi candles workshop.  All rounded off with a fantastic last night meal at a nearby restaurant with time to reflect on the memorable parts of the expedition, which are many.

Thank you girls for a fantastic trip and I wish you all the best in the future.

The Opening Ceremony

This was one of the best opening ceremonies that I have been to, really well organised by Ellen and with some unexpected surprises.

We left the camp at 8 in the morning, to prepare for the opening ceremony, which had been arranged for 11am.  On arriving at our newly built kitchen we had time to make our mark by signing our names on the kitchen wall, above the entrance into the store room.  The ladies, who were going to use the kitchen, had cleaned the floor from paint splatters and everything was newly swept out, it was ready for the official opening.

Benches from the classroom were arranged outside and the order of speeches was changed for the tenth time, the main issue was who was going to translate as December was taking a cultural tour around the community, and he was the best person for the job.  Meanwhile, Kate and Bex had organised a tie dying workshop for the women from the resource centre for 10 o'clock. I had never thought of doing tie dying before - it was a great idea.  To begin with there were three ladies and this swelled to eight participants and 40 on-lookers.  Kate demonstrated the method using sign language and Bex mixed up two different colour dyes for the t-shirts.  The ladies looked confused.  Small coloured bundles of material were left to dry in the sunshine and it was explained that they could open up the bundles after the opening ceremony - which they had been invited to.  They still looked confused but were very happy with it all!

Elizabeth, the lady in charge of the NCP building and the children with it, introduced us to an elder from the Shewula community.  The chief had sent him to represent the elders and this was a great honour - he arrived in traditional dress.

Eventually the ceremony was ready to start, just that we were missing December (but he was in the vicinity as he had been crafty and brought the cultural tour for the Dutch people to our opening ceremony) and we were also missing Robert.  Robert was the man in charge of the AIDS orphaned school and had helped with ordering sand and cement.  December and Robert arrived at the same time, December with the Dutch people in tow and Robert also in traditional dress.  It was going to be a big occasion.  A large number of people were present, I guestimated around 150.

Elizabeth started the speeches and December translated it all, although I am sure that he added his own bits to the speeches that he translated!  Elizabeth thanked the girls for all their hard work, thanked their parents for letting them come to Swaziland and for putting their trust in the Shewula community for looking after their children.  The speech did last a long time as she was very grateful for the building.  I then gave a much shorter speech, basically to thank the girls for raising the £1,400 to pay for the materials and for the wages for Matola the builder.  I even began the speech in SiSwati but after two sentences had to resort to English!  And then Robert gave a lovely speech about how happy he was to see this 'structure' and how grateful the community was for our assistance.  Needless to say December must embellished what Robert was saying.  Ellen then gave a speech on behalf of the group and gave books to Robert for the locally run school.

At this point there was an unexpected addition as the girls from the school did a traditional dance for us as well as a couple of songs, one of which had my name in it.  I am not exactly sure want they were saying but I got the gist and it was very humbling.  Shewula is my second home.

The girls then sang a song for everyone and they loved it.  I think this is the first time that I have brought a group out that can really sing, they did Sense Africa proud.

The ribbon was cut, people crammed into the kitchen, juice and biscuits were served and more dancing was done.  The ladies opened their tie dye t-shirts and loved the affect, and after an hour and a half it was all over.

But what a tremendous achievement. Thank you girls for supporting a well needed project in Shewula.

Conservation Project in Swaziland

Before even starting the conservation project we had two days in Hlane Royal National Park, looking for lion, elephant and rhino.  This was the first time that we were camping and some were concerned about the proximity of the wildlife - there was only a very small barbed wire fence separating us from a herd of elephant.  There were also a couple of small scorpions living in one of the showers, but these scurried away once the water was turned on.

Rhino were waiting for us when we first drove into the campsite, there were eight white rhino around the water hole, lounging in the mud or scratching themselves on a rubbing post.  We were very lucky to have seen so many on the first day.  Africa, our African guide for the day was waiting for us and we all set off to see what we could see.  Lion were high up on the list so we went straight to where the lion were often seen.  It was touch and go looking for them but eagle eye Jess spotted one of the lionesses from an extraordinary distance and just as we were leaving we heard the roaring of a male which we found as the sun was setting over the African sky.  Magical.

Early in the morning there was a game walk to track white rhino.  We were advised to make sure we were down wind of the rhino as well as always keeping an escape route in mind!  So we spent most of the time eyeing up suitable trees just in case a rhino decided to charge.  At one point we were within 20m of two rhino and got the world record for holding our breath and then our second game drive looking for lion was really exciting as we were within 5m of a lioness crunching bones from lasts night's kill.  There were three if them demolishing a nyala carcass, we were watching them finish the last morsels.

It was then onto Mbuluzi Game Reserve for our conservation project.  We had been asked to do a giraffe survey in the southern section of the reserve as they needed to know the ratio of male to female and adult to juvenile, it was going to be tough going for the next few days.  On top of that we had also been asked to walk the trails in the reserve to check that they were free from fallen trees and clearly marked.  The campsite was pretty rustic; in the middle of nowhere, no electricity and we had to cook over a fire.  All new stuff for the girls.  Anything could have walked into the campsite - and it did.  On the last night we had a herd of zebra and eight giraffe.

For three days we surveyed the giraffe in the southern section of the reserve.  To begin with it was pretty difficult to see the difference between one giraffe and the next, but Lexi managed to get to grips with it all and after two days was a giraffe identifying expert.  Lexi and I were also very lucky to see two males fighting, which was a first for me.  Meanwhile, Ellen, Bex, Lydia, Domenica and Jess walked the trails checking the routes and keeping an eye out for crocodiles along the river bank.  There were a few unmarked trails which could have confused them but they had Ellens map reading skills.....

The manager of Mbuluzi was delighted with the work that we have done in the reserve and the giraffe results will be used for translocating animals into and out of the reserve.

Last night of camping in the bush before returning to Shewula to complete the community project. Will just check around the tents for unexpected guests....

Building a kitchen in Swaziland

As with moist projects in Africa, there is the "hurry up and wait method".  Having arrived at the project site in Shewula, Swaziland we discovered that there was no cement, even though it had been ordered and there were not enough bricks - welcome to Africa!  So, Bex, Kate and I drove to Cash Build to buy construction materials for a kitchen.  You can buy all the materials for a building in fell swoop, load it onto a lorry and ship it to where you are going to build.  So that is what we did.  Simple.

Matola, the builder, was there to give us direction for the building and we all got stuck into mixing the cement, which over the following eight days we became professionals at. It was hard work but in a week we saw the kitchen for the NCP building rise from it's foundations. 

The NCP (National Care Point) is a place for children to be looked after by volunteer women from the community during the day and a place to get fed at lunchtime - for some children this may be their only meal of the day.  Most of the children are AIDS orphans who are being looked after by extended family and can not afford to go school.

The project had been chosen by the committee as the most needed project for the community and we only realised the significance of this once we had got started. A number of people have been over to the building site to thank us for supporting them and yesterday we discovered that this was the last place in the whole community that needed a decent kitchen. The women had been cooking out of a shack that looked as if it was about to fall down.

The roof is now on the kitchen and the plastering has been completed along with setting the two very large and very heavy cauldrons into cement, suspended over a fireplace, and fitted by Domenica and Lexie.  Matola is pretty happy with the work that we are doing, although our plastering leaves a bit to be desired - chunks of wet cement having a tendency to fall off the wall!  Lydia and Jess have got that in order now.

On Sunday we all went to church with Nomsa and we were welcomed by the whole community. The girls sang a lovely song for the congregation and gave a short talk. The locals were surprised at their excellent harmonies, as was I and everyone shook hands with us at the end to show their appreciation.
We will be leaving the site tomorrow to let the plaster dry, but we will be back in a week to paint the building and for the opening ceremony which Ellen is organising - I suspect there will be a few songs by the children to organise.

Off to Hlane Royal National Park to track white rhino .... Another adventure in store for us all.

Bone Chewing Giraffe?

Mbuluzi Game Reserve in Swaziland, in my mind, is the one of the best places to see giraffe - up close and personal.  This is probably because I have spent many weeks tracking giraffe in the reserve and after a while I could identify each giraffe by its manner, who it was with and its individual markings.  I was amazed at how different each giraffe is in character, scratches and nicks as well as the colour variation.  There is one giraffe called Othello (right) who has the darkest colouration that I have ever seen in Africa, very nearly jet black. Astounding.

On the last Sense Africa trip we had a bizarre sighting.  Clarence and Clarabel, who are often found together, were standing around a zebra carcass and at first it looked like they were eating the bones.  Clarence had this enormous thigh bone in his mouth and was twirling it around with his black tongue, a bit like a majorette.  If he had swallowed it I wondered whether we would see the bone descend his neck in true cartoon style! Needless to say the bones were not consumed but they were licked, sucked and chewed, the bones being used like a giraffe lollipop. I had not seen behaviour like this before, but I suspect that they were getting extra nutrients from these bones.

Bone chewing giraffes - not seen every day, even on safari!

Zealous Zobrani (Zebras)

I am off to Swaziland in 2 weeks, well less than that, and I am looking forward to walking around Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary.  Here you can trek wherever you want to and truly immerse yourselves into the African savannah.  And I love to see the herds of zebra grazing out in the open and hear their whinnys in the early evening, it is enchanting.

Zebras are high up on the menu stakes. To counteract this, a group of zebra, or a 'dazzle' of zebra, bunch up together to confuse predators and mess with their perception, young foals can walk and run after an hour of being born and their eyes are on the side of their heads to give them a wider field of vision to keep an eye out for those pesky predators.  

But what I did not realise is that zebras, or the plural for zebra being 'zobrani', do have a darker side to them.  Zebras (sorry I can quite get the hang of calling them zobrani) form two types of herds; breeding herds and bachelor herds.  Within the breeding herd there is one male and a number of females and foals related to the main man.  Within the bachelor herd are a load of youngsters who have been literally kicked out of their original breeding herd and this is where boys will play.  They fight by kicking and biting to assert dominance, and at times these skills are used elsewhere.  When a younger male challenges an older male of a breeding herd a serious fight ensues.  And if the younger male wins he may kick and bite the offspring of the previous males to the death to ensure his genes survive.

Maybe not so dazzling after all?

Welwitschia - living fossils of Namibia

It is rather amazing that the Welwitschia has survived all these years; it grows in one of the most inhospitable places in the world, collects water only from dew and as it can reach over 2,000 years in age it is often sought after by illegal plant collectors.  All in all, its survival does not look great.

Welwitschia are found in the deserts of Namibia and Angola, the plant population in Angola is fairing better as landmines prevent over zealous collectors.  Each plant is made up of only two leaves, which split as the leaves grow, making it very difficult to discern where the leaves begin, believe me, I have tried.  On these leaves there are approximately 22,000 stomata, small holes, per square cm (upper and lower sides) which are used in the exchange of gases during photosynthesis.  These are also used to absorb moisture, in the form of dew, and during wet and foggy conditions these stomata remain open, unlike the stomata on the leaves of its counterparts.  The species is also dioecious, meaning that each plant is either male or female, and insects are used for cross fertilisation.  The plant ingeniously attracts specific insects to both plants by a delicious nectar that these insects find very attractive.

All in all a very weird plant.  The big Welwitschia (pictured above) stands at 1.4m high and is aged at 1,500 yrs old, however there are some experts that claim it to be twice that age.  It is a plant which is well worth the visit, permits required along with a sense of adventure.  And remember to take water with you.

'Too' Close Encounters with Mozambique Spitting Cobras

When I first lived in Zimbabwe, I was given an old farmhouse which the first Europeans had built back in the times when there were vast herds of game wandering across the plains of Africa.  It was a beautiful five bedroom house, built out of teak, but had not been lived in for ages.  I was not too concerned by this as it was four walls, (well more than four with all those rooms), and a roof over my head.  With the house came an enormous garden that was over run, a large kitchen with a wood burner, the use of the swimming pool in the compound and  a very large game fence to protect us from wildlife.  Or maybe it was the other way around?

What I had not banked on was the wildlife inside the compound.  As I moved into my new house, Derek, the land owner, asked me how I was with snakes.  I was not too sure whether this was a trick question or not, I mean, I have not handled that many snakes but they do not give me the heebie jeebies if that was what Derek was asking.  He promptly gave me a shotgun and told me to keep it under my bed - Mozambique Spitting Cobras had a penchants for this particular house and I was advised to shoot from the hip.  I was told that if I shot from the shoulder I would probably dislocate it.  I was left holding a shotgun with my mouth wide open.  I did not sleep well that night, even with that loaded gun under the bed.  No wonder the house was empty...or was it?

That was my first experience of not seeing a cobra.

My second experience was that I was far too close for the state of my own health.  I was staying with a friend of mine called Karen Paolillo, who has single handedly saved a pod of hippo in the Turgwe River and in my mind is the Jane Goodall of hippos.  She, and her husband Jean, have built a wonderful house over looking the Turgwe River in Save Valley Conservancy.  One night, myself and Karen were at the house by ourselves.  Karen was busy feeding the menagerie of animals that regularly came to her place to be fed during the drought, all completely wild, but the trust that she had gained from these animals was amazing.  There was 'Arthur' the extraordinarily large warthog, contentedly feeding at the back door along with a few vervet monkeys, 'Jenny' genet (not named after me I hasten to add), a few baboons and her pet cats and goats. 

I needed the loo and walked out of the front door to go to her long drop and to avoid disturbing 'Arthur'.  My sixth sense kicked into gear.  I have no idea why I looked back over my shoulder as I was passing through the door, but I did, and there, standing at full striking height, and at eye level, was a Mozambique Spitting Cobra.  Its hood was fully inflated and it could have nailed my eyes with a shot of accurately spat venom.  The chances of not been blinded were against me.  There then followed a comedy moment as I reversed direction in mid air, slammed the door shut behind me and then let my knees buckle as I sat on the floor to recover.  Once I had gained composure I calmly told Karen that I was going to wee in her bath.

Now that was too close for comfort!

Killer bees - part African, part European.

There seem to be a lot of bees around at the moment which made me think about the African 'Killer' bees.  These killer bees are a cross between the African honey bee and various European honey bees, mostly from Italy.  Killer bees are descended from 26 Tanzanian bees which were accidentally released in Brazil and these mated with European bees that had been brought over from Europe in order to provide productive hives.  Unfortunately the resulting cross were bees which swarmed more frequently, were more aggressive when there was a perceived threat, had a larger proportion of guard bees in the hive, deployed a greater number in the defence of the hive and had a larger alarm zone around the hive, thus making these bees more of a threat to humans and surrounding wildlife.  These bees had a major impact in southern USA.

Back in Africa it has been seen that African honey bees can be more protective of their hives and when disturbed more guard bees will attack that threat.  But these guys are not the same killer bees as in the States.
Their sting is not more venomous, it just means that you will probably be stung more often and therefore feel worse after the incident - believe me, I know.  I have been chased by a swarm that had been accidentally disturbed and ended up with numerous stings all over my back.  Despite all this, bees do tend to keep themselves to themselves, I was just rather unlucky.

The most incredible thing that I have seen are some local Zulus smoking out a wild hive of bees.  After a lot of preparation and smoke, my eyes were steaming by this point, one (brave) guy inserted his arms into the depth of the tree trunk to emerge with his arm covered in sleepy bees and holding a dripping honey comb.  He had not been stung once.  The knowledge that these guys have is incredible, living in harmony with the wildlife, and the honey was as sweet nectar!

Impala Steak anyone?

At the moment I am surviving on mass catered food courtesy of the Navy.  It is not that bad, but I am getting a bit bored of knowing what I am going to get as the chef's special each day of the week - it has not changed over the past three years.  It was scampi tonight.  And the lack of really fresh food is making my body revolt against it all.  What I am missing is some fresh African cooked food.

There is something special about the food that is cooked in Africa, it is fresh (probably picked, dug up or killed that morning), it is untainted from additives and pesticides and it always tastes better when you eat it outside. Fresh fruit and vegetables are available all year round, where they have not been processed, injected, shaped, sprayed, packaged, moulded or battered into what we are told that we like to eat.  Instead, the fruit and vegetables come as they are, malformed, distorted, bobbly, non-conformist and pure and free of chemicals, you can certainly taste the difference in the misshappen African tomatoes to the perfectly formed, force ripened ones in the UK.  My mouth is watering at the thought of it all.

But for me, the best thing is the choice of fresh meat - beef, lamb, impala (roasting in the picture - can you smell it?), warthog, kudu, crocodile, bushbuck, the list goes on.  The meat is often fresh that day and the flavour is an assault on your taste buds.  I suspect that it is all helped with the atmosphere; dining on decking, over looking a hippo or elephant watering hole, with the sound of the African bush in chorus around you and the African sky towering above, you can not help being sucked into romantic notions whilst you dine with everything tasting absolutely wonderful.  And it is not just the dining experience that is memorable, it is also the the knowledge that it will all happen all over again tomorrow.  It is a healthy eating with a healthy lifestyle.

Not so looking forward to the chef's special tomorrow now, it is mince.

Sleeping Hogs

At the moment I am working with Dave Thomas down on HMS Raleigh, and we were reminiscing about our trip to Swaziland.  Dave has travelled to Africa many times but Lori, his wife had not, and he wanted someone to organise it all for them both.  The only thing Lori was not too keen on were the creepy crawlies, so I planned the trip to be in Swaziland's winter, when no self respecting bug would be seen out in the cold.  So there were Dave, Lori and myself, sitting around the fire in Mlilwane, enjoying our after meal drinks and doing a spot of star gazing.  We were the only people sitting out that night, it was wonderfully quiet.

Out of the corner of my eye I caught some movement, there was something out there.  There then appeared three warthog from the inky blackness of the surrounding area, which approached us without a care in the world.  The tusks on the mother were enormous and I curled by legs up under myself, as it just felt safer to do so!  As they had come into our space and not the other way round, we made no sudden movements and watched with anticipation as to what would happen next.  What did happen next took me completely by surprise, and also Dave - who has travelled nearly as extensively as I have in Africa.

One of the younger warthogs, which was still the size of a large Labrador and supporting very big teeth/tusks, pushed Dave's feet out of the way of the fire, dug a small bed shaped hollow in the ground and promptly lay down next to the fire to keep warm.  This was obviously their bedroom for the night and we were in it.  A snout lay gently on Lori's foot and the mother took stock of the situation, eyed me up, and then went to bed on the other side.  I don't think any of us breathed for a minute.  We sat there for a while with our mouths wide open, we then finished our drinks and quietly crept off leaving leaving our hogs snoozing by the fire.

Now that was certainly an African memory not to forget.

Charging Black Rhinos

Black rhinos are formidable creatures, as I found out as I was tracking them in Zimbabwe.  I was part of a team of people mapping out the location of all the rhinos in the area.  Once mapped out, the de-horning team could fly in and efficiently dart all the rhinos and saw off their horns.  Sounds a painful process, but it is a bit like cutting your nails, the horn is made of keratin, the same stuff that your nails are made of.

So there I was in the middle of nowhere, with a tracker, facing a family unit of black rhino.  The male, which had a horn the size if the Eiffel Tower, knew that there was something up and was raised up on its haunches sniffing the air.  They are not that good at seeing things but boy are they good at smelling and hearing.  I held my breath for eternity as the male searched for the threat to his family.  The mother and the very very small calf were getting a bit agitated as well.  So we moved away from the family after recording data on each of the individuals. 

It was then that then that the wind changed and the male pin pointed us.  There was no hope but to run for it and climb the nearest tree.  The tracker, Ndomiso, was like lightening and up the tree before I considered moving.  And there I was, belting for my life as a ton of rhino bore down on me.  It was at that point that I realised that I could have climbed a greased telegraph pole with the amount of adrenalin that was coursing through me.  And I think I did as I do not remember getting into the tree but it was a long way down and I am not good with heights.  At least I had not been gored.

And that memory will stay for a lifetime, and what a great memory to have.

Red-billed queleas - feathered locusts of Africa

I was going through some of my African facts with my friend Robbie Stevens, who is an excellent voice over artist by the way.  And one of the facts that he found fascinating was that red-billed queleas are the most abundant wild bird species and have an estimated adult bird population of 1.5 billion.  Thinking about it I find that too many to compute and we tried to imagine 1.5 billion, and failed. 

I have seen these birds in action when I was living in Zimbabwe. This enormous flock, that blotted out the sun, arrived and began nesting in the Save Valley Conservancy, thousands upon thousands of small finch sized birds making nests in any tree that they can find, the noise was deafening.  Vegetation from miles around was being stripped bare for nesting materials and seeds and flowering plants were being decimated for food.  It was an extraordinary spectacle.  They moved like locusts, leaving a wake of destruction as they crossed the savannah.  The Conservancy was hit hard as these marauders spent more time than usual in the area. 

But there were some species benefiting from this valuable food source, namely snakes and crocodiles.  There were snakes galore in the area feeding off chicks that had inadvertently fallen out of their nests and also eggs from within the nest.  But my most memorable experience was watching the crocodiles feeding on the quelea.  They would remain just under the surface of the water and when the quelea came down to drink the crocodiles would launch themselves out of the water and snap up any unsuspecting bird.  The crocodiles certainly got a few birds on each snap, but I wondered whether the energy used was worth the feathered popcorn bites that they got.

And then after a number of weeks this swarm of birds suddenly upt and left, leaving the African bush in a state of bewilderment from this feathered onslaught. What a remarkable species.

Ever had a Caracal sleep on your lap?

This last weekend I had time in my own flat, for once!  So I spent it lazing around like a cat, enjoying the sun, reading my books and watching the odd film.  Perrrfect.

I am not really a cat person but they do seem to like me.  Normal moggies seem to find my lap attractive, as do the not so normal ones - I have woken up to find a cheetah lying across my legs.  Admittedly it was a house trained one but my I had lost the feeling in my legs and the same cheetah had licked me on the face the previous night (which was quite painful).  But my most memorable experience was having a fully grown male caracal curl up and fall asleep in my lap.  Caracals are the cats with the very pointy ears and black ear tufts and have 20 different muscles in their ears which enables them to detect prey.

So here was this rare cat, snuggling on my lap without a care in the world.  Admittedly it had been brought in to be cared for as it had been injured, but it was going to be released back into the wild. Caracals are quite large cats to have sitting on your lap, it is commonly known as the Persian Lynx or African Lynx, despite the fact that it is not a lynx at all.  And I came to appreciate the size of it, the longer it sat on my lap. These cats are tenacious hunters and they have been known to bring down an ostrich, the fact that they can keep up with an ostrich is surprising in itself. The caracal mainly hunts rodents, birds (which it can catch in flight by leaping into the air), antelopes, gazelles and rabbits.  But this one was living the life or Riley by being hand fed impala.

A few days later my new friend was put into a large holding cage and after two weeks he no longer recognised me as he hissed at me from the back of the cage.  He was released back into the wild fully recovered, having completely forgotten about impala steaks, a secure bed and about me. 

A pretty adaptable creature.

Riding with Zebras

I was in the New Forest over the weekend and there were a lot of very wet and miserable looking donkeys, braying every now and again to show their displeasure in the weather.  I would have done the same as the rain was relentless.  The noise of the donkeys did take me back to Africa (the weather certainly did not!), as zebra calls are similar to that of donkeys.  But that is where the similarity ends.

Last time that I was in Zimbabwe I had an incredible experience of riding within a herd of zebra.  I was with a friend of mine who suggested that we went riding on her horses, just before my flight back to the UK.  I am not the best of riders but the idea of being out in the bush and seeing the wildlife from a zebra's perspective was an opportunity not to be missed.  We spent the morning wandering on horseback amongst herds of zebra which were unfazed by the presence of a human being - we were part of the horse and we were truly accepted into the herd.  I could smell the sweat of the zebras, hear the whinnying of the foals, watch them eating the foliage as I just sat at ease under the African sun as the world dawdled by.   At times we were so close to the zebras that I could count each individual eye lash.  A perfect end to a perfect trip.

Riding with zebras, better than walking with wet donkeys.

Unacceptable Bee-Eater Behaviour

White Fronted Bee-Eaters are reputed to have the most complex family based social system in the birding world.  Having watched these birds for hours on end in Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, Swaziland, I am inclined to agree.

White Fronted Bee-Eaters live in large colonies where closely related birds help each other out.  A breeding pair will accept help from non-breeding birds in the form of digging the nesting chamber, feeding the female whilst she is sitting on her eggs, incubating the eggs themselves and even assisting in the upbringing of the fledglings.  Breeding pairs will accept the help of non-breeding birds, but only those which are most closely genetically related, thus building on family ties and ensuring the genetic continuation.  Rather dedicated family behaviour if you ask me and puts us humans to shame.

However, on the down side, non-breeding males will ambush breeding females and force them to the ground and rape them. The egg laying females may then create eggs related to the rapist and not the adult male that is caring for them.

Rather unacceptable behaviour really.

Ground Squirrel Ingenuity

I have just got back from the Lake District where I was amazed at how many signs there were stating that red squirrels were crossing the road, the signs were often accompanied by hazard markings.  I kept my eyes peeled for five days and did not see a single one, probably as it was raining and no self respecting squirrel would be seen in the rain, let alone near to an all singing, all dancing hazard sign.

This can not be said for the ground squirrel of Africa, which is a very cheeky chappie.  They are all singing and all dancing, well they have a high pitched whistle and can be pretty active during the cooler parts of the day.  Ground squirrels often live in colonies of up to 30 squirrels, living in a network of burrows under ground, which they often retreat to when it is hot.  The use of their tail is ingenious, it is used as an umbrella so that when these active creatures are out foraging for food they can have permanent shade.

Top that Mr Red Squirrel.

How To Track African Animals

I have just got back from delivering a talk on how to successfully track African animals in the bush, to a bunch of 5 year olds.  The challenge was not that they did not understand the difference between an antelope and a deer, or that an elephant weighs the equivalent of six short wheeled landrovers (6,000kg), the problem was trying to answer all the questions that were fired at me.  It was inspirational.  By the way, the height of an elephant is 2.5 times the circumference of the hind foot and there are four toes on the front foot and three on the back.

We went through various tracking techniques such as being quiet, remaining down wind of the animal you are following, looking for other signs of the animals you are tracking such as faeces, broken twigs, scraps in the ground and reading the movements of other nearby animals.  I then gave information about twelve African animals and presented the challenge to match up twelve footprints with the twelve animals.  Most of them got over half right, which was pretty impressive.  Why don't you pit your wits against them and see how good you are?  Are You An Ace Tracker?

And for those of you who are still wondering about the difference between an antelope and a deer - antelopes have horns which are permanent, whilst deer have antlers that are shed annually.

Weaver Birds - Fussy Homemakers

Weaver birds build the most extraordinary nests, taking care, time and patience to achieve what I consider a feat in the construction industry.  They build the most elaborate nests of all birds, they are natures engineers.  The males build the nest, the females come in at the last moment to give them the seal of approval, or not. 

First, the males find a suitable collection of branches for their new home.  This has to be hanging in a well ventilated place, safe from marauding snakes and built to perfection.  Normally two or three branches are tied together to form a basis for the nest - imagine trying to tie your shoelaces with your mouth.  Then strands of grass, individually chosen, are woven around these twigs to form a  nest in the shape of a carafe of wine suspended from the ceiling.  It takes the male days to accomplish this, sometimes making up to 500 trips to collect suitable pieces of grass, whilst the female watches his every move. 

Once the nest is ready, the female comes to inspect the nest.  If it is not to a suitable standard she will destroy the whole nest whilst the male looks on in bewilderment.  He must then start all over again, building a new one, and to a better standard than the previous one.

Sound familiar?

A Sea of Sand Dunes in Sossusvlei

I have just got back from leading a trek in the Sahara in Morocco, where it did nothing but blow a gale.  So I spent most of the time with a scarf wrapped around my head and face, sunglasses on and fully covered from head to foot.  An odd experience since I was expecting blue skies, sunny days inducing heat exhaustion and cold nights so I could wear my down jacket.  None of that.  Instead we were against the elements and it was more of an endurance test.

I have spent time in the sand dunes of Sossusvlei in Namibia and these experiences have been the complete opposite to Morocco, it was what I had expected, and much more.  More than I expected as I was spell bound by the sea of sand dunes stretching out before me which constantly change with the winds rolling in from the west.  Dune 45, so called as it is 45km from Sesriem Valley at the park entrance, not very original I know, but even I would struggle to give names to all the dunes in the park, is the classic dune that we all imagine.  Beautifully curved so that the sun rises and sets on either side of its ridge, giving us those sought after photographs that we all want on our wish list.  All that is needed is a gazelle perched on the cusp of the dune, staring into the vast wilderness, to fulfill that ultimate vision.

Morocco was a memorable time, although a far cry from my favourite desert visit, but it will certainly not be the last.  I may just make sure that it is Sossusvlei in Namibia that I go to if I want to see more than 15m in front of me.

African Honey Badger - The Most Ferocious Animal in Africa

I was driving back late last night from a conference when I saw a dead badger on the side of the road.  My heart always sags when I see once of these creatures as a result of road kill.  Having spent many a night following 'Boris' the badger during my radio-tracking days, I feel as if I have a bit of an affinity with them.  Well, I did spent every waking moment (or every night) with 'Boris' for 3 months, and I like to think that I got to know him quite well.  They are very gentle creatures.

This can not be said for their African cousins, the honey badger.  The honey badger is reputed to be, pound for pound, the most ferocious animal in Africa.  I was rather dubious about this wild statement.  They are not that large, seem to look pretty harmless and being quite secretive I suspected that they kept themselves to themselves and were therefore shy and retiring animals.  However, two sightings of these elusive creatures blew that theory out of the water.

The first was in Mana Pools in Zimbabwe, where I saw a pair of these unassuming animals rip through the kitchen of some unsuspecting campers.  The kitchen was an awning on the side of a camper van and these endearing badgers tore open tins of food with their teeth and claws, emptied out the cooler boxes, upturned the table with more food on it and even prised open a few bottles of beer.  I have to say that was rather delighted in their choice of victim to wreak carnage on.  These so called campers had brought a tv, a fridge (which hummed all night) and an enormous radio system into the quiet national park.  These items were no longer of use, the honey badgers had made sure of that, and the African bush was returned to the noise of its own making.

The second time was in Etosha National Park in Namibia.  This time I was travelling by myself.  I had set up camp - there was no one there at all, which in itself was fantastic, however there was no backup for   honey badger confrontation.  I had a succulent steak cooking on the braai (BBQ) and was relishing a cold beer when a honey badger appeared from behind, my steak being the lure.  Now nothing comes between me and my steak and I stood my ground.  But only for a short while until it bared its teeth and I decided it was best to have the car between myself and the badger.  There then ensued a comical 'Tom and Jerry' moment around the car, with me chasing the badger and the badger chasing me before it made off with my baked potato as a consolation prize.  Luckily it was not the steak, that was on still on the braai, but rather over done.

I concede, the honey badger is the most ferocious animal in Africa.

Bone Throwing

I took my shoes off, clapped three times and put a coin on the ground.  I then entered into the gloomy but welcoming coolness of the traditional healer's mud hut.  We all sat down in front of Jeluga, one of the traditional healers of the Shewula community. Nobody said a word - we were rather in awe of the apparition that sat before us.  Jeluga was sitting in his refinery of traditional dress, sporting an incredible head gear of feathers and beads and holding a switch that resembled a zebra tail.  Once I had grown accustomed to the dimly lit interior I began to take in my surroundings; jars of leaves and different coloured concoctions littered the floor, a few skulls of unidentifiable animals were nailed to the wall, bunches of leaves and twigs hung suspended from the ceiling and an enormous python skin circumnavigated the hut, it was an Aladdin's grove of treasures.

Jeluga greeted us, seriously, and we all smiled nervously and fidgeted as we sat down on the grass mats.  He then took some snuff, snorted it, coughed and spluttered and then started to shake a a small purse, which rattled ominously.  We were going to have the bones thrown for us.

It is a privaledge to be invited into a traditional healer's house.  Traditional healers are revered in Swaziland and and 80% of the population will consult a traditional healer as they are considered physicians, herbalists, prophets, priests and diviners, all rolled into one.  They therefore have a a great deal of responsibility within the community.  Most locals will choose to pay for a traditional healer before consulting a doctor.  So traditional healers are often very busy people and I was grateful that Jeluga had put time aside for our visit.

The bones were thrown on the mat and we all leaned forward in anticipation - not that we could 'read' the bones, but curiosity had over powered us.  There on the mat were a couple of die, two dominoes, an assortment of vertebrae with different coloured wire around them, cowrie shells, toe bones complete with claws, some coins, glass beads, feathers and more bones of indiscriminate origin.  Jeluga then moved some of the bones around, studied them and then communed with his ancestors for advice.

What was he saying?  Who knows, but it was an experience of a life time and an opportunity not to be missed.

A Sting in the Tail

Last night I watched the beginning of 'Die Another Day', the one where Pierce Brosnan is captured in Korea and imprisoned for 14 months in an unknown facility. His torture regime consisted of being stung by scorpions.  Now I can relate to this, not the torture bit, but the part where he is stung by a scorpion.

My first job after graduating from Leeds University was in Zimbabwe, where I worked in Save Valley Conservancy.  A lot of my time was spent camping out in the bush and I had my own rondavel, a mud hut, where I slept many a nervous night expecting every animal in the immediate vicinity to join me - there was no door, just a wide gap saying 'come in here and make yourself at home'.  Needless to say, only the creepy crawlies came to stay, and luckily not the resident leopard that I would hear coughing in the bush nearby each night.  Unfortunately, one over friendly scorpion made his way into my sleeping bag and and as I rolled on top of him, he responded, rightly so, with a sting. 

You can tell the potency of a scorpion sting by the size of its pincers which are disproportionate to its sting.  Large pincered scorpions have small stings as they can grapple easily with prey, relying on their size to secure their food.  Small pincered scorpions have large stings and they rely on a quick, potent sting and then wait for their prey to die before beginning to dine.  Luckily for me, my bedfellow was in the former category.

It has been 18 years since I was stung, and I still remember the pain, it was like having a red hot knitting needle relentlessly poking me.  What I learnt is to make sure my mozzie net is tucked in when I lie on the floor of a mud hut in the middle of the African bush.  Or alternatively, sleep in a bed - my more favoured option.

The 'Stench of Death'

This morning I was looking though the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Portfolio, marveling at how some of the pictures had been achieved.  The overall winner is a photo of a wolf caught jumping mid-flight over an old rickety gate into a farmer's enclosure.  The patience that the photographer, Jose Luis Rodriguez, must have had to capture this ultimate shot is astounding.

But the photograph that really captured me is one of a lion, its whole head caked in blood, full to the brim with buffalo and staring straight down the lens and into the photo.  I love the comment about the 'stench of death' which came from the carcass every time the lions moved it.  It really brings it alive.  The photo is captivating as the lion is looking into your soul - and seeing you as a chop as Alex the Lion saw is friend Marty the Zebra in the film Madagascar.  It transported me back to the plains of Africa.

I have been lucky to see a lion kill, watch the pride descend on the carcass to devour it, the snarling and growling as the choice pieces are fought over and to smell the 'stench of death' as lionesses emerge from inside the body cavity of an antelope.  It is a privilege to watch nature where life and death is often rolled into one.  It is the raw nature of Africa and a fascinating spectacle to watch.