AFRICA: Little Governor's, Masai Mara, Kenya

...We wafted over the Mara River; I counted 26 hippos in just one loop!

...It had been raining so hard for so long, the 4x4’s were slaloming along muddy tracks, deep in water. Happily, Governor’s has the largest balloon operation in the world and this morning three were flying.

...Ours was 5Y-BFP and Nick was demonstrating precision maneuvering — we dipped to a treetop, grabbed some of those berries that make elephants drunk, and rose again to catch a different-vectored breeze.

...at 3000 feet, we were up with the beautiful Bateleur eagles, and stretching far to the horizon were giraffe, antelope, and wildebeest.

We began losing height, but now, just below us, was a caravan of elephant! Nick lit the burners; trumpeting alarm, the Mamas trunked their babies beneath them and careened off through the bush.

...Finally, after more than two hours aloft, we landed to breakfast on the only dry spot for miles. As the chase-crew fried sausages over the now-inverted burners, we opened the bubbly and... the elephants arrived, uninvited!

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Enroute to South Africa

...Do you know that on the flights between Nairobi and Johannesburg, British Airways serves “tender steaklets of ostrich, marinated with red wine, herbs, and fine vegetables, seared in oil and butter, and dressed with a sauce prepared from the marinade, together with cranberry jelly and port wine?” You do now.

The meat has the consistency of half liver, half steak, and tastes about the same. Of course, you can also have either roast beef or trout with smoked salmon mousse but that would be chicken…or would it?

Uncle Ted

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AFRICA: Cybele Forest Lodge and Health Spa, White River, Republic of South Africa

An hour’s flight east from Johannesburg to Nelspruit, and a half-hour’s drive north, the road turns from paved to clay and you are suddenly in the midst of a glorious coffee plantation. At the end of a stately avenue of tall trees, nearly hidden by Frangipani, Bluegum, and Flamboyant, lies the sprawling, old, farmhouse, main building of Cybele Forest Lodge and Health Spa...

...I’d come 6000 miles to be in what felt just like an English country cottage except that when you focus in on anything, you know at once this is a little unlike anywhere else...

...No number of miles is too far to come to experience this level of relaxed comfort, delicious cuisine and caring hospitality. You’ll love it.

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AFRICA: MalaMala Game Reserve, Kruger National Park, South Africa

South of the Tropic of Capricorn, the topic is Leo and hefalump, Cape buffalo, leopard, and rhino. These are the Big Five and if you and your ranger are fortunate enough to track them down, the manager of MalaMala Game Reserve will “lionize” you with a specially hand-calligraphed certificate. We earned ours in our first four hours in the bush!

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Please note: The email address in the box below does not always seem to work. A better one to use is eglcarter@yahoo.com