Baboons like chewing gum too!
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Friday, October 4, 2013
Safari Day 3:
A game drive to see warthogs and ostriches, and ancient rock art. Skeet shooting and motor biking in the afternoon, then a drive to see The Wall--a rock wall miles and miles long that used to enclose an ostrich farm in the 1800's. Ed used to ride a Hodaka dirt bike and still has the bike stored at our place. Supper was a traditional South African braai (barbeque) with boerewors (South African sausage) and lamb chops.
Day 4:
An early morning game drive to see rhino! We also got to observe a wildlife conservation initiative to dart some female sable antelope of breeding age and transport them to another area where they are trying to reestablish a population. A pilot and a Bushman squeezed into a tiny yellow helicopter and flew around until they saw some females and the helicopter would sweep very close to the ground so the Bushman could fire the tranquilizer dart. We were following in an open safari truck and watched as one of the antelope gradually slowed down and laid down. We also saw zebra on the drive back to the ranch. We ate breakfast and then prepared to head over to another ranch that Kobus and Marise own along the Orange River near Vanderskloof. We enjoyed a day of fishing, kayaking, game drives, and a picnic lunch at the river camp--a large canvas wall tent on a wooden platform on stilts on the river bank.
Day 5:
Time to leave Jackallskull and head to Kimberley to see The Big Hole on our way to Bloemfontein. It was particularly windy when we left the ranch and by the time we approached Kimberley we were in a full-blown desert dust storm. The huge metal walkway and observation platform over The Big Hole was swaying in the wind--a bit disconcerting! We didn't know anything about the history of the discovery of diamonds and mining in Africa so the museum and displays were very educational. A young farm boy picked up a strange rock on the banks of the Orange River (in the area where we spent the day at river camp). He thought it was just a pretty rock but an Englishman passing through the territory saw it and recognized what it was. The farm family thought it was worthless and sold it for 5 pence!
We continued driving to Bloemfontein through the dust storm and an early spring thunderstorm which brought much needed rain, but also brought very dangerous lightning. We watched a lightning strike start a veldt fire, with huge billowing clouds of smoke heading our way. Fortunately the rain continued and slowed down the fire. In Bloemfontein we did a bit of shopping for souvenirs, visited the Nelson Mandela statue on Naval Hill, got a personalized tour of a fort, had dinner, and then settled into our B&B for the night.
Day 6 and 7:
Headed to the airport to fly back to Cape Town. A strange sight appeared to us as we flew over the mountains north of Cape Town--snow! It was the talk of the town for sure. Snow is highly unusual around Cape Town. We returned to the Sandcastle B&B for a couple of nights to retrieve Ed's rifle and shooting gear and the rest of our luggage and take in some more of the sights in Melkbosstrand. The Ostrich Farm--where Superman rode a live ostrich! For real! Check out the picture album :) We did a wildflower walk at Blaawberg Nature Preserve along the ocean--acres and acres of beautiful flowers. And we ate one last time at Orca - our favorite restaurant in the area. The calamari melts in your mouth.
Day 8:
Whale Cottage in Camps Bay, here we come. We could sit on our balcony and watch whales! For the first time in about two weeks the skies were blue and the sun was out. This was the perfect opportunity to take the cable car up Table Mountain, so we hopped in the car and headed up the mountain to the parking area. So did about 8,000 other people! All the parking was full from halfway up the mountain to the cable car station, so we parked and walked and walked and walked. Then there was a 1/4 mile long line of people waiting to buy tickets. But we didn't dare give up and go home because we didn't know what the weather would be like the next day. If Table Mountain is covered with a tablecloth of cl
ouds, you can't see anything when you get to the top. The cable car ride was spectacular! The car is round and the floor rotates, so everyone gets a view from all sides of the car. I have to say that the view from the top of Table Mountain has moved up to the #1 spot of the most beautiful places I've seen in the world so far. We spent about three hours walking around the pathways, singing with some African young people from Durban and Ghana, and taking hundreds of pictures. One interesting note: we were talking with some Cape Town locals about the high wind warnings and signs along the pathways that have arrows directing you to the shortest way back to the cable station and how long it will take to run there. The locals told us that they were serious about running to the cable station, rather than walking. They said the winds can blow in very quickly and you don't want to be caught outside when they hit. They said that the Hooter (horn) would put the Fear of God into you. We asked what happened if people had to run to the cable station--they obviously couldn't take the cable car back down the mountain (they close the cable cars in high winds). They said that the cable station is stocked with food and water supplies for several hundred people for 48 hours and there have been times when people were stranded up there for a day!
A game drive to see warthogs and ostriches, and ancient rock art. Skeet shooting and motor biking in the afternoon, then a drive to see The Wall--a rock wall miles and miles long that used to enclose an ostrich farm in the 1800's. Ed used to ride a Hodaka dirt bike and still has the bike stored at our place. Supper was a traditional South African braai (barbeque) with boerewors (South African sausage) and lamb chops.
Day 4:
An early morning game drive to see rhino! We also got to observe a wildlife conservation initiative to dart some female sable antelope of breeding age and transport them to another area where they are trying to reestablish a population. A pilot and a Bushman squeezed into a tiny yellow helicopter and flew around until they saw some females and the helicopter would sweep very close to the ground so the Bushman could fire the tranquilizer dart. We were following in an open safari truck and watched as one of the antelope gradually slowed down and laid down. We also saw zebra on the drive back to the ranch. We ate breakfast and then prepared to head over to another ranch that Kobus and Marise own along the Orange River near Vanderskloof. We enjoyed a day of fishing, kayaking, game drives, and a picnic lunch at the river camp--a large canvas wall tent on a wooden platform on stilts on the river bank.
Day 5:
Time to leave Jackallskull and head to Kimberley to see The Big Hole on our way to Bloemfontein. It was particularly windy when we left the ranch and by the time we approached Kimberley we were in a full-blown desert dust storm. The huge metal walkway and observation platform over The Big Hole was swaying in the wind--a bit disconcerting! We didn't know anything about the history of the discovery of diamonds and mining in Africa so the museum and displays were very educational. A young farm boy picked up a strange rock on the banks of the Orange River (in the area where we spent the day at river camp). He thought it was just a pretty rock but an Englishman passing through the territory saw it and recognized what it was. The farm family thought it was worthless and sold it for 5 pence!
We continued driving to Bloemfontein through the dust storm and an early spring thunderstorm which brought much needed rain, but also brought very dangerous lightning. We watched a lightning strike start a veldt fire, with huge billowing clouds of smoke heading our way. Fortunately the rain continued and slowed down the fire. In Bloemfontein we did a bit of shopping for souvenirs, visited the Nelson Mandela statue on Naval Hill, got a personalized tour of a fort, had dinner, and then settled into our B&B for the night.
Day 6 and 7:
Headed to the airport to fly back to Cape Town. A strange sight appeared to us as we flew over the mountains north of Cape Town--snow! It was the talk of the town for sure. Snow is highly unusual around Cape Town. We returned to the Sandcastle B&B for a couple of nights to retrieve Ed's rifle and shooting gear and the rest of our luggage and take in some more of the sights in Melkbosstrand. The Ostrich Farm--where Superman rode a live ostrich! For real! Check out the picture album :) We did a wildflower walk at Blaawberg Nature Preserve along the ocean--acres and acres of beautiful flowers. And we ate one last time at Orca - our favorite restaurant in the area. The calamari melts in your mouth.
Day 8:
Whale Cottage in Camps Bay, here we come. We could sit on our balcony and watch whales! For the first time in about two weeks the skies were blue and the sun was out. This was the perfect opportunity to take the cable car up Table Mountain, so we hopped in the car and headed up the mountain to the parking area. So did about 8,000 other people! All the parking was full from halfway up the mountain to the cable car station, so we parked and walked and walked and walked. Then there was a 1/4 mile long line of people waiting to buy tickets. But we didn't dare give up and go home because we didn't know what the weather would be like the next day. If Table Mountain is covered with a tablecloth of cl
ouds, you can't see anything when you get to the top. The cable car ride was spectacular! The car is round and the floor rotates, so everyone gets a view from all sides of the car. I have to say that the view from the top of Table Mountain has moved up to the #1 spot of the most beautiful places I've seen in the world so far. We spent about three hours walking around the pathways, singing with some African young people from Durban and Ghana, and taking hundreds of pictures. One interesting note: we were talking with some Cape Town locals about the high wind warnings and signs along the pathways that have arrows directing you to the shortest way back to the cable station and how long it will take to run there. The locals told us that they were serious about running to the cable station, rather than walking. They said the winds can blow in very quickly and you don't want to be caught outside when they hit. They said that the Hooter (horn) would put the Fear of God into you. We asked what happened if people had to run to the cable station--they obviously couldn't take the cable car back down the mountain (they close the cable cars in high winds). They said that the cable station is stocked with food and water supplies for several hundred people for 48 hours and there have been times when people were stranded up there for a day!
Thursday, October 3, 2013
OK! Time to get caught up on news of our trip. We both got sick just before we flew home and went to the doctor as soon as we got home and got on antibiotics. We've been laid up for the past six days but are seeing signs of improvement. I finished uploading pictures to the Africa Picasa web album and here's the link: https://picasaweb.google.com/117681050623804397624/Africa?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMKQqfW6p9vKFA&feat=directlink
Safari Day One: Kobus, one of the South African shooters, picked us up in his Comby (an 8-passenger van) at 7:00 am Sunday morning, the morning after the awards banquet, for an 11-hour drive north to his 35,000 acre ranch Jackalskull near Petrusville in the Great Karoo region. Our safari group included Guenther and Petra of the German team, Graham and Jonathan of the Australian team, and Brice, Ed and I of the US team. As we left the valley in Namaqualand (Land of the Khoisa) to drive up onto the plateau (Bushman's Land), Kobus commented "welcome to The Loneliness." And he wasn't kidding--hundreds of miles of semi-desert and strange mountain formations called Koppjes (pronounced "copies"), with a town of maybe 200 people every 100 miles. The drive up the West Coast Namibia was a total surprise. Because of its proximity to the ocean, there's enough rainfall to support miles and miles of vineyards, orange groves, and canola fields. You would have thought you were in Florida or California! We stopped for lunch at an early 1800's farm house that had been restored and now serves as a museum, restaurant, curio shop. The menu included many traditional dishes such as Boboti, Waterblommetjie, meat pies. Arleen tried the Waterblommetjie because it is only prepared and served in this particular region of Africa. It's a stew of lamb, water lily plants, and spices--delicious. We arrived at camp at 7:00 pm, got settled into our rooms, and then Kobus came back to pick us up and take us to The Big House for dinner. Marise, his wife, served a yummy meal of springbok meat pie, veggies, and salad. After dinner we returned to camp and sat around a bonfire and enjoyed relaxing and looking at the night sky. It was quite disorienting because we weren't seeing the usual constellations that we see at home! Kobus pointed out The Southern Cross to us so we could get our bearings. The buildings were made of homemade brick and had bathrooms and showers and electricity. All the bird sounds were different. On the drive back and forth from camp to The Big House, we saw kudu (a large antelope), kangaroo-like rabbits, mongoose, fox.
Safari Day Two: Up and at'em early to go hunting! Brice and Jonathan wanted to hunt, while the rest of us just wanted to observe and see wildlife. After breakfast outdoors in the Grass Hut, Brice and Jonathan got their muzzleloading rifles sighted in at 100 yards. Kobus arranged for one of his trackers/guides to take Brice hunting for impala or gemsbok, while the rest of us piled into an open safari truck to accompany Kobus and Jonathan to the area where there is a herd of wildebeest. We bumped and jolted over dirt roads, rocks, and small bushes until we found a large bush that Jonathan and Kobus could hide behind. The trick to standing in the back of a safari truck is to let your backbone slip and become Gumby! If you try to brace yourself you'll be very sore! We dropped them off and then the Bushman tracker/driver drove us to the other end of the area and turned left to find the herd and hopefully make them move towards Jonathan's hiding place. Well, the wildebeest had many choices about where to move and they chose not to go in Jonathan's direction. So we had to drive to the other end of the area and make them move back in the other direction. This continued for a few hours. In the meantime we saw many herds of springbok, reebok, blaisbok, eland, kuru, and wildebeest. Jonathan finally was able to take a shot at 150 yards on a blue wildebeest and shot it in the heart on the first shot. The only problem hunting with a muzzleloader is that you can't turn right around and get a second shot off if you miss it! This happened the first time he took a shot earlier in the day. The black wildebeest turned just as Jonathan shot. So we had to drive around some more to find the herd again!
The Bushmen trackers, Kobus, Ed, Guenther, Jonathan, and Graham all helped load the 500 lb. wildebeest into the back of the open safari truck. That meant the rest of us who rode in the back of the truck that morning had to walk back to where they had staged another vehicle for us to ride in. Back at camp, the Bushmen proceeded to skin and gut the wildebeest and put it in a cooling room to hang for several days. Brice and the guide Johann came back a little later in the afternoon with a gemsbok. Everyone enjoyed swapping tales around the fire that night. Our dinner was grilled springbok backstrap and snook (a very tasty fish).
Safari Day One: Kobus, one of the South African shooters, picked us up in his Comby (an 8-passenger van) at 7:00 am Sunday morning, the morning after the awards banquet, for an 11-hour drive north to his 35,000 acre ranch Jackalskull near Petrusville in the Great Karoo region. Our safari group included Guenther and Petra of the German team, Graham and Jonathan of the Australian team, and Brice, Ed and I of the US team. As we left the valley in Namaqualand (Land of the Khoisa) to drive up onto the plateau (Bushman's Land), Kobus commented "welcome to The Loneliness." And he wasn't kidding--hundreds of miles of semi-desert and strange mountain formations called Koppjes (pronounced "copies"), with a town of maybe 200 people every 100 miles. The drive up the West Coast Namibia was a total surprise. Because of its proximity to the ocean, there's enough rainfall to support miles and miles of vineyards, orange groves, and canola fields. You would have thought you were in Florida or California! We stopped for lunch at an early 1800's farm house that had been restored and now serves as a museum, restaurant, curio shop. The menu included many traditional dishes such as Boboti, Waterblommetjie, meat pies. Arleen tried the Waterblommetjie because it is only prepared and served in this particular region of Africa. It's a stew of lamb, water lily plants, and spices--delicious. We arrived at camp at 7:00 pm, got settled into our rooms, and then Kobus came back to pick us up and take us to The Big House for dinner. Marise, his wife, served a yummy meal of springbok meat pie, veggies, and salad. After dinner we returned to camp and sat around a bonfire and enjoyed relaxing and looking at the night sky. It was quite disorienting because we weren't seeing the usual constellations that we see at home! Kobus pointed out The Southern Cross to us so we could get our bearings. The buildings were made of homemade brick and had bathrooms and showers and electricity. All the bird sounds were different. On the drive back and forth from camp to The Big House, we saw kudu (a large antelope), kangaroo-like rabbits, mongoose, fox.
Safari Day Two: Up and at'em early to go hunting! Brice and Jonathan wanted to hunt, while the rest of us just wanted to observe and see wildlife. After breakfast outdoors in the Grass Hut, Brice and Jonathan got their muzzleloading rifles sighted in at 100 yards. Kobus arranged for one of his trackers/guides to take Brice hunting for impala or gemsbok, while the rest of us piled into an open safari truck to accompany Kobus and Jonathan to the area where there is a herd of wildebeest. We bumped and jolted over dirt roads, rocks, and small bushes until we found a large bush that Jonathan and Kobus could hide behind. The trick to standing in the back of a safari truck is to let your backbone slip and become Gumby! If you try to brace yourself you'll be very sore! We dropped them off and then the Bushman tracker/driver drove us to the other end of the area and turned left to find the herd and hopefully make them move towards Jonathan's hiding place. Well, the wildebeest had many choices about where to move and they chose not to go in Jonathan's direction. So we had to drive to the other end of the area and make them move back in the other direction. This continued for a few hours. In the meantime we saw many herds of springbok, reebok, blaisbok, eland, kuru, and wildebeest. Jonathan finally was able to take a shot at 150 yards on a blue wildebeest and shot it in the heart on the first shot. The only problem hunting with a muzzleloader is that you can't turn right around and get a second shot off if you miss it! This happened the first time he took a shot earlier in the day. The black wildebeest turned just as Jonathan shot. So we had to drive around some more to find the herd again!
The Bushmen trackers, Kobus, Ed, Guenther, Jonathan, and Graham all helped load the 500 lb. wildebeest into the back of the open safari truck. That meant the rest of us who rode in the back of the truck that morning had to walk back to where they had staged another vehicle for us to ride in. Back at camp, the Bushmen proceeded to skin and gut the wildebeest and put it in a cooling room to hang for several days. Brice and the guide Johann came back a little later in the afternoon with a gemsbok. Everyone enjoyed swapping tales around the fire that night. Our dinner was grilled springbok backstrap and snook (a very tasty fish).
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Obviously I'm not very good at this blog thing. We're so busy out doing things that I don't have time to sit at the computer to keep you updated! I'll get caught up on things during our 6-hr layover at Dulles Airport on the trip home. We leave Cape Town at 2:00 pm Wed afternoon and arrive in Dulles 6:30 am on Thursday.
Safari in Karoo was incredible! We've spent the last four days in Camps Bay at the Whale Cottage. We've seen whales every day just watching from the balcony of our room. We visited Table Mountain on Sunday, along with 8,000 other people! I can honestly say that Table Mountain has moved up to the #1 spot of the most beautiful places I've seen on earth (so far). Will post pictures soon. We visited Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope again, since the first time we visited it was completely fogged in. The second time was a blue sky/sunny day and the views were awesome. This time we saw where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet--and Superman made another appearance (pics to follow).
We did the double-decker bus tour today to see the sights in downtown Cape Town and the waterfront. Time to repack the suitcases and get ready to leave in the morning.
Safari in Karoo was incredible! We've spent the last four days in Camps Bay at the Whale Cottage. We've seen whales every day just watching from the balcony of our room. We visited Table Mountain on Sunday, along with 8,000 other people! I can honestly say that Table Mountain has moved up to the #1 spot of the most beautiful places I've seen on earth (so far). Will post pictures soon. We visited Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope again, since the first time we visited it was completely fogged in. The second time was a blue sky/sunny day and the views were awesome. This time we saw where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet--and Superman made another appearance (pics to follow).
We did the double-decker bus tour today to see the sights in downtown Cape Town and the waterfront. Time to repack the suitcases and get ready to leave in the morning.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
More pictures...
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| Opening Ceremony |
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| Ed Decker |
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| Doug Wilson |
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| Dave Gullo |
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| Brice Harper |
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| Table Mountain |
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| Norway Mid-Range Team |
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| Australia Mid-Range Team |
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| Germany Mid-Range Team |
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| Netherlands Mid-Range Team |
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| Setting up at 900 Meters |
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| South Africa Mid-Range Team |
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| New Zealand Mid-Range Team |
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| Great Britain Mid-Range Team |
Time to get caught up on the blog! It's been a whirlwind schedule the past three days...up at 5 am, leave for the range at 6:45 am, start shooting at 8 am, finish shooting at 3 pm, have lunch at the clubhouse, load powder for the next day, and get back to the B&B around 5 pm, get ready for dinner, after dinner clean the rifle and get things ready for the next day of shooting, then collapse in bed at 9 pm.
The US team did not medal at mid-range. The South Africans placed 1st, and Germans 2nd. The team mid-range for the US was a "perfect storm" of various problems that knocked us out of contention. But Thursday gave everyone the opportunity to regroup and shoot individual at 800 and 900 meters. Friday was the long range team competition and the US team placed 2nd, just 13 points behind the South Africans. They had to change the lineup for the long range team because Richard Hoff and Dave Munch both got sick, so Ray Hopkins stepped in. New competitor, Brice Harper, had the top score on the US team at 900! Congrats, Brice. Lee Shaver placed 2nd in the Grand Aggregate Individual. Go to www.bpsu.co.za and click on "results" for the 9th MLAIC Muzzleloading Championships to view complete results.
We made it through the whole week without rain! for which everyone was very thankful. Tonight is the banquet and award ceremony at Durbanville Hills Restaurant in Cape Town. Most of the guys have taken off today to go to Table Mountain, a Bird Park, an Ostrich Farm, and whatever else they can squeeze in before they have to be back to get ready for the banquet. We're staying at the B&B to pack for safari, clean the rifle, and have some down time to rest.
We will leave at 7 am Sunday for Kobus to take us and 5 other shooters in his van to the Karoo region. We will stay at a hunting lodge on Kobus' ranch and take day trips out to view wildlife. Can't wait!
I've updated the Africa picture album and here's the link: https://picasaweb.google.com/117681050623804397624/Africa?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMKQqfW6p9vKFA&feat=directlink
Here are also a few pictures to look at on the blog
The US team did not medal at mid-range. The South Africans placed 1st, and Germans 2nd. The team mid-range for the US was a "perfect storm" of various problems that knocked us out of contention. But Thursday gave everyone the opportunity to regroup and shoot individual at 800 and 900 meters. Friday was the long range team competition and the US team placed 2nd, just 13 points behind the South Africans. They had to change the lineup for the long range team because Richard Hoff and Dave Munch both got sick, so Ray Hopkins stepped in. New competitor, Brice Harper, had the top score on the US team at 900! Congrats, Brice. Lee Shaver placed 2nd in the Grand Aggregate Individual. Go to www.bpsu.co.za and click on "results" for the 9th MLAIC Muzzleloading Championships to view complete results.
We made it through the whole week without rain! for which everyone was very thankful. Tonight is the banquet and award ceremony at Durbanville Hills Restaurant in Cape Town. Most of the guys have taken off today to go to Table Mountain, a Bird Park, an Ostrich Farm, and whatever else they can squeeze in before they have to be back to get ready for the banquet. We're staying at the B&B to pack for safari, clean the rifle, and have some down time to rest.
We will leave at 7 am Sunday for Kobus to take us and 5 other shooters in his van to the Karoo region. We will stay at a hunting lodge on Kobus' ranch and take day trips out to view wildlife. Can't wait!
I've updated the Africa picture album and here's the link: https://picasaweb.google.com/117681050623804397624/Africa?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMKQqfW6p9vKFA&feat=directlink
Here are also a few pictures to look at on the blog
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| US Mid-Range Team |
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| The wind blew so hard this is all that remains of one of the shooters! |
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| US Long Range Team |
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| Superman at the Range |
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| Huge waves after a storm last night |
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
We all got an education about South African wind today! Put 7 minutes left on; no, the wind just changed, put 5 minutes right; no, the wind just changed, put 4 left on; no, the wind just changed, put 9 left on. That's how the day went! FYI, MOA (minutes of angle) is how you adjust your sights left, right, up, or down depending on the wind and mirage conditions to make your bullet hit where you want it to (the V-Bull ring!).
They were still entering the scores when we left the range at 3:00 pm today so it will be tomorrow before we have official results for the individual matches, but we do know that Kenn Heismann won several medals today in the Original Rifle Class.
Team Captain, Ray Hopkins, announced the mid-range team that will compete tomorrow against the other countries. Dave Gullo, Richard Hoff, Kenn Heismann, and Ed Decker, with an alternate, Dave Munch. They will shoot at 300, 500, and 600 meters tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed! The South Africans are very good and this is their home range.
The day got started with a welcome and announcements from officials of the South African team and then an opening shot from a cannon. The backdrop was gorgeous with views of Table Mountain to the south. Here are some pics from today:
They were still entering the scores when we left the range at 3:00 pm today so it will be tomorrow before we have official results for the individual matches, but we do know that Kenn Heismann won several medals today in the Original Rifle Class.
Team Captain, Ray Hopkins, announced the mid-range team that will compete tomorrow against the other countries. Dave Gullo, Richard Hoff, Kenn Heismann, and Ed Decker, with an alternate, Dave Munch. They will shoot at 300, 500, and 600 meters tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed! The South Africans are very good and this is their home range.
The day got started with a welcome and announcements from officials of the South African team and then an opening shot from a cannon. The backdrop was gorgeous with views of Table Mountain to the south. Here are some pics from today:
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