Category Archives: Tanzania and Botswana

Water

I am in the shower this morning at the Days Inn Airport, in Vancouver, and realize that we take water for granted here in Canada. Traveling to countries like Tanzania and Botswana remind me of how lucky we are to … Continue reading

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Zebra

There is an abundance of Zebra everywhere we go. Unfortunately, they become a bit ho hum after a couple of days. Our guide says that most tourists get snooty about it and do not even stop to watch after the … Continue reading

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The Hippo and the Crocodile

A Folk Story from Botswana…. The hippo wanted to come live in a pool, but there was a crocodile there already. The hippo asked the croc if he could come live in the pool and the croc said, “But you … Continue reading

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Hippo

Hippopotami live with a bad rap. They are quite docile and not overly aggressive. Things  get ugly if you piss one off, like this fellow above, but if you don’t bother them, they lounge about in their pool like over … Continue reading

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Learning Swahili in Tanzania

When we travel to a far off country, we like to learn a handful of words in the local language. Saying phrases like “The check please” and “No thank you” can make a waitress beam or a hawker walk away. … Continue reading

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Must Haves for a Safari

Here are a few items that we think are essential to pack for a safari. Lens cover to protect against dust – If you have an SLR camera with a large, expensive lens, take some sort of lens cover to … Continue reading

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Budget Analysis (Warning: May put you to sleep!)

After paying for our safaris, flights and most of our hotels, we calculate how much cash we need to take with us to Africa.  We create a fairly in-depth cash budget. It is an excel spreadsheet with each day we … Continue reading

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Elephant

Tembo in Sawhili. These giants are gentle beasts. We never tire of watching them. The females’ maternal instincts are evident every time we find a mother and her young one. Our Landcruiser passes between a female and her baby and … Continue reading

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DIY Bookings vs Travel Agent Bookings

Murray had a few rants while we were away, so now it is my turn. I feel I need to say something about “do it yourself” airline bookings vs travel agent airlines bookings. So, here it goes. When we were … Continue reading

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Wildebeest

AKA Gnu. They resemble a svelte American Bison. They each sport a beard and are slightly hunched back. Their rear hunches are lower than their shoulders. Wildebeest are the largest group of the four animals that participate in the semi-annual … Continue reading

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