In the following write up I have recreated my experiences and adventures covering safaris over a dozen year period ranging from the Cape to the Caprivi in discovering Africa . It's a story that tries to capture the feel of safari, the smells, the sounds, and sights one experiences in the African bush. Despite all the game taken and the travel to remote and exotic locations, it was the experiences, the adventure, and most of all the memories created by the journeys that were the real essence of what an African hunt is all about.

Someone once suggested that I should write a book about my safari adventures and my love affair with Africa. Well, I have. I take you along on my hunting adventures and experiences, some serious and some humorous, ranging from a charging angry 12,000 pound elephant to a battle with a little 30 pound bullet proof sharpes grysbok.

Those who have hunted in Africa have many memories of their own from safari. In the following I share my memories so that both the African safari veteran and someone who is still dreaming of going on safari can share in my hunting experiences and the memories I have collected. The book is not just about shooting but it�s about experiencing the feeling of hunting wild animals on their own turf, the unexpected events, and the dangers in the thick bush going face to face with a dangerous animal that can quickly turn the table making you the hunted, and to test yourself when a tough situation arises. But, most importantly, it�s about collecting memories.

In the following write up I have recreated my experiences and adventures covering safaris over a dozen year period ranging from the Cape to the Caprivi in discovering Africa . It's a story that tries to capture the feel of safari, the smells, the sounds, and sights one experiences in the African bush. Despite all the game taken and the travel to remote and exotic locations, it was the experiences, the adventure, and most of all the memories created by the journeys that were the real essence of what an African hunt is all about.

Someone once suggested that I should write a book about my safari adventures and my love affair with Africa. Well, I have. I take you along on my hunting adventures and experiences, some serious and some humorous, ranging from a charging angry 12,000 pound elephant to a battle with a little 30 pound bullet proof sharpes grysbok.

Those who have hunted in Africa have many memories of their own from safari. In the following I share my memories so that both the African safari veteran and someone who is still dreaming of going on safari can share in my hunting experiences and the memories I have collected. The book is not just about shooting but it�s about experiencing the feeling of hunting wild animals on their own turf, the unexpected events, and the dangers in the thick bush going face to face with a dangerous animal that can quickly turn the table making you the hunted, and to test yourself when a tough situation arises. But, most importantly, it�s about collecting memories.

Giza Our host family’s apartment was in Giza, a suburb of Cairo. On the day of our arrival, our host Walid had been hospitalized, but his brother-in-law, his charming wife and his three teenage sons were at the residence to greet us. One section of the apartment consisting of a double room and an adjoining bathroom was screened off for our use. Walid’s family members made us feel so completely at home that my travel partner, who was nervous at the thought of staying with an Egyptian family, changed her mind about going to a hotel. Giza is also the home of the Pyramids, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This was also the first stop on our tour the following morning. Our travel guide and lecturer for the duration of our visit was Walid’s brother-in-law. He was a dentist by profession, but he acted as a tour guide when there were visiting tourists. The Pyramids were even more awe-inspiring than I had imagined. According to our guide, there could be as many as 180 pyramids in Egypt, but the site of the largest Pyramids was in Giza. Tourists flock to see the Pyramids of Giza and ask the same questions people have been asking for centuries, which no one seems to be able to answer. How was the Pyramids built and how was it possible to transport all those huge blocks of granite without the aid of modern technology? I climbed on the bottom layer of the Pyramids, so I had a good feel for the size of each boulder. I found it amazing that the Egyptians could go about their daily lives in the midst of all this history. Close by the Pyramids was the Sphinx, which - like many of the archeological sites - seemed to appear out of the desert sand quite unexpectedly. The Sphinx was another source of fascination for me. It was an enormous monument that had been carved out of a single piece of stone. I wanted to know why part of its nose was missing and where the missing part was. I was told that the missing part was housed in the British Museum in London. This seemed to be a recurring answer when we visited other sites. I determined that on my next visit to London, I would have to visit the British Museum in order to complete my visit to Egypt! Walid kept his word about making arrangements for me to ride on a camel. Immediately after we visited the Pyramids and the Sphinx, our guide took us to a man who gave camel rides within view of the Pyramids. My camel was called Michael Jackson. When I was hoisted up on the camel, I immediately had a panic attack and had to be taken off the camel. The camels legs were so long, I had visions of the animal speeding off in the desert. In spite of the owner’s pleadings to give it a try, that was the full extent of my camel “riding” experience. I promised myself that next time, I would do better. After all that excitement, we went to a nearby restaurant to sample our first Egyptian meal. On the lower level of the restaurant, a lady was baking Egyptian bread in a special stone oven. She invited us to try our hand at baking. The baked bread was served in the restaurant and was quite delicious. I also found Egyptian food to be quite palatable. Typically, Egyptian food is served in several courses. I found the vegetable dishes to be so appetizing that I forgot what I was told by the Travel Well Clinic and ate a raw cucumber salad. I suffered the consequences for about half a day. I was really thankful that I had my tummy bug medication with me. Our trip to Aswan involved an overnight train ride. Although we traveled in a first class compartment, a sleeping car had not been reserved. Consequently, we spent the night trying to sleep in an upright position, not to mention being woken up by other passengers getting on and off the train. Rough! One advantage of traveling by train was the opportunity to see the landscape at dusk. The most memorable sight for me was seeing a large number of camels lying down and nestled underneath the trees at bedtime. Of course, there was no time for picture taking because of the speed of the train. Nevertheless, the sight was priceless and will always stay in my memory. Aswan On arrival in Aswan, I was first struck by the warmth of the locals, as well as the tropical climate. Aswan, being close to the Sudanese border is the southernmost city in Egypt and is considered the gateway to “Black” Africa. After the sometimes cooler temperature of Cairo, the warm climate was welcoming. In general, the locals had a darker complexion than the northern Egyptians (perhaps they were just suntanned). There were also many Nubians out and about in the city. Outside the train station, I had an encounter with a friendly young man. Although my head was covered, some of my locks were visible. After hearing my accent, he immediately concluded that I was a “Rastafarari,” and asked me if I wanted to go somewhere with him to smoke a joint! I declined. I was also referred to as a Nubian several times. Our guide had reserved rooms at a local hotel. The hotel was old but clean, and there was a restaurant attached to the hotel. We were thankful for that because we didn’t have to hunt for suitable eating places. Aswan has a small town feel. The city sits alongside the River Nile and is surrounded by imposing granite mountains. I was told that the granite that built the Pyramids came from the mountains in Aswan. This knowledge added to the mystery remains as to how the granite was transported to Cairo. One of the attractions of Aswan is its open air bazaars selling all kinds of commodities. This caught the attention of my travel partner. However, I had other adventures to experience. Nubian Village One of the highlights of my Egypt tour was a visit to the Nubian Village. I will be forever grateful to my guide for accompanying me to the Village. It was as if he recognized that this was also going to be a spiritual journey for me. To get to the Village, we sailed on the Nile on a small fishing boat operated by Nubians. The Village was not visible from the mainland, but was concealed behind the mountains. From the Nile we could see in the distance the Mausoleum of the Aga Khan, as well as other sights. Once the boat docked, we had to climb to the top of a hill where the Village was located. We were met and escorted by one of the Chiefs, who spoke perfect English. I was given a tour of the Village and then taken to a communal room, where I was introduced to the elders. I was served the traditional mint tea and just hung out with the elders. I agreed to be dressed in the traditional Nubian dress and headdress worn by the Nubian women. The traditional dress turned out to be one of my most expensive souvenirs during my trip, but I was happy that, in exchange for their hospitality, I left some revenue for the Village. Before I left the Village, I got to meet some of the Nubian ladies, who gave me curious stares. This may have been because there was some resemblance between me and some of the ladies. They tried to persuade me to get my body tattooed with a special type of natural henna, but I decided against it.

Giza Our host family’s apartment was in Giza, a suburb of Cairo. On the day of our arrival, our host Walid had been hospitalized, but his brother-in-law, his charming wife and his three teenage sons were at the residence to greet us. One section of the apartment consisting of a double room and an adjoining bathroom was screened off for our use. Walid’s family members made us feel so completely at home that my travel partner, who was nervous at the thought of staying with an Egyptian family, changed her mind about going to a hotel. Giza is also the home of the Pyramids, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This was also the first stop on our tour the following morning. Our travel guide and lecturer for the duration of our visit was Walid’s brother-in-law. He was a dentist by profession, but he acted as a tour guide when there were visiting tourists. The Pyramids were even more awe-inspiring than I had imagined. According to our guide, there could be as many as 180 pyramids in Egypt, but the site of the largest Pyramids was in Giza. Tourists flock to see the Pyramids of Giza and ask the same questions people have been asking for centuries, which no one seems to be able to answer. How was the Pyramids built and how was it possible to transport all those huge blocks of granite without the aid of modern technology? I climbed on the bottom layer of the Pyramids, so I had a good feel for the size of each boulder. I found it amazing that the Egyptians could go about their daily lives in the midst of all this history. Close by the Pyramids was the Sphinx, which - like many of the archeological sites - seemed to appear out of the desert sand quite unexpectedly. The Sphinx was another source of fascination for me. It was an enormous monument that had been carved out of a single piece of stone. I wanted to know why part of its nose was missing and where the missing part was. I was told that the missing part was housed in the British Museum in London. This seemed to be a recurring answer when we visited other sites. I determined that on my next visit to London, I would have to visit the British Museum in order to complete my visit to Egypt! Walid kept his word about making arrangements for me to ride on a camel. Immediately after we visited the Pyramids and the Sphinx, our guide took us to a man who gave camel rides within view of the Pyramids. My camel was called Michael Jackson. When I was hoisted up on the camel, I immediately had a panic attack and had to be taken off the camel. The camels legs were so long, I had visions of the animal speeding off in the desert. In spite of the owner’s pleadings to give it a try, that was the full extent of my camel “riding” experience. I promised myself that next time, I would do better. After all that excitement, we went to a nearby restaurant to sample our first Egyptian meal. On the lower level of the restaurant, a lady was baking Egyptian bread in a special stone oven. She invited us to try our hand at baking. The baked bread was served in the restaurant and was quite delicious. I also found Egyptian food to be quite palatable. Typically, Egyptian food is served in several courses. I found the vegetable dishes to be so appetizing that I forgot what I was told by the Travel Well Clinic and ate a raw cucumber salad. I suffered the consequences for about half a day. I was really thankful that I had my tummy bug medication with me. Our trip to Aswan involved an overnight train ride. Although we traveled in a first class compartment, a sleeping car had not been reserved. Consequently, we spent the night trying to sleep in an upright position, not to mention being woken up by other passengers getting on and off the train. Rough! One advantage of traveling by train was the opportunity to see the landscape at dusk. The most memorable sight for me was seeing a large number of camels lying down and nestled underneath the trees at bedtime. Of course, there was no time for picture taking because of the speed of the train. Nevertheless, the sight was priceless and will always stay in my memory. Aswan On arrival in Aswan, I was first struck by the warmth of the locals, as well as the tropical climate. Aswan, being close to the Sudanese border is the southernmost city in Egypt and is considered the gateway to “Black” Africa. After the sometimes cooler temperature of Cairo, the warm climate was welcoming. In general, the locals had a darker complexion than the northern Egyptians (perhaps they were just suntanned). There were also many Nubians out and about in the city. Outside the train station, I had an encounter with a friendly young man. Although my head was covered, some of my locks were visible. After hearing my accent, he immediately concluded that I was a “Rastafarari,” and asked me if I wanted to go somewhere with him to smoke a joint! I declined. I was also referred to as a Nubian several times. Our guide had reserved rooms at a local hotel. The hotel was old but clean, and there was a restaurant attached to the hotel. We were thankful for that because we didn’t have to hunt for suitable eating places. Aswan has a small town feel. The city sits alongside the River Nile and is surrounded by imposing granite mountains. I was told that the granite that built the Pyramids came from the mountains in Aswan. This knowledge added to the mystery remains as to how the granite was transported to Cairo. One of the attractions of Aswan is its open air bazaars selling all kinds of commodities. This caught the attention of my travel partner. However, I had other adventures to experience. Nubian Village One of the highlights of my Egypt tour was a visit to the Nubian Village. I will be forever grateful to my guide for accompanying me to the Village. It was as if he recognized that this was also going to be a spiritual journey for me. To get to the Village, we sailed on the Nile on a small fishing boat operated by Nubians. The Village was not visible from the mainland, but was concealed behind the mountains. From the Nile we could see in the distance the Mausoleum of the Aga Khan, as well as other sights. Once the boat docked, we had to climb to the top of a hill where the Village was located. We were met and escorted by one of the Chiefs, who spoke perfect English. I was given a tour of the Village and then taken to a communal room, where I was introduced to the elders. I was served the traditional mint tea and just hung out with the elders. I agreed to be dressed in the traditional Nubian dress and headdress worn by the Nubian women. The traditional dress turned out to be one of my most expensive souvenirs during my trip, but I was happy that, in exchange for their hospitality, I left some revenue for the Village. Before I left the Village, I got to meet some of the Nubian ladies, who gave me curious stares. This may have been because there was some resemblance between me and some of the ladies. They tried to persuade me to get my body tattooed with a special type of natural henna, but I decided against it.

Giza Our host family’s apartment was in Giza, a suburb of Cairo. On the day of our arrival, our host Walid had been hospitalized, but his brother-in-law, his charming wife and his three teenage sons were at the residence to greet us. One section of the apartment consisting of a double room and an adjoining bathroom was screened off for our use. Walid’s family members made us feel so completely at home that my travel partner, who was nervous at the thought of staying with an Egyptian family, changed her mind about going to a hotel. Giza is also the home of the Pyramids, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This was also the first stop on our tour the following morning. Our travel guide and lecturer for the duration of our visit was Walid’s brother-in-law. He was a dentist by profession, but he acted as a tour guide when there were visiting tourists. The Pyramids were even more awe-inspiring than I had imagined. According to our guide, there could be as many as 180 pyramids in Egypt, but the site of the largest Pyramids was in Giza. Tourists flock to see the Pyramids of Giza and ask the same questions people have been asking for centuries, which no one seems to be able to answer. How was the Pyramids built and how was it possible to transport all those huge blocks of granite without the aid of modern technology? I climbed on the bottom layer of the Pyramids, so I had a good feel for the size of each boulder. I found it amazing that the Egyptians could go about their daily lives in the midst of all this history. Close by the Pyramids was the Sphinx, which - like many of the archeological sites - seemed to appear out of the desert sand quite unexpectedly. The Sphinx was another source of fascination for me. It was an enormous monument that had been carved out of a single piece of stone. I wanted to know why part of its nose was missing and where the missing part was. I was told that the missing part was housed in the British Museum in London. This seemed to be a recurring answer when we visited other sites. I determined that on my next visit to London, I would have to visit the British Museum in order to complete my visit to Egypt! Walid kept his word about making arrangements for me to ride on a camel. Immediately after we visited the Pyramids and the Sphinx, our guide took us to a man who gave camel rides within view of the Pyramids. My camel was called Michael Jackson. When I was hoisted up on the camel, I immediately had a panic attack and had to be taken off the camel. The camels legs were so long, I had visions of the animal speeding off in the desert. In spite of the owner’s pleadings to give it a try, that was the full extent of my camel “riding” experience. I promised myself that next time, I would do better. After all that excitement, we went to a nearby restaurant to sample our first Egyptian meal. On the lower level of the restaurant, a lady was baking Egyptian bread in a special stone oven. She invited us to try our hand at baking. The baked bread was served in the restaurant and was quite delicious. I also found Egyptian food to be quite palatable. Typically, Egyptian food is served in several courses. I found the vegetable dishes to be so appetizing that I forgot what I was told by the Travel Well Clinic and ate a raw cucumber salad. I suffered the consequences for about half a day. I was really thankful that I had my tummy bug medication with me. Our trip to Aswan involved an overnight train ride. Although we traveled in a first class compartment, a sleeping car had not been reserved. Consequently, we spent the night trying to sleep in an upright position, not to mention being woken up by other passengers getting on and off the train. Rough! One advantage of traveling by train was the opportunity to see the landscape at dusk. The most memorable sight for me was seeing a large number of camels lying down and nestled underneath the trees at bedtime. Of course, there was no time for picture taking because of the speed of the train. Nevertheless, the sight was priceless and will always stay in my memory. Aswan On arrival in Aswan, I was first struck by the warmth of the locals, as well as the tropical climate. Aswan, being close to the Sudanese border is the southernmost city in Egypt and is considered the gateway to “Black” Africa. After the sometimes cooler temperature of Cairo, the warm climate was welcoming. In general, the locals had a darker complexion than the northern Egyptians (perhaps they were just suntanned). There were also many Nubians out and about in the city. Outside the train station, I had an encounter with a friendly young man. Although my head was covered, some of my locks were visible. After hearing my accent, he immediately concluded that I was a “Rastafarari,” and asked me if I wanted to go somewhere with him to smoke a joint! I declined. I was also referred to as a Nubian several times. Our guide had reserved rooms at a local hotel. The hotel was old but clean, and there was a restaurant attached to the hotel. We were thankful for that because we didn’t have to hunt for suitable eating places. Aswan has a small town feel. The city sits alongside the River Nile and is surrounded by imposing granite mountains. I was told that the granite that built the Pyramids came from the mountains in Aswan. This knowledge added to the mystery remains as to how the granite was transported to Cairo. One of the attractions of Aswan is its open air bazaars selling all kinds of commodities. This caught the attention of my travel partner. However, I had other adventures to experience. Nubian Village One of the highlights of my Egypt tour was a visit to the Nubian Village. I will be forever grateful to my guide for accompanying me to the Village. It was as if he recognized that this was also going to be a spiritual journey for me. To get to the Village, we sailed on the Nile on a small fishing boat operated by Nubians. The Village was not visible from the mainland, but was concealed behind the mountains. From the Nile we could see in the distance the Mausoleum of the Aga Khan, as well as other sights. Once the boat docked, we had to climb to the top of a hill where the Village was located. We were met and escorted by one of the Chiefs, who spoke perfect English. I was given a tour of the Village and then taken to a communal room, where I was introduced to the elders. I was served the traditional mint tea and just hung out with the elders. I agreed to be dressed in the traditional Nubian dress and headdress worn by the Nubian women. The traditional dress turned out to be one of my most expensive souvenirs during my trip, but I was happy that, in exchange for their hospitality, I left some revenue for the Village. Before I left the Village, I got to meet some of the Nubian ladies, who gave me curious stares. This may have been because there was some resemblance between me and some of the ladies. They tried to persuade me to get my body tattooed with a special type of natural henna, but I decided against it.

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WHAT A BOOK!

Discover not only the life�s sustaining joy of Africa but the geography, the translucent and radiant beautiful sunny world of the tropical Africa. As an individual you need it. As a youth, you need it. As a corporate Executive, you need it. The children and the mothers need to come and experience Africa too! You must all come and see the real African � once you go, you will never want to come back! The spiritual essence of the motherland, Africa, is beckoning on everyone to come. Perhaps you have never travelled to this beautiful continent called Africa. Or you may have thought that it is just a country. But no, it is the home land of all mankind. The mother land of every human being who must have fed from one pot before they spread out to various countries of the world. In fact, archeologically speaking, you are really, an African! Come and experience the uniqueness of this continent � the second largest Continent on earth!
This is a book of enlightenment about where the life on earth began just few millions years ago. Here is a book that will challenge you to read and re-read again. It is a classic book which will be treasured by all the present and future generations of people throughout the world. In its portrayal of topography, its geographical and Eco-logical canaries of Africa, you will be inspired not only to come to Africa right away, but once you go, you will want to live there for good! The author is praying and hoping that soon some of the most beautiful and wealthy nations in Africa will approve and grant 35% cost reduction for business and leisure tourists to make traveling possible for all who plans to come to Africa.

WHAT A BOOK!

Discover not only the life�s sustaining joy of Africa but the geography, the translucent and radiant beautiful sunny world of the tropical Africa. As an individual you need it. As a youth, you need it. As a corporate Executive, you need it. The children and the mothers need to come and experience Africa too! You must all come and see the real African � once you go, you will never want to come back! The spiritual essence of the motherland, Africa, is beckoning on everyone to come. Perhaps you have never travelled to this beautiful continent called Africa. Or you may have thought that it is just a country. But no, it is the home land of all mankind. The mother land of every human being who must have fed from one pot before they spread out to various countries of the world. In fact, archeologically speaking, you are really, an African! Come and experience the uniqueness of this continent � the second largest Continent on earth!
This is a book of enlightenment about where the life on earth began just few millions years ago. Here is a book that will challenge you to read and re-read again. It is a classic book which will be treasured by all the present and future generations of people throughout the world. In its portrayal of topography, its geographical and Eco-logical canaries of Africa, you will be inspired not only to come to Africa right away, but once you go, you will want to live there for good! The author is praying and hoping that soon some of the most beautiful and wealthy nations in Africa will approve and grant 35% cost reduction for business and leisure tourists to make traveling possible for all who plans to come to Africa.

WHAT A BOOK!

Discover not only the life�s sustaining joy of Africa but the geography, the translucent and radiant beautiful sunny world of the tropical Africa. As an individual you need it. As a youth, you need it. As a corporate Executive, you need it. The children and the mothers need to come and experience Africa too! You must all come and see the real African � once you go, you will never want to come back! The spiritual essence of the motherland, Africa, is beckoning on everyone to come. Perhaps you have never travelled to this beautiful continent called Africa. Or you may have thought that it is just a country. But no, it is the home land of all mankind. The mother land of every human being who must have fed from one pot before they spread out to various countries of the world. In fact, archeologically speaking, you are really, an African! Come and experience the uniqueness of this continent � the second largest Continent on earth!
This is a book of enlightenment about where the life on earth began just few millions years ago. Here is a book that will challenge you to read and re-read again. It is a classic book which will be treasured by all the present and future generations of people throughout the world. In its portrayal of topography, its geographical and Eco-logical canaries of Africa, you will be inspired not only to come to Africa right away, but once you go, you will want to live there for good! The author is praying and hoping that soon some of the most beautiful and wealthy nations in Africa will approve and grant 35% cost reduction for business and leisure tourists to make traveling possible for all who plans to come to Africa.

My Papa Went to Africa is an odyssey of learning and discoveries that kids everywhere will enjoy. The story begins when a child’s grandfather takes a series of connected flights to Africa, a land with a rich history and culture. He visits countries like Kenya, Mali, and Burkina Faso, where he encounters interesting people, old customs, playful children, and outstanding animals. He continues to explore more of Africa by taking trips to places like Bamako, Sikasso, Ougadougou, Koure, and Birni N’Konni. Just what else can he discover there? Read the book to find out. Laced with colorful artwork, My Papa Went to Africa will give young readers a respectful and truthful portrayal of Africa and its people. Love, Papa

My Papa Went to Africa is an odyssey of learning and discoveries that kids everywhere will enjoy. The story begins when a child’s grandfather takes a series of connected flights to Africa, a land with a rich history and culture. He visits countries like Kenya, Mali, and Burkina Faso, where he encounters interesting people, old customs, playful children, and outstanding animals. He continues to explore more of Africa by taking trips to places like Bamako, Sikasso, Ougadougou, Koure, and Birni N’Konni. Just what else can he discover there? Read the book to find out. Laced with colorful artwork, My Papa Went to Africa will give young readers a respectful and truthful portrayal of Africa and its people. Love, Papa

This book is an unusual true-life story as seen through the Diary of a teenage girl. The book portrays the adventurous and sometimes hilarious mis-adventurous life of a young widow and her 3 children, which takes place in 4 countries - South Africa, America, Canada and England. It paints a picture of the impact of the Second World War spent in South Africa. Their family is caught, while returning on an ocean liner to South Africa for a visit, by the declaration of war in September of 1939; then five years later, once again on a boat, they are delayed for almost a year in England. This time it is because of the announcement of V-E Day. They hope they are finally on their way “home” to America. Flora Ethne, the oldest of the 3 children, starts to keep her Diary at age 14. She has an amazing way with words and describes the life of her family stranded in South Africa during the war, and her grasp of the progress of the war is vivid as she listens to the BBC radio broadcasts. It’s also a story of their Mother’s courage and resourcefulness in keeping her family together and making a home for them wherever they happen to land, always with the day-to-day hope and determination of returning to their home in America.

This book is an unusual true-life story as seen through the Diary of a teenage girl. The book portrays the adventurous and sometimes hilarious mis-adventurous life of a young widow and her 3 children, which takes place in 4 countries - South Africa, America, Canada and England. It paints a picture of the impact of the Second World War spent in South Africa. Their family is caught, while returning on an ocean liner to South Africa for a visit, by the declaration of war in September of 1939; then five years later, once again on a boat, they are delayed for almost a year in England. This time it is because of the announcement of V-E Day. They hope they are finally on their way “home” to America. Flora Ethne, the oldest of the 3 children, starts to keep her Diary at age 14. She has an amazing way with words and describes the life of her family stranded in South Africa during the war, and her grasp of the progress of the war is vivid as she listens to the BBC radio broadcasts. It’s also a story of their Mother’s courage and resourcefulness in keeping her family together and making a home for them wherever they happen to land, always with the day-to-day hope and determination of returning to their home in America.

Always desiring to take the road least traveled, in 1998 I made plans through Smith Travel in Easton, Maryland to take one very special road and explore game preserves in South and East Africa. But the roads I travel are between 3,000 and 9,000 feet above mean sea level in the left seat of a single engine airplane. And that was how I wanted to do my exploring in South and East Africa. Mr. George Sellers, a travel agent with Smith Travel at the time, was given the task of working out my travel plans. He chose Mike Johnson and Andrew Kerrich who operate Ubuntu Safaris in Johannesburg, South Africa to customize my safari, and gave them the particulars of what they should do. They were to lease a single engine airplane for me to fly beginning in late July and lasting through August, 1998, and employ someone to validate my U. S. pilot license, qualifying me to fly a plane of African Registry. A myriad of other requests were made for them to accomplish, including a trip to visit a falconer on his farm in Jacobsdal, in the Orange Free State, for an overnight stay, a hot-air balloon flight over the Serengeti with a champagne breakfast in the middle of the desert, a two hour elephant ride in the wilds of Zimbabwe, and a flight over the Indian Ocean to the Spice Island of Zanzibar. They were to work out the details of what visa’s I would need to visit game preserves in up to 10 countries in South and East Africa, and figure the cost of everything for me to pre-pay before leaving the U. S. to guard against any chance of unexpected surprises while there. The first obstacle confronting me was my age. My seventy-ninth birthday loomed less than four months away, and to qualify for insurance on the plane they leased for me, it would be necessary for me to have a co-pilot accompany me on my entire journey. I authorized them to find me a co-pilot and they engaged Ms. Kym Morton, a consultant with Ubuntu on safaris, a fifteen year veteran African bush pilot, and a grade II instructor. She agreed to validate my U.S. pilot license, and accompany me on my month long safari. To my delight, she was a member of International Women Pilots, (more prominently known as The Ninety-Nines), the same as I. Through the expertise of the people at Smith Travel, everything went along smoothly, and on the morning of July 27, I boarded my flight to New York to connect with the South African Airline for a seventeen hour flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, landing at 3:00 PM on July 28, 1998. After going through immigration, I wheeled a cart with my belongings out to the airport lobby, where I saw two handsome fellows with a large sign that read BARBARA FEADER. Assuming the obvious, I wheeled happily over to where they waited, and was soon seated in the back of their car being whisked to Lanseria Airport, just outside Johannesburg, while Mike briefed me on what plans had been made for the evening, and to meet my co-pilot, Kym, and look over the plane she had reserved for me. The plane was a high-wing Cessna Skylane 182RG similar to the one I had flown in Kalispel, Montana to take a mountain flying course in 1975, and one I had flown on safari in Australia in July and August 1978. The only difference was, it was a later model, and had retractable gear. Kym had leased the plane from the owner for our safari, but learned a day or two before I arrived that the owner had decided to sell it, leaving us without transportation. It was a squeeze play on the owner’s part to force Kym to buy the plane, and it worked, because it was too late for her to make other arrangements. Had she not done so, my safari would have been snafued. I was most grateful for her “gift” and really hoped she had not put herself in an untenable situation because of me. It was then time for Mike and Andrew to drop me at my hotel, The Hertford, a few miles away, where I was really ready for a soothing soak in a hot bath, and dinner, before bedtime. I needed a good night’s sleep for what was ahead of me on the morrow; a validation flight to Jacobsdal to prove that I could fly a plane I had never flown before, in a country I had never flown in before, with a strange young lady I had never flown with before. What would happen if she did not think my skill as a pilot was up to scratch? I decided I’d better say my prayer’s very carefully before climbing into bed that night. My validation flight to Jacobsdal was nothing out of the ordinary until we started to land on the newly scraped narrow farm strip at the Squires farm. Two goats decided it was a good time to skitter across at our touchdown point. We skimmed over them by a wooly inch or two and landed safely. Back in Lanseria the next morning, Kym said she had some business to take care of that day and our safari would begin the following day. Knowing our safari was now a certainty, I breathed a mite easier while Andrew and I motored to Pretoria to enjoy a day at a Cheetah Breeding Station, while Kym made preparations for a month long absence from her business. The following morning, after going through immigrations at Lanseria we bade goodbye to Mike and Andrew, and Kym’s parents, and I made a final check of our plane, ZS-MWT (MIKE WHISKEY TANGO) waiting on the tarmac in front of the entrance to the airport, climbed into the left seat, buckled myself in, and Kym joined me in the right seat. After a final check, I yelled ‘CLEAR’ and started the engine. Kym called the tower for our clearance to taxi, and I moved out on to the taxiway. At the runup area I did a final runup and was cleared to taxi onto the runway. Shortly afterward, I was cleared for take off. Advancing the throttle for full power for a smooth ground roll down the runway, I lifted off into a near perfect African sky. My safari had begun. Three hours later, after landing at Maun, in Botswana, clearing immigration, refueling, and filing our flight plan, we were in the air again for a short hop to a tiny airstrip that serviced the Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavanga Delta. As we landed, we observed several huge elephants grazing alongside the airstrip. Our transportation, a large Land Rover and driver, was waiting to drive us about a mile on a narrow dirt road through the bush to the Xakanaxa Luxury Tented Camp. Two nights and a day spent there offered the opportunity for an early morning trail ride to see numerous animals and birds, and an afternoon boat ride on the beautiful river through swamp lands to view different kinds of birds and unusual plants and trees. It was Sunday morning when we took off from the Moremi Game Reserve airstrip, after waiting for a herd of elands to clear out, and flew on a northeasterly heading to Kasane, in Zambia via a flight over Victoria Falls before proceeding to the airport at Livingstone where transportation was furnished by Legends of Africa. The van and driver waited at the airport to take us to the fabulous River Club on the banks of the Zambezi River. Livingstone was the jumping off place, so to speak, as far as communications were concerned, and after a long wait at a communication center in Zimbabwe, Kym got a call through to Ubuntu, reporting our progress and checking on her business. After that, we proceeded to locations far afield in the African bush. Our continuing flights took us to landings in Ndola, Kasaba Bay, in Zambia, Dodoma, a military base in Tanzania, the slopes of Kilimanjaro, The Nsolo Bush Camp, in Lilongue, Club Makakola in Malawi, Kariba, in Zimbabwe, Kiplings Lodge, and Bulawayo, Back in Botswana, we landed in Francistown, to clear immigration and customs before continuing to Jack’s Camp in the Pans at the Kalahari Desert. A couple of days there and we proceeded to Gabarone to clear immigration and customs back into South Africa, and a final landing back at the Lanseria airport, where I released the plane, and prepared to spend a few days in the company of friends I had made whilst there, and to meet Winnie Graham, the Travel Editor for The Star, Johannesburg’s leading newspaper, who had called for an interview. All told, we had flown almost 5,000 nautical miles, landed in some very exotic places, and photographed some fabulous animals and birds. On the evening of the 26th of August, I boarded South African Airways flight #201 for my flight back to the U.S. In the dark of the night as we flew high over the waters of the vast Atlantic Ocean, I received an invitation to join the crew in the cockpit of the huge plane, and spent an hour telling them about my exciting safari, and listening to them tell me about the avionic displays that were second nature to them, but mind boggling to me. My visit with those two very nice young pilots was a special delight on which to end my sojourn in Africa.