Africa At Last

[Datchew]

Some of you are excellent writers.
My strengths lie elsewhere.... At least that's the theory I'm told and so I'll keep looking for them.

This will be mostly pics, comments, musings, and possibly some bitching and moaning (when and if appropriate) to eventually resemble my own bastardized version of a trip report.

There's nothing like having timely updates, and this will be nothing like having timely updates as I have business in a couple other countries before stepping foot on African soil.

I don't need to name the countries as they come only loosely into this adventure but I can tell you they speak French and the queens (king's now right?) English but with extra vowels and wot wot.

I like to start most journeys with Tolkien, Chesterton, Lewis or Herriot.
This one, Jimmy got the pull.
He's good company with breakfast and a little Tito's and tonic after the San Antonio construction traffic.

Primary gear is ready and stowed with the nice airlines people.
The rest is business clothes (monkey suit) clean undies, toothbrush, books, backpack, and a credit card.

Cheers!

 

[Mekaniks]

Great! Looking forward to following along

 

[DieJager]

Nice. Will follow this thread. Nice to have the perfect shot mini edition with you, habit that I also have. Is always with me when travelling to Africa. Enjoy and wmh!

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Excellent choice in Herriot. Love his books. Hope you have safe travels and a successful hunt.

 

[Hank2211]

Did I miss where in Africa you were going?!

 

[Philip Glass]

Have a great safari!

 

[miket1]

Will be following, good luck!

 

[Novice Huntress]

Safe travels, have a great trip, enjoy every morning and look forward to what the day will bring on your Safari.

 

[7mmFan]

safe travels and looking forward to it!

 

[Datchew]

@Hank2211 - Joberg. then up in the madikwe area.

Paris is lovely this time of year for a stopover if your sitting outside in shorts drinking wine and watching the scenery, both the stationary and non-stationary.
(forget the baguette? Don't worry they'll remind you. )

But if you're working instead, you get to sweat out 2 suits at the air show.

Still, a little sightseeing of the haunts is always fun.

The French don't seem to have embraced HVAC as much as I'd like, but I always forgive them when I get to the food.

Then, under the pond to London via my favorite way to travel, Eurostar.

It's crazy that you can be enjoying a gin n tonic (you know... to get your anti-malaria quinine juices flowing) while rolling under the channel at 180 mph and yet the Paris trains can't get the HVAC scene together.
C'est la vie.

Pop up a couple hours later in London for a few days work.
Stage one in the can.

 

[Datchew]

I'll keep the tourism stuff to a dull roar but my daughter graduated this spring so she got to fly over to London for the weekend for a reward.

We celebrated with her having a meat pasty from Paddington station, and some pub fish n chips and her first hand-pulled bitter as well as a few touristy visits. Good times.

Mind you, this is loosely supposed to resemble a hunting thread (eventually) so here's a hunting bit.

I'm not a lion hunter but I've read some heated threads about different types of lion hunts so I found this one a bit funny.

650 BC Ninevah (as made famous by one prophet named Jonah) is the date on this piece of art.

The king had boys release lions from cages and then climb into protective cages to escape becoming a snack (Imagine having that job.)
Bodyguards also were employed to protect the king and to prevent the lions from escaping so I guess this wasn't a legit free range hunt.
I'm sure sportsmen had opinions on the matter even back then.

My opinions, however, are on the kings beard. Just look at that thing!! I bet it could stop a 9mm bullet!