Handling Poo - The Art of Tracking

I always find it quite amusing when I'm with a new group and they watch me, for the first time, bend down and pick up some animal poo. The reactions are quite mixed. There are those that look in utter amazement and then crowd forward to see what I'm holding in my hands, and why, there are those that turn their nose up at the thought of handling faeces but still have that inkling of curiosity to see why I am doing it in the first place and there are those that recoil in horror, take a few backward steps and tell me how disgusting I am. Whichever group you are in, I can guarantee that by the end of your trip to Africa you will have held, in your unprotected hands, a slice of poo.

It's not that I do this for the shock value, although my inner self is having a little bit of a giggle, it is part of the all encompassing educational nature of being in Africa, the art of tracking wildlife in the African bush. You can learn an awful lot by simply picking up animal faeces and examining it.

I would say, however, that picking up the dryer form of animal faeces is much more agreeable than the 'wet' kind! The wetter the faeces the nearer you are to the animal, pretty self-explanatory really. But you can also tell from the shape of the faeces as to which animal it belongs to, or at least which group of animals it belongs to. Large melon-sized balls are probably from rhino, elephant or maybe even hippo, smaller raisin sized droppings (often found in a pile) are likely to be from social antelopes, elongated twisted faeces about the size of your thumb, are more likely to be carnivores and large kidney beans shapes are probably zebra. Just having an idea of the shape can help you out.

There is so much you can learn from looking at faeces – you just need to know what you are looking for.

But to get the real nitty-gritty you will have to pick up the faeces, look at it closely, carefully tear it apart and look at what is inside. The classic example is discerning the difference between elephant, white rhino, black rhino and hippo. Hippo are pretty easy because although they eat grass, the same as white rhino, they often use their tail to spread the dung around, and so consequently most of it is found suspended in bushes and trees. Hippo faeces will also be found near water sources, whereas white rhino will be found out in the open bush. It will also be made up of entirely dried bits of grass.

The real test comes to rhino and eles. Black rhino and elephant feed off similar vegetation – they are both browsers meaning that they eat leaves and twigs although at times elephants will also consume grass. Elephants are prone to stripping bark and so you may see long strands of undigested bark in their faeces, look carefully. But the main thing to look out for are the ways more twigs are cut up in the faeces. Elephants will rip and tear at twigs and small branches, leaving a rough and jagged end to the twigs, whereas black rhino will cut the twigs at a 45° angle with their back teeth. So when you are teasing apart the faeces, keep an eye out for cleanly cut small twigs, with a 45° angle, as this will help you identify the faeces from being that of the black rhino.

If that is the case, keep an eye out for a suitable tree to climb! Black rhinos are renowned for being rather feisty.

Swaziland? Don't you mean Switzerland?

I have recently spent an exhausting 6 days working on an exhibition stand at the Adventure Travel Show and the Destinations Show in London, promoting the Kingdom of Swaziland and Sense Africa. After only 1 day it dawned on me how limited the general public's knowledge is about the Kingdom of Swaziland. I had all sorts of questions thrown at me, and a lot of people avoiding me because they didn't want to admit that they had no idea where the Kingdom of Swaziland was in the world. The fact that they were standing in the Africa section might have given the continent away.

However, there was one person who really tested by patience. The gentleman in question approached me on the third day.

'So, tell me about Switzerland.'
'Well, Switzerland is a country in Europe, it is very mountainous, often has a lot of snow and people enjoy their skiing there. Swaziland,' I continued in a jovial yet sarcastic manner, 'has plenty of mountains but doesn't often have snow for skiing because it's so warm in Africa.'
'So this isn't Switzerland then?'
'No, This is Swaziland, you are in the African section,' I said through gritted teeth and a wonderful smile, while standing in front of a 2m high picture of an elephant and an African boy in traditional dress dancing.
'I don't want to go to Africa', was the gentleman's response. I said nothing, but I suspect my look of exasperation said it all, the gentleman in question ambled off towards the Middle East.

After six days, I like to think that I've got my Swaziland promotional speech down to a fine art. So here it is…

"Swaziland is a Kingdom about the size of Wales, located in Southern Africa, bordering South Africa and Mozambique. It is easy to get around Swaziland, travelling distances are small and the country is relatively stable (in an African sense) because it is an absolute monarchy and all the people are from one tribe. It is a wonderful place to visit and gives you that up close and personal experience in Africa.

"It has three main things to offer: stunning scenery, captivating culture and wonderful wildlife viewing.

"The scenery ranges from mountainous regions to low land bushveld, where you can walk in wildlife reserves (where the larger animals do not reside), unaccompanied and at your own pace, discovering Swaziland for yourself. If you are into your walking this is one of the few places in Africa where you can follow marked trails in game reserves, enjoying Africa to the full. The scenery has also created an adventurous aspect to the Kingdom and you can mountain bike, whitewater raft, zip wire, trek and horse ride to your hearts content.

"Swaziland is also steeped in its culture, and you will see Swazis in their local dress practically every day and there is always the opportunity to see traditional dancing and singing. You can experience the 'real' Africa by letting locals show you around their own homestead and have a traditional healer throw the bones for you. The Swazis are an exceptionally friendly nation and are always happy to have a conversation about their heritage, welcome you into their homes or even play a game of football with you.

"And as for the wildlife, there is the opportunity to see the Big 5 in Swaziland, but there are only 12 leopard in the kingdom, and I have never seen one there. However, you can see elephants, rhino, buffalo and lion in Swaziland. Swaziland is reputedly meant to be the best place in the world (said in a Carlsberg accent) to see white rhino. If you go to both Hlane Royal National Park and Mkhaya Game Reserve, and you don't see rhino, you will probably have had your eyes closed for the duration!

"Swaziland is a safe place to travelling, whether it be with family or as a self drive. But if you really want to have that personalised up close experience, then I would recommend going with a reputable and knowledgeable tour operator. And of course that is with me."

I found the days challenging, but I love a challenge, and I hope that I have made a few more people interested in Swaziland. And of course that they would use Sense Africa to organise their holiday for them.

Fingers crossed.

At times it is Cold in Africa too...

I am often surprised to hear that people think it is always hot in Africa, this is far from the truth. It can get exceptionally cold at night and I have been pleasantly surprised to discover a hot water bottle in my bed while staying in one of the lodges in Swaziland. I have to admit, I was not expecting this, so it was rather a shock when I got into bed, I mean, there could have been a dangerous furry animal residing in my bed, admittedly unnaturally overheating to a deathly temperature and also inanimate.

Africa does have a winter as well, although maybe not the extreme temperatures that we are experiencing at the moment in the UK. But you do have to be smart when packing for a safari, especially when it is during the winter time, as it can be quite chilly whilst on a morning game drive.

I particularly remember a game drive in Botswana, this was around April time, when we were advised to dress warmly for the morning game drive. We were camping in Moremi Game Reserve which borders onto the Okavango Delta, and the temperature that night had been particularly cold, I'd even worn my woolly hat in bed. When I pitched up for the safari with woolly hat, fleeces and my sleeping bag, I did get rather a lot of strange looks and a few sniggers. However, I was the one laughing as I sat snug as a bug in my sleeping bag, nice and toasty warm, whilst the others braved the inclement temperature. It was only halfway through the game drive when I bravely emerged from my cocoon.

I enjoy the winter in Africa because this means cold nights, which makes sleeping easy, with cooler crisper days and bright blue skies – excellent for photography. Often it is shorts and t-shirt weather during the day, it's just shortened slightly.

My advice would be to make sure you are aware of the temperatures whilst you are away on holiday. A woolly hat is definitely advisable, along with a warm fleece for the evenings, and maybe some warmer trousers. Just in case there is a cold snap and you are caught unawares.

The best thing about the African winters is the chance to sit round an open fire, under the African stars, toasting your feet and listening to the noises of the African bush. Perfect.

Breaking Bungees - part of African Adrenalin?

Yesterday I watched in horror as Erin Laung Worth's bungee cord snapped over Victoria Falls. It brought back memories of the three times that I had bungee jumped from exactly the same spot on Victoria Falls Bridge. I felt sick watching it, it was exactly how I felt when I jumped, all three times. To date there have been no accidents at this particular bungee jumping launch pad, and this time the company, as well as Erin, were very very lucky. 

All over the world there are numerous adrenaline sports that those of us that are crazy enough to participate in, addicted to the rush of adrenaline coursing through our bodies. I have participated in white water rafting on the Zambezi in Zimbabwe and the Pacuare in Costa Rica, I have sand boarded on a sheet of plywood, reaching speeds of 70 km/h in Namibia, I have canyoned through a flooded river to get to clients in South Africa, jet boating in New Zealand, been the guinea pig for a new zip wire in Corsica (I was the third person to use it) and I have climbed into the crater of an active volcano in Vanuatu. Sometimes I'm surprised I'm still alive today.

As I get older, the need for this adrenaline rush diminishes, or maybe I am just getting wiser. Wisdom comes with age doesn't it? I had said to myself that I would never ever bungee jump again, and watching this footage completely confirms it. I am also not too partial whitewater rafting any longer and climbing into the crater of an active volcano, well, been there done that.

Nowadays I find that a trip to Africa provides all the action and excitement that I need in my life; close encounters with rhino, being in the middle of the African wilderness (sometimes by myself), trekking in the bush been mindful of the Big 5, baboon spiders and buffalo thorn, walking back to my accommodation in the middle of the African night and driving on the African roads. It is all an adventure in itself. This is certainly one of the great things about Africa, it can cater for everybody's level of adrenaline rush, from whitewater rafting to quad biking and walking safari to camping in the bush, tailor-made for everybody.

I'm looking forward to taking people on a Yoga Safari to Mozambique, pure relaxation in itself, and hopefully not too much adrenalin. Having said this, I will be doing a 13 section zip wire this year, along with camping wild in the bush... on my own. Well, I couldn't really miss out on a small amount of adrenaline could I do?

The Hamerkop - The Harbinger of Death?

The hamerkop has a curved beak and a head with a crest at the back which is reminiscent of a hammer, hence its name. Another creative naming for a dull brown bird of Africa.  Or is it that dull?

Remarkably this average sized brown bird has numerous myths, legends and local beliefs surrounding it. It seems to have taken far more than its fair share of mystical stories and sayings, making it rather an interesting sighting in the bush. However, most seem to be about your own death, death of your family, death of your neighbour or contracting some hideous disease.

The first legend that I heard was that if you ever looked into the water at the same time as a hamerkop, it would be the harbinger of death. I was not too sure whose death it would be, but it makes me think twice about looking into the water with a hamerkop in the vicinity. Other legends state that if a hamerkop flies over your house it apparently indicates that someone close to you has just recently died. It is also believed by the Malagasy that if you disturb a hamerkop's nest you will develop leprosy and the Kalahari bushmen believe that if you rob eggs from a hamerkop's nest you will be struck by lightening. All of which, in my mind is, is a bit of doom and gloom.

In some cultures it is also known as the 'lightning bird', a mystical bird which can take the form of a black-and-white bird, the size of the human, that can summon lightning and thunder with its wings and talons. The 'lightning bird' is said to have vampire qualities, having an insatiable appetite for blood, and is associated with witches and witch doctors. So not really a bird you'd like to mess with.

Despite all these weird and wonderful beliefs, I can't help but congratulate it on its own self-preservation. Wherever these beliefs have stemmed from we may never really know, but it certainly helps in the protection and preservation of the species.

Would you risk disturbing a hamerkop nest, with the very, very minor possibility of contracting leprosy?

Christmas in Africa

It is funny how we all try to create a Christmas that we are used to at home, even when we are overseas in some exotic country. I know that our Antipodean friends have Christmas cards with snow on then, it is the height of their summer for goodness sake, and I have just received a Christmas card from Zimbabwe with a Christmas tree on it – there are no spruces in Zimbabwe.

I have to admit that I have fallen into this category (quite happily), and in particular I remember a Christmas that I had in Zimbabwe, exactly 20 years ago. I had invited nine friends of mine to spend Christmas with me in the African bush. I had a house which could accommodate everyone and we'd all just finished an expedition for Raleigh International. And so we all threw our heart and soul into a British Christmas in Zimbabwe. The fact that we had no Christmas decorations (let alone a Christmas tree), the house had hardly any furniture in it, I had not got enough crockery to feed 10 of us and turkeys were tricky to find, did not deter us. We were all adaptable people, and none of these problems were ever considered an issue.

On the way to my house in the African bush we had stopped off to buy all our provisions for a true British Christmas. However, the shops were not that well-stocked for the items that we were searching for. The year was 1992 and the drought had hit Zimbabwe in a big way, so there were a reduced number of provisions on the shelves and items such as crackers, baubles, tinsel, turkey stuffing and Christmas pudding were nowhere to be seen. We did however manage to buy a turkey, it was one of three turkeys left in the freezer and we were now the proud owners of the largest one. Just enough to feed all 10 of us, well, enough to feed probably 20 but we did all have large appetites.

The journey was a long one, and this was not helped with the numerous police checks along the way and the fact that we were travelling in a vehicle designed for six and our turkey was defrosting quicker than we had anticipated. Arriving at my home in Save Valley Conservancy was a blessed relief.

We then set about getting everything sorted. Some of the guys were on Christmas decoration duty and went out in search of a suitable branch or small tree that remotely resembled a Christmas tree. Others began to fashion Christmas decorations out of tinfoil, ping-pong balls, coloured bits of paper and anything else that we had managed to accumulate on the way. Being a lover of food I set about organising our Christmas dinner.

It was then that I realised my schoolgirl error. The turkey would not fit into my oven, it was too large. My stove was a wood-burning stove, designed for one or two people and not for an enormous turkey. And I was not prepared to hack the turkey into pieces.

So the next best option was to build a big enough oven - obviously!

The hot water for my house was supplied by a Rhodesian boiler. This is an antiquated yet very effective system, where a large oil drum of water is heated up by a log fire that burns beneath it. This is all done in a small brick construction, located outside the house, and often tended by the 'houseboy'. It only takes an hour or so for the water to reach boiling point, which then provides piping hot water in my house. My Rhodesian boiler system was relatively new, the old one still standing but no longer in use. And this is where the plan for a new oven grew from.

I could use the construction from the old Rhodesian boiler, the oil drum had obviously been removed, so there was the oven, and there was plenty of wood to provide the heat. All I needed to do was to block the hole where the oil drum had been taken out, and hey presto, there was my oven. Simpler said than done. An hour later I had fashioned my oven and was calculating a guesstimate for the cooking time. I guessed about three hours cooking time, and the potatoes could possibly go in there as well.

The following morning was Christmas Day and all sorts of preparations were made for our meal. We had gone to town on the foods, we had our turkey which was already cooking in the Rhodesian oven, roast potatoes in the more conventional wood burning stove, vegetables ready to be cooked and even stuffing had been made. The so-called Christmas tree was an old branch decorated in the handmade angels and paper chains. I have to say so myself, it all looked pretty good.

However, the timings of the turkey did not go quite according to plan. I'm sure you would have guessed this by now. It took longer for my 'oven' to heat up and although I could adjust the temperature by the number of burning logs in the fire, it still was not that accurate. We had planned to eat at around 5 o'clock, but by this time the turkey was still a little bit underdone, consider raw being a more applicable description. By 6 o'clock the turkey was looking more like a Christmas turkey, by 7 o'clock I decreed that the turkey might be edible, the potatoes and vegetables certainly were! I was right, 6 hours later the turkey was delicious, albeit a bit singed on the outside.

That was a Christmas to remember, although it was slightly quirky!

Happy Christmas everyone, where ever you are.

Yoga Safari to Mozambique....in pictures

Yoga Safari to Mozambique

Your neighbours in Gorongosa

Luxury tented accommodation in Gorongosa

Visitors to Explore Gorongosa

 Yoga on the beach

Your accommodation in Guludo - barefoot luxury

 

Sense Africa for Yourself