Travels with Tam

Exotic Exuma life forms!

January 15, 2014 By Tam Warner 12 Comments

The islands of the Exumas, in the Bahamas, offer so much more than swimming pigs! Though, the swimming pigs are out of this world incredible. However, we were offered the chance to swim with sharks, to snorkel, and feed iguanas. Don’t get too excited…just nurse sharks. Don’t get me wrong, I love Nurse Sharks! I just don’t consider them too dangerous. They have very small (but sharp) teeth, smallish mouths, and basically they are bottom feeders. They mostly sleep during the day. I see them diving in the Caribbean often, they are usually asleep under crevices. Nurse sharks are nocturnal, and can grow up to 4 meters (12 feet). I’ve never seen one that large, the biggest I’ve seen is probably 7 or 8 feet. These were 4 to 6 feet long, I’d guess.

Nurse sharks gathering for their feast! — Nurse sharks gathering for their feast at Staniel Cay

bahamas, exumas, travels — Tough, pebbly skin and pretty white eyes.

Off of Staniel Cay Yacht Club is a largish population of nurse sharks and they feed them squid and other tasty snacks. I had my camera out and was in the water long before anyone else on the tour got in. The word “shark” evokes terrible fear, but once you learn about them and see them in the wild, you begin to understand they are not waiting for a human to eat. Nurse sharks are pretty. They have white eyes, and their skin is very tough and pebbly. I think they have an elegant silhouette as they swim. After a while, several of the tour members finally got in the water with them, a great opportunity to conquer a few fears and gain knowledge!

exuma, bahamas, travels with tam — Hanging out in Thunderball Grotto

bahamas, exumas — Entrance to Thunderball Grotto

Also on the agenda were giant iguanas! I’ve seen pretty big ones, but these are monstrosities! They are huge! And hungry, of course. We fed them grapes. I used a stick to spear the grape, then feed the iguana. Kathy, my cousin, and I were lucky on the second tour, and one of the largest ones had a photo session with us. He must have posed for 10 minutes, and he would have stayed there, I am sure. The minute the boat pulls up to the beach, out they come!

Kathy photographing, and my foot! — Kathy photographing

Obviously, they are used to people and being fed by them. As you can see, Exuma Water Sports provided Animal Palooza, and I loved every second of it!

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Why are there swimming pigs in the Exumas, Bahamas???

January 13, 2014 By Tam Warner 14 Comments

swimming pigs, exumas, bahamas — Swim, pigs, swim!

These swimming pigs are causing a sensation, and it is easy to see why! PIGS are not supposed to be swimming in the ocean…are they? Have YOU ever seen such a thing? Or heard about it? A couple of months ago I saw a video on youtube with the swimming pigs of the Exumas, and I was so amazed (and laughing so hard) I decided I had to come and see this for myself! It must have been meant, because a few weeks later I had the opportunity to come to the Exumas (outer islands of the Bahamas). I checked to see where these swimming pigs were, and when I found out they were in the Exumas, I booked a ticket!

On arrival, I asked how I could get to the pigs. It turns out there are unbelievable animal encounters here in the Exumas! I booked with Exuma Water Sports, not just to see the pigs, but to see huge Iguanas (and feed them!), swim with nurse sharks, and snorkel Thunderball Grotto (where 007 movies Thunderball and Never say Never were filmed). There are over 300 cays (pronounced keys), small islands, throughout the Exumas. The only way to really check it out is to do it by boat. In comes Exuma Water Sports, owned by Ray and Phillipa Lightbourn. The Lightbourn family has been in the Bahamas since 1735, and it doesn’t appear that they plan to go anywhere! Be glad, because their tours are top notch. I went the first day for a full day tour on board the 007 by myself as my cousin, who planned to go with me, was ill. What an incredible day! Great people, it was lovely to chat with Ray and his son, Justin, and the highlights were so incredible I don’t want to rush them all into one blog. SO. Pigs first! I already published a photo blog of the bigger piggies here, so please check them out. These are the pictures of the second day, when we did the half day tour!

As I understand it, one of the cays had a pig farm on it, and the pig farmer was not only tired of farming, but tired of complaints about the odor of his pig farm. I cannot remember if he just turned them loose, or if he relocated them (I think the latter because they seem to have their own island), but when boats would stop to look at them, they began to swim out to the boats for food! And so, the swimming pigs of Exuma were born.

Exuma Water Sports sees those pigs on their full day tour, but they are too far for half day tours. So what did they do? They brought their own pigs to a small cay and taught them to swim and come for food! They are now a year and a half old, and cute as they can be. I was lucky enough to see both sets of piggies, I loved the full tour so much, I took my cousin back for the half day tour!

I am rather accident prone, and Exuma Water Sports helped me stay on my feet instead of tripping around the boat, they figured out the first day that falling on flat surfaces seems to be quite natural for me…though I did fall off the boat ladder once, too. Just call me Grace.

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Swimming pigs need to be on your bucket list, folks! Want to see them in action? Check them out on YouTube!

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Comedy of Errors in Exuma

January 7, 2014 By Tam Warner 2 Comments

Well, I must say this trip has gotten off to an interesting start! Here I am, in the Great Exumas, Bahamas, and as far as diving goes, it has been a true fiasco.

I bought new gear for this trip, a new dive computer and transmitter, new regulator and an alternate breather so I don’t have to wear an Octopus (an extra mouthpiece for breathing). My alternate air source has a breathing piece attached to my inflater hose, doing away with the bothersome Octopus. So…it came time to dive yesterday, and of course, none of it worked except my regulator. The computer would not pair, the transmitter would not even turn on! The alternate breathing/inflater hose leaked from the get go. The boat we were on basically doesn’t carry much in the way of extra gear, so guess who didn’t get to dive? Yep. Me! THAT is a first. I did try, and while trying to get my inflater hose to work, my brand new snorkel came off my mask so it is probably in the Turks and Caicos by now (it was rough out there). My cousin did dive, and the visibility was lousy so she lost the dive master and had to come up. It was rough enough out there that we were both a bit seasick, too!

Today, I tried it again, with a rental BCD, rental gauge, a new snorkel, and of course, the transmitter would still not turn on. At least I was able to dive. One certainly cannot judge a place on two dives, but the dives were pretty marginal. Of course, I am spoiled by diving Cozumel so very often…it is crystal clear with LOTS of marine creatures (not the case here, so far). Cozumel often has 100+ feet of visibility. I would say it was about 50 today, not bad at all. Yesterday my cousin said it was around 30 or less. I anticipated two nice dives…and then…my camera housing malfunctioned. The buttons were sticking, the camera had to be turned off in order to stop it taking photos, or it would get stuck in the wrong mode. Really, what can you do but laugh? Talk about Murphy’s Law! Best to get any issues with equipment out of the way before diving Thailand and Myanmar in March, though!

Exuma is a lovely island though…beautiful water color! And, on the bright side, I drove on the left side of the road without killing us. I also have a golf cart I can zoom around in, which is fun, especially since the views from the golf course are terrific. We are staying in a villa, gorgeous place, but the problem? They are running out of food at the restaurant! Really?You have no fish to eat, here in the Bahamas? Pretty amazing. Oh, and no pizza, and no buns. The pickings get slimmer every day. Time to go in search of other dining experiences! I may have to ask friends to send food, ha ha.

Tomorrow I plan to tour the grounds again in the morning (an excuse to tool around in the golf cart, on the left side of the paths) and take some photos, perhaps snorkel a bit, and tomorrow afternoon we are diving my first blue hole! So, I’m going to see if I can fix my camera housing, and then to bed. Ciao! And keep warm!

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Tam’s Travel Tips for Africa

October 15, 2013 By Tam Warner 28 Comments

I went to Africa for many reasons last summer, to challenge myself, to experience another culture, for safari, to volunteer ….and I have some thoughts to share regarding travelling in Africa, or any developing nation. The developing countries are truly a different world for the western traveler. Know what to expect when you go.

1. Expect all services to be S L O W. Customer service has never been considered or taught in these countries. You will feel as though you are inconveniencing them at times just to ask a question or order a drink!

2. Plumbing, buildings, streets, etc will not be similar to conditions in the west. Be prepared. I still haven’t figured out the women’s bathrooms where one stall has a seat in the ground…I mean, what am I supposed to do? Not sure I even want an answer.

3. They have no social “space”, they will be right in your bubble. It can be disconcerting having someone so close to you, but they will stuff 30 people in one van (chappa or taxi) so standing 2 inches from you is not unusual.

4. Be prepared when you go to shop: they do not wait for you to look or browse, they start in “selling” you the moment you are within 10 feet. I have been told that unless I buy something their mother, family, child or infant will starve. This can be very upsetting. They will follow you to make the sale. I had two guys follow me from the market in Tofo to Fatima’s, a restaurant way down the beach. They are persistent. Keep walking and don’t answer questions. The minute you start talking, you are in trouble. ALL WESTERNERS ARE RICH IN COMPARISON to them, and are considered “fair game”.

5. Don’t expect the same cleanliness standards. Many people in developing nations have no access to drinking water let alone water to shower in or to wash clothing in. Tiny villages have no water, often the women have to walk for miles to get it.

6. Social customs and mores are very different. I’ve had people bump into me or accidently hit me with something but they do not usually acknowledge it in any way. Also, many tribes and villages in developing Africa consist of one man and his wives. Each wife has her purpose: fetching water, firewood, gardening, cooking, watching the children. I had real difficulty with this one….

Casa Barry entertains children from the orphanageA Maasai Warrior told me that in his village’s tradition it costs ten cows for a wife. Also, the higher one can jump, the more desirable they are. Yes, the higher you can jump, straight up, the more desirable you are. Shake your head on that one! What you think is a small village may be one family for each wife has her own “boma” (hut). Often, children all live in the same boma.

7. You will see things that anger you, sadden you, horrify you, impress you and make you happy. But you will see cruelty and despair here as well. Just re-read my blog An African Owl. There are many lovely aspects of traveling the developing world, you just have to accept that you will not be getting Western style living, eating, hygiene, or social graces.

These are the bewares. I happen to love Africa, and have now traveled in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Kenya (Nairobi), and Tanzania. They are all different while having similarity as well….the poverty exists everywhere, some places are worse than others, but poverty is a constant state of being in these countries. Here are some of my favorite things about Africa:

1. The animals! Under the sea and on land, Africa’s animal diversity is exceptional. I have already written about my disappointment in the marine life in Tofo so I won’t go into it further. But the Serengeti! Lake Manyara! The Ngorogoro Crater! Wondrous. I have safari’d in many countries, but Tanzania is the very best. The crater and the Serengeti are unmatched in my opinion. (I have not done a safari in Kenya, so I can’t judge that, and my Nairobi fiasco was not a good introduction to the country.) The Savannah is vast, it goes on forever, there are herds of thousands of animals: instead of seeing 6 or 7 zebras together, you see a thousand or more together during the migration. Truly spectacular.

2. The terrain and natural beauty. Africa is stunningly beautiful, with mountains and lush gardens, oceans and forests of palms. There is so much to see and do, you cannot do it in a short period of time.

3. The guides and many of the English speaking staffs are informative and friendly. Our guide, Samson, taught us much about Tanzania, its poverty, the government corruption, the poverty, the beauty, the wildlife, its history and its people. It is all fascinating.

4. Service in the game lodges is excellent. Once you are in a lodge or camp you are treated very well. They make you feel very welcome, and have been trained as excellent staff and ambassadors. If you are staying in a good lodge or better, you’ll be well taken care of as far as service goes. Again, the physical environment (baths, showers, restrooms) take some getting used to.

5. One walks almost everywhere. The vast majority of people do not own cars, so they walk. The walking did me a world of good….I feel better physically than I have in many years.

6. The fresh fruits and vegetables! If you can find places not dependent on canned vegetables you are in for a treat, the produce is excellent. The pineapples are the best I’ve ever had, and the watermelon just melts on your tongue. I have eaten more fruit and veggies than I ever have (and I am a vegetarian!). Almost every meal here has rice or pasta….I won’t need to eat those things again for a very long time.

Africa is worth the trip. It is easiest to go to South Africa, of course. For safari, the private reserves at Kruger are excellent, you will almost certainly see the “big five” (lion, leopard, rhino, cape buffalo, elephant). Travel is much easier in South Africa,and I certainly recommend a nice long visit there. To get off the beaten path, it becomes more difficult, but I think the rewards are worth it. Kruger and Serengeti are the two best safari parks in Africa, and here is a major difference: Kruger gets over a million visitors a year, the Serengeti gets 60,000. Why? Convenience. From my perspective, the Serengeti and Ngorogoro are worth the extra effort and expense. The majesty of the Savannah is breathtaking, and can be very exciting! I have experienced many wonderful events, and as many saddening or horrifying events. My trip to Africa did not unfold as expected, but the journey was well worth it. I am a richer and better person for having experienced it, and a more confident woman than I was before. I love midlife!

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The Lion Hunts this Morning

October 8, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

I am now in the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, waiting for our flight to Johannesburg. Ah, Johannesburg and the British Airways Commodore Lounge! It will be smooth sailing after that. Yesterday morning our flight from Serengeti to Arusha, Tanzania left at 11a, so we got up early and did a game drive on the way to the airport. It’s hard to believe, but on the way to the airport, we witnessed a lion hunt and kill. A big, beautiful lioness was standing like a statue on a dead tree that had fallen over. We watched for a while, and then she headed across the field and got up on another tree.

She was close to the road at that point, where 3 vehicles waited, watching her. Leaping down, she proceeded to come our way, right to the car and past us to the other side of the road where she leapt into a tree and went out on a branch for a while, then down again and across the road, passing in front of us again. She did not give even one glance at us or the vehicles. Into the field of waving golden grass, she hunkered down, canvasing the Savannah. Her first vantage point and began to stalk 3 wildebeest who were heading back to the herd. She was downwind of them, so they caught her scent and ran. She went immediately into another stalk, 2 wildebeest I had not seen or noticed were trotting across the field. She let them go by her, spooked them into a run, and the next thing I knew she had a wildebeest down. The other one kept running, then turned to look for his friend. I felt so sorry for that wildebeest…I know I am not supposed to, that it is nature, but I really do believe that animals know each other and feel emotion. The lone wildebeest stood for quite a while, waiting. Sad.

The hunt was remarkable. Of course we’ve seen it on tv a million times, and probably saw it better on the big screen, but watching her, so fluid, so powerful, so sure…graceful in every movement. There was not a sound on the savannah when she took down her prey. Nothing. I guess I expected grunts or screams or something, but the silence was overwhelming. An amazing morning. A lion hunt and kill! Amazing! Randy and I were thrilled!

I saw another sad sight today on the road from Arusha to the Kilimanjaro airport….some IDIOT in front of us had tied up 3 goats in the back of a pick up truck. They were trussed to one another in a manner that looked like torture. I watched in horror and anger and sadness as one of the goats was strangled by the rope. The two remaining goats were still tied to the dead animal, and to each other. I don’t care if he was taking them to slaughter, they should not have to endure torture on the way. The lack of basic humanity (isn’t it basic not to torture another creature?) astounds me, and saddens me beyond words. Life seems to be held cheaply, and maybe I have just been slow to realize it.

Our guide told us about a law in Tanzania: if you are driving and run over a person, killing them, you automatically do at least 3 years in prison. Automatically, regardless. The person must leave the scene and run to the police in order to avoid another murder: their own! Apparently the people around the accident will kill the driver. A little different from the American law: do not leave the scene of an accident. Also, Bangi (marijuana) is illegal here, big fine (which no one could afford to pay) and prison time.

Off to the airport, and off to Nairobi to spend the night. Drinks and a pizza with Randy at the Intercontinental, and now I sit and relate my adventures to you. Off to Johannesburg in an hour, then to London, then Dallas. Now that I am on the way, I am ready to be home. I will summarize my trip soon, the good and the bad, and travel recommendations and bewares!

The Serengeti

October 3, 2013 By Tam Warner 1 Comment

June 11

Serengeti: THIS IS AFRICA! The Serengeti is what you picture when you think “African Safari”. The Savannah (Swahili for “endless plain”) with its umbrella acacia trees, waving golden grass as far as you can see, and HERDS of animals. I have never seen so many animals! It is the “Great Migration”, and Wildebeast and Zebras in thousands and thousands dot the landscape. THIS is Africa.

We have seen just everything here, from herds of elephants touching our car with their trunks to giraffes looking at us curiously from the side of the road, baboons in the trees, herds of zebra and wildebeest (they are almost always together, they apparently get along fine, and there is safety in numbers.) We have seen bat eared foxes (they are adorable), hyenas who were 5 feet away in the dark as we were escorted to our tent on the Savannah, eagles, dikdiks (the most incredible tiny little gazelle type of animals who always travel in mated pairs), a Cerval which is a smaller cat and a night hunter rarely seen in the day, we were lucky enough to see it just as the sun was rising this morning.

Yesterday we came upon a pride of lions….we counted 19 of them! They were relaxing at a creek, lapping up the water and hanging out. We found a wildebeest half eaten in a tree, but we didn’t find the leopard who must have put it there. The kill wasn’t fresh, but it wasn’t old. We have seen lions and lions and lions. Males who hang out on the rock outcrops (kropjes) and amazingly, lions in trees. I have heard that the lions of Serengeti and Ngorogoro are famous for their tree climbing, and now we have seen it firsthand. The Great Migration brings food a plenty to the lions.

We found 5 separate lions in trees yesterday, one was with a pride, and we even saw a male in the tree (unusual since the males are too lazy to climb trees). Randy took photos of each lion, and one of them had a belly so big he had to photograph just the tummy. These lions are fat and happy, their hunts are paying off and it seems they are eating every day. We did see a leopard in a tree as well, but too far away to even photograph it.

A very full belly! Time for a nap. On every safari drive in Tanzania I have been searching for the elusive cheetah. We never saw one in Sabi Sands (Kruger in South Africa), Botswana or Zimbabwe. The Serengeti and the crater are the prime spots for cheetahs, the endless flat plains of golden grass are perfect hunting grounds.

Samson, our wonderful guide, has been searching endlessly. He knows the name of every animal in Tanzania. He has been terrific. Samson met us at the airport in Kilimanjaro, and he has been with us ever since. We ride in our game vehicle, a four wheel drive, and he is our scout and ranger. He has also been an interpreter and has added greatly to our knowledge of the history of Tanzania and of the animals who live here. There are still tribes here, mainly the Maasai and the Suduku, and Samson tells us about their lives. As in Mozambique the life span of these people who live a rural or tribal life is short: about 45 for men, 55 for women. As I said, Samson has been a fountain of knowledge.

The cheetah is the only animal I have never seen in Africa so Samson has been driving endlessly through the plains, the prime hunting grounds for cheetahs. Tonight, on our last game drive, during our last hour, I had my wish granted. Two cheetahs in a field surrounded by honking Wildebeest with a kill (a small Wildebeest). We did not see the chase but we saw the aftermath. I have never, ever, seen anything like it. The cheetahs took turns ripping at the kill, gorging as fast as they possibly could. Samson drove off road and put us within 10 feet of the cheetahs and their kill! One would rest, the other would eat. Then they would trade places. Samson informed us that cheetahs have to eat fast because lions, hyenas and even leopards will steal the kill from them as soon as they get a whiff of it. Cheetahs are absolutely beautiful, elegant animals. These cheetah’s faces were covered in blood. I filmed them until it started to get dark. The safari guides are supposed to be out of the park by 630p. It was 620p and we were 40 minutes from camp. We left the cheetahs dazed and ecstatic and around the next corner: LION. Lying in the middle of the road with no intention of moving. She did finally move, and came around to the back of the vehicle. She did look as though she might find us a tasty treat. A lovely couple from Canada, staying at our lodge, also was with us at the kill and were following us back to camp when we saw the lion. They must be in their 70s, and I certainly hope I am as curious and active and sharp when I am their age (which won’t be long, 20 years?). They have been delightful. We also ran into our pals from the camp of Lake Manyara here, along with an Australian couple and an aunt with two teenage boys. It has been a fun group to be with for lunch and dinner, excitedly discussing our game drives. It is like being with divers, always excited about the last dive, talking about what you’ve seen and how deep you’ve been and where you have gone diving. I LOVE safari. I can’t wait to post this blog and publish a few pictures of the cheetahs!

Eating…I guess this is what they mean when they say “you’ve got your head up someone’s ass?”

Tomorrow begins the journey home. Serengeti to Arusha. Arusha to Nairobi to spend the night (again). Then fly to Joburg, then fly to London, then fly to Dallas. 2 ½ days traveling, but fortunately we are in Club World on British Airways, the loveliest “business” class around. Club World is more like first class, you have your own “pod” with a private tv, drawers and a seat which turns into a bed. They do everything for you except tuck you in, and if you asked, I think they would do that. Anyway, I am very keyed up tonight from all of the exhilarating animal encounters. I will blog more on the long journey home.

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