The Case of the Missing Back Door – Part 3 of 3: Finally its in – well maybe
Category Archives: Personal
The Case of the Missing Back Door – Part 2 of 3: Specialist Assistance is Acquired
The first option was rejected out of hand. Peremptorily. As I do not have a DIY bone in my body or the desire, or the tools, or the wherewithal, it would not be me who would fix it. But Janine wanted it fixed immediately that night. She contended that this was security purposes as if I could buy a door from Builders Warehouse at 19:30 on a week night & then install it without any tools. I knew that she had always thought that I was good, but I was not that good. Certainly not in that department.
The Case of the Missing Back Door – Part 1 of 3: A terrified dog makes a grand entrance
Tammy was a loveable placid Alsatian with smooth pitch black fur ever eager to please one. Her affectionate nature required one to pat her unlike her “sibling” who was more standoffish & aloof.
Her nemesis was an older Alsatian but instead of being of the German variety, Kohla was a Belgian Shepherd. Similar to their German brethren but with curly black fur, they displayed most of the characteristics of their GSD neighbours.
Living the Rhythms of a Bush Life Part 5: Through Moremi & Chobe to Home
Through Moremi to Chobe
The bush odyssey was slowly drawing to a close, but before it did so, there was one more game reserve to visit: Chobe. This area nestled between Zimbabwe, Zambia & Namibia & was the focal point of the supply routes of the terrorist organisations fighting the Rhodesian government during the so-called bush war.
From a conservation point of view, what it is renowned for are its elephants; tens of thousands of them.
Living the Rhythms of a Bush Life Part 4: Into the Heart of the Okavango
Into the Heart of the Okavango
Rob had a clearly defined objective for the next five days: Drive aimlessly around the Okavango & view the game.
The itinerary would follow the diurnal rhythms of the bush: wake up before day break & view some lion kills, have breakfast, sleep over the hottest part of the day, have supper as the sun is going down & then do some more game-viewing & hopefully spot a lion kill.
Living the Rhythms of a Bush Life Part 3: Bain’s Baobab, The Mokoro Interlude & Starvation Rations
Bain’s Baobab
The next day was bundu bashing the whole way. We were heading to Baine’s Baobab. We would be at greatest risk on this day because if there were mechanical problems with the vehicle, we would be miles from the closest road let alone civilisation.
Baines’ Baobabs are a highlight for any visitor travelling this area of Botswana.
Living the Rhythms of a Bush Life Part 2: Makgadikgadi & Nxai Pan
Makgadikgadi
Our first stop would be Makgadikgadi, a vast wilderness of salt pans and rolling grasslands and an ideal stop over en route to the Okavango delta, Botswana.
That night we would not sleep under the stars as there were nocturnal animals that prowled the area. To get a feel of the extent of the salt pans, the next day we drove for hours on it before heading back to the Francistown – Maun Road.
Living the Rhythms of a Bush Life Part 1: Prologue & 10km Trip
Prologue
Rob Liemer might have been a Chartered Accountant & my boss at Barlows Heavy Engineering but his two loves in his life were the bush of Botswana & repairing Land Rovers.
Rob’s love of the bush manifested itself in his annual two to three week migration to Botswana. Being an accomplished motor mechanic, Rob did not take the road trip through Botswana but rather the bundu bashing route.
To mitigate the risks, he fitted his long wheel-base Land Rover will 500 litre tanks, water containers & storage bins that contained all conceivable manner of spares imaginable.
The 1988 Wild Coast Trail – 25 year Retrospective Report – Part 5: The old & the future South Africa collide
Throwing down the gauntlet, Mike & Kurt were gone. With their long strides – Mike because of his long legs & Kurt, well, because of his long strides – they easily increased the gap between George & I. I strained to keep the gap as small as possible but to no avail. They steadily drew ahead. I could almost hear the strains of Straus’ Radetzky March that Kurt was humming to himself. Eventually I consoled myself with the fact that as the first of the team into Coffee Bay, they would have to resolve the transport issue which now became the focus of our concerns. It was upper most in all our minds at this juncture.
The 1988 Wild Coast Trail – 25 year Retrospective Report – Part 4: The route march through a swamp
The next day presented the same challenge as the day before, a surging enraged river hoping to do its worst. Not enamoured with the prospect of another treacherous crossing in dubious boats with equally dubious Sea Captions, that option was quickly discarded. With insufficient rations to allow for any delays to the schedule, there was no alternative other than a long haul up river to find a suitable ford. Turning back was not an option. A second treacherous crossing with Captain Treacherous was out of the question.