Get the impression that I link personal vacations with conference attendance? Not a bad guess. Here are a few photos from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia. Unfortunately, the best pictures I have are on slide film and I have been unable to borrow a good slide scanner to make them web-able. Text to be added soon.
The birds in South Africa look very similar to the basic North American birds, but their songs are really quite different. These simians crossing the road were the first unfamiliar wild animals that I saw. This photo was taken near Lesotho on a Provincial Park road.
This photo was taken by a colleague of mine driving from Kruger National Park (South Africa) towards Durban near the Swaziland border. The school uniforms I didn't find to be widespread in Southern Africa, although the large number of people on foot along the roads was universal. Next time, I'll rent a pickup and allow hitchhikers---good stories would be almost assured.
A typical view of the South African countryside near Lesotho. That is, heading up into the mountains.
These photos are kinda out of order. Anyway, this is a little artsy photo I took at the beach in Swakopmund in Namibia. It's a weird little Bavarian town on the edge of the Namib desert and the South Atlantic ocean. Highly recommended.
We drove through Botswana without any real recreational activities. We were headed from Victoria Falls to central Namibia. All we got from Botswana was this photo, a 1 pula (which means rain) coin, and an interesting look at the local highway construction technique. (Ask me about it if you're interested.)
This very beautiful lioness was much closer to the car when we first saw it. The black and white photo was just from a cheap point and shoot.
The dune sea in the Namib desert. The colors on film fail to do justice to the real colors.
A typical desert highway scene.
The Namib desert. It's hot and dry, but by no means devoid of life.
It was rather fun camping in the desert. Very hot and dusty, but the night sky (Southern Hemisphere) is truly amazing.
One of our standard stories about Southern Africa is being chased by an elephant in Zimbabwe. We're in the Hwange National Park watching elephants just off the side of the path when other vehicles started to arrive. The patriarch decided to move his family group but needed to move us out of the way first. We moved along and didn't argue with the elephant.
Me, looking suitably safariesque near the elephants in Hwange. The hat is from Land's End (discounted) and the shirt from the Gap (via a thrift store).
If anyone knows of a source of such signs in the States, do let me know.
A genuine gnu.
Nope, it's not exactly a watermelon. Check out books on the Bushmen (which is actually a negative term) or the Kalahari (such as Cry of the Kalahari by the Owens).
A friend of Leni's mother had more or less adopted this little village in NW Zimbabwe (most of the way out to Bingha from Hwange if you have a map handy). If you're in the area, we can give you the details so that you can visit. Please do bring some malaria medicine and/or used clothes for the village though.
Leni (my official whatever, now my wife) standing in front of Victoria Falls. It's a pretty impressive falls, and this was during the dry season. Sipping G&Ts on the veranda of the Victoria Falls "Dr. Livingston, I presume" Hotel felt pretty decedent.