It took me a while to get back to Africa after my Peace Corps assignment there from 1965-67. When my feet first touched African soil at Roberts Field in Liberia, Peace Corps was a baby of four and I barely qualified as a young adult at 22. That was 58 years ago. I always wanted to go back, but there was a lifetime of other things that needed to be seen and done…
Peggy and I made up for our lack of African travel this year. In February we flew off to Egypt and boated up the Nile to celebrate my 80th birthday. It was an incredible experience, packed with ancient history and magnificent structures stretching back over 5000 years.
Now, we have just returned from a journey to the southern part of the African continent that included national parks in Botswana and Zimbabwe, Lake Kariba, Victoria Falls and Cape Town. It was equal to, if not more impressive than our Egypt adventure. Imagine a herd of several dozen wild elephants joining us for dinner by drinking out of a swimming pool located next to our dining table.
Our recent trip started with a call from Peggy’s brother, John Dallen. Eleven years ago we took a delightful repositioning cruise with him, his wife Frances and friends Lee and Kathy Saaga, exploring the Mediterranean before sailing across the Atlantic back home. Since then, John has called several times with offers to join Frances and him in exploring the world. There were some great trips. But, as John likes to note, our travel styles differ substantially. If he is going to be out for six months, each day is carefully planned and reservations made, normally at four and five star hotels. If Peggy and I travel for six months, we have a vague idea of where we are going and make reservations a day in advance, if then. We once travelled for a year without making one. Our normal mode of travel is with a van or small travel trailer— or, putting our backpacks on and disappearing into the wilderness.
This time, John made us an offer we couldn’t refuse. “Would you like to go on an African safari with us?” It took us five seconds to say yes. There would be hippos and lions and elephants to see, not to mention leopards, wart hogs, baboons and numerous other animals and birds. I will be featuring the places we visited and the wildlife we saw in our next several posts.
Today’s photos will give you a taste of what to expect. Peggy was traveling with her usual camera, a Canon EOS Rebel with a 20 to 300 mm Tamron lens. For Africa, I upgraded from my pocket Canon Power Shot to a different version, a Canon Power Shot SX 70 HS. Due to the miracle of modern technology it comes with a 21 to 1365 35mm equivalent lens and weighs just over a pound. It made it possible for us to capture photos like the hippo above.
Wandering through Time and Place 
Curtis, what a great start to your blogging of our Africa trip. Looking forward to about a hundred more! Thanks to you and Peggy for traveling with us.
Thanks, John. Maybe not a hundred, but lots. We enjoyed the trip with you and Frances. Fun.
It’s good to know you haven’t been eaten by a lion or trampled by an elephant. One question: what does Bone think about all this?
He was really irritated that he couldn’t go, Linda, especially given the elephant bones we came across! We should add run down by a Cape buffalo, eaten by a crocodile, or sunk by a hippo to your list of potential disaster. There was also the puff adder that came slithering across our path. Grin.
Great pics! Loved the elephants drinking from the pool during dinner.
Thanks, David. The elephants drinking out of the pool was one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ experiences! I’ll have more photos of that in my next post.
Great pictures, Curt. You truly seem to like it over there.
Been meaning to ask you, do you remember Richard Moll (Bull on Night Court) from college? He was born in 1943, went to Berkley and was a member of Kappa Alpha.
Thanks, G. As for Richard Moll, no. I wasn’t in a fraternity. That and 50,000 plus students. Grin.
Color me green, Curt. Alie had a wonderful trip to sub-Saharan Africa in 1967 and always wanted me to visit there as did a number of people in my days at A.I.D., but I always had reasons to put it off. Now she can’t handle the heat, and I wouldn’t go without her. But I can read about it and get such vicarious pleasure as is available.
I’m ever so glad we were able to make it, Ray. What an experience. Like Alie, I was wandered around East Africa in 1967 when I flew across from my Peace Corps assignment in Liberia, rented a VW bug and dover 1800 miles through the National Parks.
Alie’s sister taught in Kenya for two years. Her family paid for Alie to go see her after which she went on a photo safari but did not take picture. 🤔 But she came back with many wonderful experiences.
Was her sister in the Peace Corps, Ray. Peggy and I made up for it in the taking photos, category. We probably took enough for 10 people!
She taught math in a Quaker School in [I believe] Kisumu although she was not a Quaker. I think I may have mentioned before that my deputy at A.I.D. went on to be General Counsel of the Peace Corps, although he was never a volunteer himself.
Quaker school. That’s an interesting connection. Nope, you never shared that info. Or it’s possible that I forgot. 🙂 When was he GC, Ray. Also, put this under possibly forgot. Did you work out of Washington in Admin or did you have an overseas assignment?
I was Assistant Administrator for Legislation under Bush One. He was GC under Bush Two.
Thanks, Ray.
WOW Curt, what an amazing adventure! I love the lion’s fuzzy paws! (At least… fuzzy while the claws are in :))
Thanks, Anne. The lions were 100% cat, no doubt about it. 🙂
What an amazing collection of wildlife photos!
And it is only the beginning, Diana. 🙂
Fabulous photos. Looking forward to more.
Alison
Many more to come! Grin. Did you and Don ever make it there?
Not Don, but I did 4 month overland trip through Africa from Johannesburg to London back in 1980 – truly epic!
A.
I’ll bet. 🙂 Bone had done that journey, but not me.
Great stuff, Curt, look forward to more observations – personal and pictorial!
There will be plenty of both, Dave! Thanks. Next up elephants… A heavy subject. Grin.
Sp[endid, Curt, one can never have enough elephants!
Check out today’s post, Dave. We had a very interesting experience with the elephants.
Sounds fascinating, will do!
love all of your pics Curt and the captions. We have guinea fowl next door that eat the tics off the goats same concept but they are load. What an amazing trip and can’t wait for the next installment. Now and then are fun to revisit. Thanks for sharing! 💗🦁🦁🐯🐯🐘🐘
Laughing at the Emojis, Cindy. Appropriate. Pics galore. It’s taking me a full week to process and organize them. Hopefully, I’ll have a post on elephants by the end of the week! Incredible animals. Thanks. 🐘
Hi Curt, these are fantastic photos, and I especially love the elephants and lions. Although the croc made me smile (from a distance). So happy you and Peggy were able to go on such a wonderful adventure. 😁
Thanks, Lauren. Every day brought something new. We were in five different locations including a houseboat and tent camp. Each location was an adventure unto itself. We were exhausted by the end of three weeks, but wow! We are still in recovery. 🙂
Looks and sounds like it was a fantastic safari! Lucky things 😀
It was wild! Grin. To say the least, AC.
Fun to see that old photo of you, Curt. There must have been a B&W version in your book? But I don’t recall it. Anyway, super photos and I expect nothing less from you and Peggy both. It must have been so fun to use the new camera and lens.
No photos in the book, Crystal, but if I redo it, it’s a good idea. The lens was a kick. You will be seeing lots of closeups. Grin. I couldn’t have captured the story on Elephants rescuing an elephant that I posted today without it.
I guess one benefit to living a long life is the chance for multiple “trips of a lifetime.” It looks like you’ve scored again. Nice start, and I look forward to seeing more.
The elephants are up today. Interesting story, Dave. Definitely worth checking out. And I like ‘multiple trips of a lifetime.’ The more the merrier!
Great photos, including the old Peace Corps one. Such awesome close-ups of the animals. I actually did know the little hyrax’s relatives but only because we saw them on a safari also (kind of cheating!).
You get an A on the hyrax, Lexi. I certainly didn’t. 🙂 I always enjoy my old Peace Corps photos. There aren’t many, given those were the days when film and processing were expensive. I shudder to think how many photos I would have had with today’s cameras. I’ve really been enjoying taking the close-ups. I bought my new lightweight PowerShot SX 70 with its 21-1365 mm equivalent lens just before we left. One of the best investments I’ve made. 🙂 Thanks. –Curt
What wonderful photos and fun, Curt. Happy 80th and what a great way to celebrate – dining with elephants. My husband travels more like John, and though I’m not as much as a free spirit as you and Peggy, I’d like to be a bit more spontaneous. And I’m so glad you got back to Africa. I enjoyed your book immensely, and I can imagine how wonderful it was to return to the continent. 🙂
First, thanks D on the book comment. Much appreciated. Second, it was a treat to get back to Africa. We even visited a village that wasn’t all that different from what I experienced in the 60s. But then there was a solar panel on someone’s roof and cell phones… I’ll do a post on the village. But mainly, we reveled in the wildlife, absolutely incredible! Check out the elephant post today. I’m lucky that Peggy shares my passion for wandering and adventure. Going to Burning Man and putting on a backpack and backpacking with me, being two examples. On the other hand, I had no problem traveling up the Rhine and Nile with her on quite comfy river boats. 🙂
I’ll be over to check out the elephants! And I thought your book was excellent, which makes your return to Africa all the more special. You and Peggy are on an adventure and that’s pretty special too. See you soon!
Peggy and I do love our adventures. Grin. And thank’s again for your kind words.
Happy 80th Curt!! I enjoyed your book, so of course, these blog entries are equally wonderful!!
First, thanks for reading the book. Grin. 80th is going well so far. 81 is just around the bend. Darn those years come fast.