Travels with Tam

Our last game drive in Sabi Sabi

June 7, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

Our last safari drive at Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge!

As always, a great morning with a herd of water buffalo, impala, zebra…rhinos and a herd of elephants with a baby who came charging at us! He was so tiny and so cute! Elephants are amazing creatures, and we are looking forward to our trip to Chobe, Botswana where over 60,000 elephants live.

Our fist safari experience has been out of this world. It is humbling to see these animals in their own environment, it makes me realize that we truly are part of the “circle of life”. We mustn’t take more than we give….we must protect these habitats for them. Our “Big Five” was achieved within our first 24 hours, and we are still reeling from all of the excitiement!

After our game drive we had a quick breakfast with Pieter and sadly said our goodbyes and exchanged contact information. The rangers are quite remarkable. They go to school in order to become a ranger, the knowledge they have is seemingly endless. At the Earth Lodge rangers are “in charge” of a certain group of guests, and this includes game drives, meals, escorts to the lodges after dark and first thing in the morning (the big feeding times). We have really enjoyed our time with Pieter, he is a terrific young man. I hope we’ll meet again.

The Big Five: Cape, or Water, Buffalo:

ran sabi 1st day 09 water buff wound with bird — A bird cleaning a wound

LION

LEOPARD:

ELEPHANTS:

RHINO:

Hamilton Pool in Dripping Springs, Tx!

June 6, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

5/12/15: a little reminder about how wonderful the Texas Hill Country is! First published on 6/6/13

I took a little trip this morning in order to hike to Hamilton Pool. Hamilton Pool is an historic swimming hole, about an hour outside of Austin. Hamilton Creek empties into the Pedernales River, spilling over limestone outcroppings to create a 50 foot waterfall. In Cozumel, this would be known as a cenote. I thought it would be worth a look, and I was absolutely correct.

The pool is about a mile from the entrance to the trail. It is the Hill Country, so it is up and down, up and down. The path is rocky and uneven with plenty of gnarly roots. I had no trouble on it, actually, I love nature and I love paths like this. I am quite surefooted on uneven surfaces, it is only on smooth flat ground that I fall…or smooth steps. Hamilton Pool is one of those places where generations of people have enjoyed the “swimming hole”. The water is cool and green, and looks inviting, but sadly, there are times when one cannot swim because of high bacteria levels. Today was one of those days.

After the hike, I could see why you would want a swim. Whew. So I checked out the caverns and the pool, and enjoyed some time just watching and listening to the waterfall. It is nice and cool under the roof of the outcropping. It was nice to actually sit behind the falls as well.

I headed back after 20 minutes at the pool (since there was no swimming I didn’t stay for a long time) and somehow, I missed the turn off to the main path back to the parking lot. Instead, I hiked an additional mile along the Pedernales River. I have no idea how I could have missed the main path….but I was in unfamiliar territory, and I thought, great, I can see myself lost, wandering along the river to the pool and back again for hours. I can hear Randy and the kids already, another “kooky” mom story! Fortunately, I managed to find the path again and headed up. And I mean UP. The Hill Country is very hilly indeed! So I did over 3 miles of up and down terrain. I can hear some snickering that 3 miles is not much distance. But hey, I am over 50 (I cannot believe that, it is astonishing to me) and I have a few health issues. I have an erector set in my spine, 8 pedicle screws and rods holding it all together, so I am pretty happy with my hike this morning. Of course, diving or snorkeling would be better, but the water didn’t look too clear, and I admit that freshwater fish are kind of boring. Most of my trips tend to be near diving, but not freshwater. I have been diving in the cenotes, with incredible geological sights, but there are no fish at all in cenotes, so I only did it once. Kind of boring. I need action! Anyway, if you are near Austin, Tx or in the Hill Country, take a hike to Hamilton Pool. It is a beautiful place to relax.

Evening: Tonight we headed to the Oasis, one of the most popular restaurants on Lake Travis. The views are panoramic! On the way home, we ran into some of our neighbors! I LOVE wild life!

Eating at the “McDonalds” of the Bush

June 5, 2013 By Tam Warner 1 Comment

Tonight was another incredible game drive. We saw warthogs, kudus, impala, and zebras…then went looking for lions. Instead of lions, we witnessed two leopards who had taken their “McDonalds” up into trees! These leopards were sated, and protecting their kills. One was nearly finished with her impala while the other in a nearby tree had a freshly killed impala hanging in the branches. Under the tree was Wesley’s hyena, waiting to scavenge any pieces that might fall to the ground….and the organs were ready to fall. Apparently, these two leopards are mother and daughter, and the daughter just recently went out on her own, obviously not too far as we pretty much sat between the two trees and could see both. We were closest to the mother, though, as she had a very fresh kill. To see something like this is truly like being in a documentary. I do have some video as we were very close, but mom only began to come down to warn the hyena after it was dark. Leopards are nocturnal animals. We were all speechless with wonder, and felt incredibly fortunate to be able to see something like this, not on tv, but up close. We hung out for over an hour, perhaps more. Coming upon two leopards with kills so near to one another is such a rare occurrence that Pieter, our ranger, sat back and told us to enjoy, there was really no reason to go looking for anything else. The leopards stayed right there, and always kept their eyes on the kill. The mother caught the scent of the hyena and growled down at it, warning it not to interfere with her kill. I have to say, the poor impala looked pretty pathetic hanging from the tree. Pieter told us a story about a call he received at another lodge he used to work at. Someone staying at the lodge called the front desk to let everyone know that an Impala was stuck in a tree outside their window and someone needed to come and help it get down. Impalas don’t exactly jump into trees on their own, so Pieter told them to be careful, that a leopard must be very close by. He went to check, and yes, there was a leopard sitting at the base of the tree. The rangers just howl with laughter at that story!

Photos speak louder than words:

The four of us are completely amazed by everything we have seen, and we are sad to leave Sabi Sabi tomorrow. This has been an incredible adventure … a wonderful stay at a quality establishment and in an unparalleled location. We have one more game drive tomorrow, then we head to Joburg for one night before departing for Victoria Falls. We know more adventure is ahead in Zimbabwe and Botswana…but we do love the Earth Lodge, Pieter, and Pat and we are sad to leave.

Villa de Vistas, Lake Travis outside of Austin

June 4, 2013 By Tam Warner 3 Comments

Wow. That’s really the best way to put it. First, we are in Lakeway, Texas, and it is a lovely little town in the Texas Hill Country and on Lake Travis. Yes, there are hills in Texas, quite beautiful ones…just not in Dallas. The house is absolutely wonderful! Click on the link because I believe it will show you the “wow” better than I can say it. We are enjoying luxury, I will tell you that! Every little detail is perfect, from the decor to the soaps and shampoos in every shower. There are robes in every bath as well, and soft slippers. Any game you could possibly think of to play is here! There are indoor games like billiards, board games, card games, and outdoor games, badminton (that’s us, haha), Bocce Ball, croquet….fishing, kayaking….all accoutrement are here. Our hosts are thoughtful and delightful people as well, very helpful.

Our friends Lyn and Mark came for the first few days to hang out with us and our two Goldens, Luke and Lucy. Lyn kept saying there was no way to get her away from the villa, and actually, except for a trip to the H E B store for groceries, she didn’t leave!

The pool is so inviting, the views are marvelous, there are 3 gas grills, a fire pit, a hot tub….so you can see, there really is no reason to leave. We have been in the pool, explored the grounds (vast, they even have an herb garden!), and enjoyed a movie in their Home Theater. The Home Theater is amazing, and a post on its own. We played a bit of ping pong, Mark and I against Lyn and Randy.

Yes, a little spouse swapping for the ping pong. Mark and I were the victors!

How did we find this lovely oasis? On 3rd Home. 3rd Home is a “club”, really, for those who own second homes. I joined and put our villa in Cozumel into the club, Villa Coronado. When you donate weeks to 3rd Home members you accrue “keys”, and the homes are rated from one key (for smaller homes) to 5 keys. When you have keys you can open the door to any 3rd Home available! Quite a wonderful deal. Though I have donated several weeks in the past couple of years, Villa de Vistas is the first 3rd Home I’ve booked. It won’t be the last! Learn all about it at www.3rdhome.com. If you have a second home in a wonderful location, you really should look into it!

3rd Homes can be found all over the world….except Antarctica! And it wouldn’t surprise me if something was available there. I have already booked another home for August, in Spicewood, Texas, also on Lake Travis. The only drawback to the Lake is that it is 53 feet low. There are docks at the marina I visited that are on dry land. Someone needs to do a rain dance.

One of the most wonderful aspects of this trip has been having our Goldens with us. Since our second home is in Mexico, we would have to fly our dogs there, and that is not an option for our doggies. Luke and Lucy are both rescues, and have a few issues here and there. Luke was abused, we don’t know how badly, but he cringes at the sound of a metal food bowl and refuses to get into a crate. I did coax him in once….he completely broke the crate apart. It is somewhat obvious that he is terrified of it. So, no flying for Luke. Our hosts at Villa de Vistas also have a Golden Retriever, and were kind enough to allow us to bring them as a special favor since this is our first 3rd Home trip. Our little Lucy is a very nervous little girl, afraid and unsure of everything that exists on this earth. She is afraid of trash cans, noises, other dogs, Christmas decorations….you name it! She is the most adorable dog, and so pretty, but it is very tough to get her to relax. They have both absolutely loved being here. There is so much space and they have explored every inch of it. Luke patrols our front windows at home in Dallas, alerting us of anyone in the vicinity. I guess his territory includes the street because he barks up a storm at dogs on walks. Here, he patrols the lake!

He is fascinated by every boat and jet ski that goes by…he doesn’t bark much about it, but his tail is up in the air, and he is on alert. He has been up and down the outside staircases so often I’m feeding him extra food. It has been so much fun to have them with us. There are also deer around, I’ve seen them but the dogs haven’t. I wonder what they would make of a deer?

We have had some amazing sunsets and we look forward to more of them! Tomorrow, we are heading out to explore. Hasta la Vista, baby!

The McDonald’s of the Bush

June 3, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

June 17: MORNING Another early but beautiful morning game drive. It was rhino time! We first saw a lone bull who was heading to the water hole and spraying his territory. A bit later we pulled up to an empty river bed and watched a mother rhino with a baby. The baby was so cute! It danced and ran, it came close to the Land Rover to look at us, it scampered here and there. Sadly, all Rhinos are endangered. Poachers roam the bush, and actually use helicopters and sophisticated equipment to track and kill these animals.

The Rhino’s horn is coveted by many, for many different reasons. Of course, in Asia, it is believed that it has healing properties (science does not support this ancient belief). Men in the Middle East, particularly in Yemen, want the horns to use in making knives called Jambiya, which are given to young boys to celebrate manhood. The horn is made of keratin…like our fingernails. Pieter told us that in order to stop the extinction of these animals African preserves removed the horn so there would be no purpose in killing it. The poachers killed them anyway, for spite. These incredible creatures are on the brink. To learn more about the horrifying practice of poaching, watch Rhino Wars .

It is also interesting to watch the birds all over the animals…they serve much as the cleaner shrimps and fish in the ocean by cleaning the animal of parasites. At times they even go into the animal’s ears! Amazing to see how calm they remain with birds picking all over them! We enjoyed several bird species; then we saw six giraffes!

Elegant giraffes, with a bird on one of them.

THEY are magical! So strange, so sweet looking…I love them! They appear so elegant in the bush. I cannot help but almost jump up and down in my seat when I spot one. Giraffes have quite an effect on me. Both male and female giraffes have “horns”, actually formed from ossified cartilage (cartilage that has turned into bone) and they are also called ossicones. You can tell the sex of a giraffe by looking at the Ossicones. Females have tufts of fluffy hair on the top of their horns while males usually have bare horns. The hair and skin are often worn away when males combat each other.

Impala...the McDonalds of the Bush! See those arches? — Impala…the McDonalds of the Bush! See those arches?

We have also enjoyed seeing herds of impala, and they really are so pretty. Pieter calls them “the McDonalds of the bush.” Huh? Well, they are the easiest and most frequent meal for the lions, leopards and cheetahs. They are even marked with the MacDonald’s M!

We went to the edge of Sabi Sabi today to the border of Kruger National Park and the Sabi River where we enjoyed coffee, tea, hot chocolate and biscuits. Our ranger, Pieter, and Pat, our tracker, are so hospitable…and make the best hot chocolate on earth. We are very spoiled at the Earth Lodge….everyone waits on us (though we try to take care of ourselves, well, sometimes….) and they express interest in our impressions of everything: Africa, the animals, the Earth Lodge, American politics…) One is completely pampered at this five star lodge. Ran and I had a massage this afternoon. The spa is open air, with a waterfall and the scents of the bush. Lovely, lovely, lovely!

Tonight we are searching for more giraffes, hyenas, and of course, more lions! Wes really wants to see hyena, so hopefully we will find some tonight. He deserves some hyena, he has kept us laughing with his Arnold Schwarzenegger imitations the entire trip….the bush is “fantastic!”. “Cally-for-nya” is “fantastic”! You have to hear him…he is a riot! More after tonight’s game drive!

Have you ever seen a Sunrise in Sabi?

June 1, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

June 16 Our first morning game drive! They woke us at 6a.m., and by 630p we were in our open Land Rover and on the bushveld watching the sun come up over the African horizon. Our first stop was at the local watering hole to see two hippos chilling out. They were enormous! Hippos can be quite dangerous, but these two were happily submerged. We had an awesome morning, we hung out by a leopard for about 40 minutes…it was atop an old termite mound, resting, bathing, watching. Our more experienced companions, two South Africans Willem and Leon, said that it was an exceptional sighting as leopards are generally extremely shy animals and most sightings involve a few spots glimpsed through the veld. The leopard was a large male known as the SandRiver leopard. This animal is pure muscle, absolutely gorgeous. As close as we were, he didn’t seem to have much interest in us, in the distance he was lazily keeping an eye on zebra and impala. I cannot believe I was within 8 to 10 feet of a wild leopard in Africa!

After we left the leopard we came upon a white rhino and her baby, with two males feeding nearby. They were wary, but we were still quite quite close to them. It is amazing that we get within 10 to 20 feet of these animals. The baby White Rhino is cute beyond words…he would come close then dance away, with momma keeping an eye on us.

We saw a Fish Eagle somewhat similar to our bald eagle….a very majestic bird. Bird species abound….we saw a Goshawk eating a snake today! We had coffee in the bush, they pull the Land Rover over and pop open a table on the back with cookies, pastry, coffee and hot chocolate. On our return to the lodge Ally said, “just watch us go round that bend and find elephants!”…..and yes, we ran across several elephants feeding around the bend. She is our elephant whisperer. We also saw a lone warthog and a lone water buffalo. The lone water buffalo is a very dangerous animal, they disappear into the bush and if you disturb them they will charge. We have seen the Big Five in our first 12 hours: lion, leopard, water buffalo, rhino and elephant. The Big Five is so called because of the old game hunting trophies, these animals were the most valuable. I cannot imagine wanting to shoot and kill one of them, we are happy to shoot with a camera. Alexandra and Randy are taking a million photographs. Can’t wait for our afternoon/evening game drive!

The afternoon and evening game drive was incredible. We sat in our vehicle watching

a pride of 16 lions wake up. 16 LIONS!

There was our roaring male from the night before with all of his females and cubs. They are incredibly beautiful, obviously well fed (they had had a wildebeest the night before), and feline. Watching them was so similar to watching Boo Radley, Strider, and especially Buddha (our cats)…stretching, bathing, playing, lying on their backs…the male never did get up while we sat watching them for an hour! The lion pride was beyond words. ….what an experience to see these animals in the wild! Don’t forget to check out more photos on the Africa page!

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