Archive for the ‘Safari Tales’ Category

Matt Lauer visits Namibia! Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie from the Today Show are in Namibia to explore southern Africa’s much underrated safari holiday destination as part of the 2011 “Where in the World is Matt Lauer?” series.

When Matt Lauer visits Namibia he discovers Namibia’s beautiful landscapes and thriving wildlife populations. Boasting twice the size of California and with a population at around 2 million (most of which live in the far north) Namibia is immense even by African standards. 40% of the land is protected by private land concessions, national parks, or game reserves giving both its wildlife and people freedom to roam unobstructed. It’s no wonder Namibia’s popularity is about to EXPLODE!

Specifically stated in its constitution, conservation is very important to the culture of Namibia. Namibia is leading the way for other African nations in being the first country to actively translocating endangered species from national parks to communal conservancies. (For more about communal conservancies check out Conservancy Safaris in Namibia)

Matt Lauer visits Namibia taking viewers from across America to Namibia’s Skeleton Coast south to the red sand dunes of Sossusvlei, introducing them to the wildlife of Etosha National Park while setting out to track down the desert elephants in Damaraland. It’s no wonder when Matt Lauer visits Namibia he quickly realizes both the amazing beauty of endless horizons and ever-changing terrain.

Okay, Matt Lauer Visits Namibia, But Tell Me More about the Areas he Visits…

The Skeleton Coast is one of Namibia’s most mysterious and bewitching places. Its incomprehensible size, vastness, and isolation are what feared the European seafarers and kept Namibia out of reach to European colonization for so many centuries. Today, the same feelings are aroused, luring travelers towards the treacherous coastline and large desert wastes.

The best way to comprehend the Skeleton Coast is by light aircraft. Pleasure flights based in Swakopmund offer half/full day flight packages over the dunes and offer guests a very unique perspective to how large the national park actually is. Basically it stretches along the south Atlantic coast from the Angolan border down to the Orange River that borders with South Africa.

Another way to enjoy the Skeleton Coast…

Matt Lauer visits Namibia and skis down sand dunes in the Namib Desert. Whether you’re sandboarding down dunes, kayaking with seals, exploring the Moon landscape, on an educational tour to learn more about the desert and its species that find refuge in it, Swakopmund activities allow for adventure and leisure to delve deeper into Namibia’s environment.

When Matt Lauer visits Namibia his colleague Savannah (an appropriate name for Namibia don’t you think?) travels north to Damaraland to catch sight of the desert adapted Elephant. Damaraland is also the place Prince William and his wife Kate chose to honeymoon after their royal wedding. (More about tracking desert elephant in Namibia)

North of the Huab River the Namibian government has set aside land specifically for tourism as a measure to limit development and keep the area in its natural state. These open lands are commonly known as concession areas and are sparsely developed with only few locals and their livestock roaming the lands. The area is diverse, from rolling mountains to bush covered hills and the flat savannas each home to a variety of Namibia’s vegetation, including mopane forests.

It is common to catch sight of herds of Hartmann’s mountain zebra, oryx, springbok, and giraffe marauding through the hills. Steenbok, kudu, baboon, and black rhino are also known to inhabit the area, but are less likely to be seen. And with such game comes predators, including leopards, cheetahs, and lions. In the far reaches of Damaraland, on the edge of Kaokoland (where the Himba people live. Himba tours), black-faced impala, the Damara dik-dik, and the desert elephant can be seen. Our friends who dominate the sky are also abundant in the area, as well as ten endemic bird species including the Ruppells korhaan and the Monteiro hornbill.

When Matt Lauer visits Namibia he talks about cheetah. In fact, Namibia is home to the world’s largest cheetah population and there are more wildlife then people! Wouldn’t you want to walk a land where there are more wildlife then people?

Is the terrain and roads as rugged as Matt proclaimed?

For most visitors their itinerary will keep them to roads that are paved (tarred) and in excellent condition. And even for those with itineraries traveling on dirt roads, again they are maintained and in superb condition. It is only for those who want to really leave the traditional path that will require a 4×4 vehicle due to truly rugged roads.

Namibia is a Great place for a family vacation

From familiar foods and dishes, safety, great infrastructure and clean drinking water to the traditional creature comforts people living in the West are accustomed to; Namibia is the perfect African safari destination for families. Oh, and did I mention malaria is non-existent in the lower 2/3 of the country? Yup, a very large malaria-free zone guarantees to keep your children out of harm’s way.

A vacation to Namibia is also one that can suite all budgets from bed and breakfast to luxury establishments. From camping to 5 star lodges. You can find it all in Namibia.

Matt Lauer visits Namibia, ideal 10-12 day Itinerary includes the following highlights

• Sossusvlei / Skeleton Coast
• Swakopmund and all its activities
• Damaraland: the desert elephants and Himba peoples
• Etosha National Park
• The Cheetah Conservation Fund or Africat Foundation in the Waterberg Plateau region

Namibia stands out as the ultimate southern Africa safari destination—a stunning, untamed slice of nature with stability and luxury to spare. Matt Lauer visits Namibia today, when will you?

 

Here are some other African Safari related resources you may find of value and interest. Beware, THEY WILL LEAVE THIS SITE. First, bookmark this page then click on the link.


International Spotlight: Africa on the Agenda
Insider - Winona Ryder : People.com

Our annual Lucky Star Marathon and Erindi Game Reserve Safari was a success! With jammed packed wildlife viewing, lots of good eating, and a fantastic run along the south Atlantic coast and the Namib Desert the groups participants came to Namibia with one goal in mind; to see lots of wildlife and run a marathon.

Mizuno Running sponsored the tour by offering a Namibia Running Dream Prize competition to citizens throughout Europe. After 35,000 entries only 5 people won. Each of those 5 winners could then bring a friend and/or loved one with them. And thus our group was born.

Meeting the group flying from the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and Germany at the airport the tour officially began. We then set them up at Heja Game Lodge for some game viewing and relaxation before heading to the real wildlife of Namibia at Erindi Game Reserve the next morning.

With excitement running high (even after a couple hours drive) we arrived at Erindi Game Reserve with smiles and cameras flashing. We were greeted by luxurious lodging and a waterhole home to hundreds of crocodile and a pod of hippo. Zebra and springbok were cautiously escaping the Namibian heat with a drink from the same waterhole the hungry crocodiles lazily lurked.  We ate a buffet style lunch overlooking this view and the group was excited for the evening’s game drive.

Over two nights and 4 game drives we were able to come across a mildly aggressive male lion, white rhino, elephant, giraffe, a pack of African wild dog, wildebeest, hartebeest, springbok, baboon, waterbuck and a whole lot more!

Then it was on to the Swakopmund Hotel before heading to Walvis Bay to the Lucky Star Marathon’s starting line. The group registered for their race with 2 members running the entire marathon and 9 choosing for the 10 km race. Though the half-marathon was offered there was no one interested.

The group stole the attention and was interviewed by the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation to be part of the news story on Namibian television covering the Lucky Star Marathon.

That night we prepared the runners with German fare at the Brauhaus. The next morning we awoke to a light rain. The 2 marathon runners were transported to the Lucky Star Marathon starting line at Walvis Bay while the remaining group walked to the 10 km starting line in Swakopmund. The weather was perfect for such a race and only 450 runners partook in the entire event.

Running next to barefooted children and long stride Namibians the group ran strong, including group member Lynsey O’Niel from Scotland finishing 3^rd in the women’s 10km race.

In the afternoon the group cured their Lucky Star Marathon running aches and pains with cold beer at Oktoberfest and fresh seafood at the Tug.

Not wanting to end the excitement quite yet the group went sandboarding in Swakopmund and purchased their African souvenirs at Okahandja open market before saying goodbye to Namibia.

It was a success for everyone and I want to thank all the group members for the amazing tour we shared. And if words didn’t paint the picture for you, watch the video…

 

Sign Up For Next Year’s Lucky Star Marathon and Wildlife Safari…

 

Here are some other African Safari related resources you may find of value and interest. Beware, THEY WILL LEAVE THIS SITE. First, bookmark this page then click on the link.


AOL.com Video - African Safari Safety Tips
Safar-is | Define Safar-is at Dictionary.com

The Art of Vagabonding with my new book Sleeping with Strangers. Traveling means many different things to many different people. For some traveling are white sand beaches, reading, and sunburns. To others its hectic security lines during Thanksgiving weekend. But for those who pursued, discovered and become addicted to travel, it is a lifestyle.

As travel writer Rolf Potts said, “All I ever really needed to know I learned while Vagabonding.”

There is so much truth packed into that one sentence. Vagabonding is an eduction. Rick Steves (America’s leading authority on European travel) has also expressed the importance of exploring, learning, and accepting foreign cultures as being the best education one can receive.

I often get asked why Africa? Sure I’m Managing Director of Wild Safari Africa, but that wasn’t the case 5 years ago. Five years ago I set out on a journey that introduced me to Africa. It was my entrance into the vagabonding lifestyle. Until you have been yourself you’ll never understand the continents seducing qualities; it’s magic.

My story begins by doing something I had never done before. Living simply (as all true vagabonding travelers know). At the time I didn’t have a goal to write a book or begin a career in African safaris.

I often find the stories of how a business began more intriguing than the product or services they offer. I think of the entrepreneurs putting their life savings into creating a life around their passion. How they slept on their couch because they couldn’t afford a bed. How they scraped by, holding onto nothing other than their own faith that their idea is going to bear fruit.

In the About section of Wild Safari Africa’s website you can read how this tour operator began. But to really dig into the depths of the detailed and adventurous story of how it really began that’s where Sleeping with Strangers: A Vagabond’s Journey Tramping the Globe comes in. Read about my surprised love affair with southern Africa and its people. How I couldn’t stop there but was always pulled back to the region.

Just as John Steinbeck took us across the American frontier in Travels with Charley, I’ll take you across the world in Sleeping with Strangers. 

My definition of the art of vagabonding is intricately told through my story that takes readers across the world, hitchhiking through rural Africa, on endless train rides through bustling India, on foot through the Himalaya, traveling by rickshaw in Thailand, by boat in Laos, and ferries in Vietnam. In the course of my epic and enlightening journey tramping the globe, I endure danger, delay, and dismaying circumstances.

This is the story of how Wild Safari Africa began. This is a story of vagabonding. Check out Chapters 1-4 by clicking on the link below and downloading the pdf file.

Sleeping with Strangers Chapters 1-4

“The trick to travel writing,” says Paul Theroux (perhaps today’s best travel writer), “is to discover places that force you to look rather than merely sightsee.”

That is our goal when planning and guiding safaris to southern Africa. We strive to immerse your experience into something deeper than you ever imagined. It was also my goal in writing this book. It’s about nurturing a dream and discovering a passion.

Where will your dream take you? Will you dare discover your own art of vagabonding?

 

Here are some other African Safari related resources you may find of value and interest. Beware, THEY WILL LEAVE THIS SITE. First, bookmark this page then click on the link.


Twitter / Travel Africa: South African Safari A Mor ...
Izak Barnard - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

I’m very excited to announce our guided group safari for this year’s Lucky Star Marathon in Namibia with Mizuno Running.

Back in late January of this year I received an email saying, “Dear Jeremy, We are currently running a pan-European ‘dream prize’ competition to Namibia on behalf of global sportswear company Mizuno and we’re extremely keen to see if you can help with all our tour organising?”

Now for you that don’t know, Mizuno is BIG.

Mizuno Corporation was established in Osaka, Japan in 1906 by Rihachi Mizuno. Since their founding, they have taken special pride and pleasure in being able to participate in the exciting world of sports and providing sports equipment of the highest quality. Today they have offices across the world including the U.S., UK, and Japan to just name a few.

When they contacted me I will admit I had to read the email a couple times to really let it sink in.

After several exchanged conversations we worked out a program. It was my pleasure to organize and prepare to conduct this tour for Mizuno. It will be my 4^th time working and leading groups to the Lucky Star Marathon in October and especially excited for this one as it will bring together a group of 7 different nationalities from North America, Europe, and Namibia.

Now contrary to popular belief, though it will be very hot in the month of October, the race is conducted along the cool south Atlantic Antarctic waters on the edge of the Namib Desert. Race participants will enjoy the cool mist and fog as they run from Walvis Bay to Swakopmund.

But before the marathon the group will conduct a several day safari at Erindi Private Game Reserve and finish with a relaxing time at the coastal town of Swakopmund.

Over the past couple months I often wondered how it was a company like Mizuno found and decided to seek the services of Wild Safari Africa. I can only conclude it was simply because we deliver unique tours that deliver top-notch service.

I will be with the Mizuno group from September 24 – October 3. Then I will travel north to Etosha National Park for another safari before coming home in mid-October.  I will certainly write a trip report to tell you how the safari went.

View our complete list of unique Namibia tours.

 

Here are some other African Safari related resources you may find of value and interest. Beware, THEY WILL LEAVE THIS SITE. First, bookmark this page then click on the link.


Order 2011-10-11 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DEPARTMENT ...
African skimmer encyclopedia topics | Reference.com

Last week was MONUMENTAL for the continuing success of Wild Safari Africa.  With a burning desire to continue our efforts to bring sustainable social entrepreneurship to the countries we visit and hold dear to our hearts, I thought it be imperative we explore how Wild Safari Africa could give back just a little bit more.  After searching high and low, Empower Women in Africa, Inc. presented itself and shined.

With hundreds of organizations to choose from,

it is my pleasure to have selected Empower Women in Africa, Inc. and Executive Director and founder Lori Schippers vision as Wild Safari Africa’s 2011 organization of choice.

From the first time I was introduced to Namibian children –boys and girls –I was filled with greater love than I could have ever imagined.  The hospitability showered upon me from the village elders could have offered even the most uncomfortable of visitors to feel right at home, and the genuine concern for me and my own family was more than I could have ever imagined from subsistent farmers and rural peoples’ in the far north of Namibia.   Equally, the same can be said about Lori Schippers and everyone at Empower Women in Africa.

What is Empower Women in Africa and what exactly do they do?

Empower Women in Africa, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that brings economic and educational opportunities to women and girls in rural Namibia, empowering them by giving them the skills to improve their lives, and those around them.

Education is the key to overcoming the poverty and gender inequity that many individuals are born into in the developing world. By working locally to support girls in their education and women in securing a job, communities will be transformed and lives will be changed.

This is why I was excited to present an offer to Empower Women in Africa.

For every safari planned and booked through us, Wild Safari Africa will donate US$25 to Empower Women in Africa.

As you can imagine, everyone at Empower Women in Africa was thrilled and happily accepted the offer.

Although Wild Safari Africa has teamed up with Empower Women in Africa, all contributions made will  only assist in making the vision of Lori Schippers and Empower Women in Africa a reality sooner than later.  Empower Women in Africa’s sustainability, continued growth, and expanding outreach made me a sound believer and I hope you can see, like I can, the same sun light to many bright futures to come.  The time is now.  Join us and forever invest in the lives of hundreds of young Namibian children who otherwise would be growing into a world of uncertainty.

I encourage you to learn more about this brilliant organization –

Help Empower Women in Africa spread the buzz on facebook -

To taking that extra step,

Jeremy

Managing Director

 

 

Here are some other African Safari related resources you may find of value and interest. Beware, THEY WILL LEAVE THIS SITE. First, bookmark this page then click on the link.


Flickr: Flame of Africa
Tiger Woods -- African Safari? | TMZ.com

Travelers react to poverty differently. For many (especially US travelers) it is their first time witnessing extreme poverty.

Snotty nosed kids, tattered clothes, shoeless children, toothless mothers begging and dangling malnourished babies off their hips, lepers crippled, the blind holding their hands out without direction are all common sights throughout the developing world.

A medieval vision to spook the mind.

Some find it easiest to ignore, others break down and cry, some take photo’s to raise awareness; others ignorantly hand out gifts without thought of the future.

A couple weeks ago a traveler planning to visit Namibia mentioned on tripadvisor she would “like to take with us some gifts for children…Also the best place to hand these gifts in so that they go to where they are most needed.”

I recommended to ‘barter’ and ‘trade’ for souvenir’s – as an ALTERNATIVE – suggesting it is a bad idea to just give hand-outs to children and adults.

Surprised, my comment sparked in uproar with other’s in the Namibia, tripadvisor community.

In response, one comment said, “All very well bartering until you find a remote school where the kids don’t have shoes…Apart from the warm glow I get from bringing a little happiness into someone’s life, I don’t really look for anything in return.”

This reminded me of something.

DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS! – National Parks are glittered with these signs. There is a reason for it; if you feed a wild animal today, will you feed it tomorrow? And the day after? Because if you don’t YOU will KILL them!

The same goes for when travelers react to extreme poverty by handing out free-bee’s to feel better about their emotions.

These uneasy emotions are the most NATURAL of feelings and I would be worried if you didn’t feel bad.

However, when travelers react this way it becomes a destructive, self-righteous mission, that is neither good for the people in the developing world OR yourself.

Developing countries are in a critical time in history; either they will grow into a productive, contributing member of our globalized world, or they won’t.

Children are cute –even when they’re wearing tatters. Not too many people think the same about a mangy grown man begging.

Do the people, of what ever country you visit, the kindest of favors – give BUT only if you receive something in return. Trade for souvenirs at the craft market, exchange photographs, sample a meal, or ask to tour a homestead – in exchange for your gift.

That way you can GIVE, feel positive about your deed, boost your karma, AND receive something in return, making them feel like they had to WORK for what they got. THIS single act will benefit both that person and the cultural mentality shared, working towards a productive, self-sufficient future. It’s a win –win situation and stories will be told on each side, guaranteed.

To creative giving,

Jeremy

P.S. A portion of your Safari payment is donated to the Uukwaluudhi people and children at Nambula Combined School – the school I had the pleasure of teaching English.

Here are some other African Safari related resources you may find of value and interest. Beware, THEY WILL LEAVE THIS SITE. First, bookmark this page then click on the link.


"""Africa burning: A thematic analysis of the Southern African Regional ..."
Tusker Safaris of Southern Africa - Jan Kleynhans - YouTube

An African marathon. This is not your typical safari.

The pitter-patter of bare feet slapped against the paved two lane highway.  The cool blanket of fog hung low in the sky.  To their left were the fiercely cold waters of the south Atlantic.  To their right mountains of sand, drifting and scurrying across the highway; it was the Namib Desert and they were running an African marathon.

The number “041” was printed beneath the Lucky Star logo.  The boy ran next to a taller girl whose stride was longer than his.  Another man drifted off the two bare footed runners; he wore cross-training shoes, a hat with a small brim, sunglasses, and his nose was covered in pasty-white sunscreen. It was both their dreams to run in an African marathon.

Together, the three strangers pushed and pulled each other closer to the finish line.

Once I had volunteered at a track meet in the town of Tsumeb, Namibia.  African’s competed against the whites.  The whites had shoes and starting blocks.  Only some of the African’s wore shoes.

The advantages of one group were the disadvantage of the other, yet the races were close.

At another time a student of mine in the village had talent.  The first race I saw Maria run, was on a make-shift track, around a few trees, a pile of stones, and finishing past a line drawn in the dirt.  She dodged herds of goat and went around the stray cow; all without shoes.

Her talents got her on the Namibian national team.  She joined the Namibian team in Botswana to compete.  She came home with a Bronze.  She was disappointed by her performance, she knew her speed was quicker, however they made her wear shoes that slowed her down.  She was much faster without shoes, sprinting across the ground in bare feet, her everyday “shoe.”

At today’s African marathon,

these kids came from the far corners of their country, from the deepest of villages, to the town of Swakopmund to run a marathon.  Some were lucky to have shoes, some fit while others were a size too large or too small, yet they were still worn.

Annually, Etosha Fish hosts the Lucky Star Marathon between Namibia’s coastal towns of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. It’s the best African marathon I have ever seen. Open to the public, hundreds of Namibian students flock to the event and compete against other Namibians and foreign nationals from across southern Africa, Europe, and America.

It is an incredible opportunity to experience, whether you’re running or casually relaxing and cheering on the athletes.

I had recently read a quote simply saying “life is a marathon, not a sprint.”

Namibia, Africa is a place that follows this motto better than anywhere else on earth.  The athletes run with passion and celebrate with ease.  No hurries, no worries.  Namibian students study hard in hopes of a better future, a future where one day they may be able to buy their own shoes. Perhaps to compete in another African marathon.  Winning is recognized, yet it’s the travels and new journey’s these young Namibians experienced that sprouted the most smiles.

For many of these athletes, this was their first time visiting Swakopmund and the ocean!  Their collective spirit was contagious.  Our bus ride home, back to the village, was filled with joyous stories, stories that continue to be relived each and everyday.

However, that was their story. This is your story:

http://wildsafariafrica.com/budget-safari/namibian-marathon-wildlife-safari/

Will your story fill the room with contagious joy?

To running without shoes,

Pass the baton, and forward this story on to all your friends who run. Especially those adventurous ones who might be interested in running an African marathon.

And remember “life is a marathon, not a sprint.”

Here are some other African Safari related resources you may find of value and interest. Beware, THEY WILL LEAVE THIS SITE. First, bookmark this page then click on the link.


Gunmen Kidnap Disabled Frenchwoman From Kenyan Resort ...
African Safari Tour & Animals

A Namibia travel guide written by a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. Experience Namibia like a local, off the beaten path, eco-friendly, responsible travel and great tips to making the most of your journey.

The Namibia travel guide story…

The moon shined down upon the homestead like a large spot light.  I dug my feet in the sand watching the shadows dance off the fire’s glittering glow.

A sharpened high-pitched ululation sang out into the night’s air, “lelelelelelelelelelelele.”   I remembered the first time I heard this distinctly African trait.  It had put chills down my spine, just as it had done once again.

Women howled between the choruses they sang, during moments of happiness, in brief spurts of joy, and in times of celebration.

Tonight, the women’s “lelelelelelelelelelele” rose, then fell wavering in a long sweet sound to celebrate the union between a man and woman.

For the next three days we celebrated honking our kazoos, singing into the open skies, and dancing the night away.  The men and I slaughtered the bull, as the woman prepared the feast.  We drank.  We laughed.  We celebrated!

In the village, there were many reasons to celebrate.  A child came home with good grades and a chicken was slaughtered.  Birthdays, the long anticipated visit from an old friend or surprise stopover from family, we would celebrate. The birth of a child, or a wedding, the celebrations were bigger and longer.

However, when my Namibia travel guide was published last Friday I could already see the men congratulating me with a hug and the woman throwing their hands up in the air and letting out their cry of happiness “lelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelele.”

And when a good Owambo friend of mine said “Owa longa nawa tate Jeremy.  Kalunga ne ku yambeke” I knew she flicked her tongue in ululation.

It was great to have a Namibian, an Owambo, approve of my book and celebrate with me.  Worlds apart, I responded “Ito ligola, ito li!” or “if you don’t sing, you don’t eat!” simply meaning if you don’t join in the celebration than both of us will starve.

You see there are many reasons to celebrate life.  It just so happens this week I celebrate because after 10 long months of tackling a task so daunting, such as writing this book, it was finally published and caused reason to celebrate.

To travel the world had been a goal of mine since I was little.  When I finally stepped out into the world, I found myself evolving, discovering new dreams, and one of those dreams was to write a book.

I have now both circled the world and wrote a Namibia travel guide.  And guess what?

Just because my goals have been completed, doesn’t mean the dream is dead.   I will never stop traveling to distant lands and am in the middle of writing another book, continuing to live the dream.

They say the first time is always the most difficult and I would have to agree.  My first trip overseas was overwhelming.  I didn’t know how to communicate to people who couldn’t speak my language, or how to listen and learn to speak theirs.  I was fearful of getting lost, even when I was lost.  I had fears of getting sick, of being robbed, and the list went on.

However, the second time around it made more sense.  The third, much easier; and now a distant land thousands of miles away, such as Namibia (a place I now call my second home), is only five minutes away inside my head.

If we never challenge ourselves, how will we ever fully develop as an inspirational human being?

To making life a Safari “journey,”

Jeremy

P.S. My Namibia Travel Guide is full of detailed descriptions of the many clans of Namibia, cultures, traditions, histories, geography, and much more!  Even if you’re not planning to visit, this is one book that will inspire the dream!  Get your copy today – http://www.otherplacespublishing.com/namibia.html

 

P.P.S. Safari is a Swahili word meaning journey.

Here are some other African Safari related resources you may find of value and interest. Beware, THEY WILL LEAVE THIS SITE. First, bookmark this page then click on the link.


Travel Trends for 2011: Rediscovering a Sense of Adventure - WSJ ...
Page 4: Posh trips for jobs well-done are fading away - ABC News

Good day!

The 2010 World Cup is only four months away.

On a continent where soccer is a daily activity, played by all ages, and held high in the hearts and minds of all Africans, I cannot think of a better place for such a grand tournament to be hosted.

From the villages, to the townships, into the heart of the nation’s capital, soccer is a daily activity.

Deep in the northern Namibian bush of Uukwaluudhi, the village in which I lived for over two years, soccer was a daily activity.  Creativity thrived with the groups of children and the most important thing was never if they had an actual soccer ball to play with, rather the MOST important thing was the game itself.

Whether the ball was the size of a tennis ball, made of several wrapped plastic bags, or old rolled up socks, the game played on.

Mothers and grandmothers fought the children to take a breather from the game to complete their daily chores of herding livestock. All the boys wanted to do was play soccer.

Fields were abstract.  Goal posts were wooden sticks gathered from the forest.  Very few shoes were worn, and the idea of shin pads and green fields –well forget about it.  Yet the passion and spirit for the game could not be broken.

Between classes, before and after school, in the mornings and afternoons, after a meal or while hungry, the kids found a way to play the game.

Where there is a will, there is a way and in that way there was purpose to be found.

The 2010 World Cup in South Africa could perhaps be the most energetic, exciting places to host this international event.  Thousands from around the globe will attend, celebrate, and mourn, the loss, or win, of their home teams.

African children will be kickin’ a makeshift ball in the townships imagining they were Ronaldo playing in the large stadiums and being cheered on by thousands.  They will be creating their own celebrity.

These children are inspiring and this is motivating.

If there is anything that shines upon the World Cup 2010, it’s that it will continue to allow young African children to run with their imagination and create their own reality, inspired by the best soccer players in the world.

Be inspired by the World Cup’s future stars and be inspired to be thankful for what you have, as you’re never too old to quit imagining and creating.  If you don’t somebody else will!

To finding that something in your life that brings you zest and passion for life,

Jeremy

P.S. Many aren’t just attending the games but also have plans for safari in South Africa or nearby countries.  Even if your safari isn’t this year but next, you got to watch this!

Here are some other African Safari related resources you may find of value and interest. Beware, THEY WILL LEAVE THIS SITE. First, bookmark this page then click on the link.


Designer Safari Southern Africa
Top SA Vacations (TopSAVacations) on Twitter

He was both surprised that I was an American and that I was not interested in hunting any of Africa’s big game.

“You’re probably green or something” he said.

I was simply glad he had picked me up from the side of the road.  I had worked slowly all the way from Swakopmund, hundreds of kilometers hitchhiking, and had been in four vehicles before he had come to a skidding halt and made it my fifth.

“I’m an idealist” I told him.  I knew Outjo, the town we were moving towards, was the gateway to Etosha National Park and asked him, already knowing the answer, if there were any good places to hunt in the area.

He was speeding into the sunset like the car had been stolen.

I was shocked when he told me he had a game farm and “you know the real problem?” he asked me, answering his own question before I had time to respond, “cheetah.”

He was a white Namibian telling me his struggles to ranch and own a game farm while the cheetahs are preying upon his investments.  “And then that American lady at CCF (Cheetah Conservation Fund) is telling the world the cheetah are no more, while their populations are increasing because they are killing my animals” he said somberly.

I thought his story was interesting, seeing as the CCF works directly with farmers, and as the government encourages many farmers to move from cattle ranching to game farming as a means to both conserve Namibia’s natural wildlife and attract tourists.

I asked him if cheetah predation was a problem with his livestock as well.  He responded with ease, telling me that with livestock there are certain procedures one can take to ensure the safety of his animals; the use of Anatolian shepherds as guard dogs, hiring a shepherd to follow the animals, and fencing and corral at night.  “But the wild game, there is nothing.  You know, last year I put 200 impala on my farm and in less than a year I was left with only 20” he said.

“Is it only cheetah that are your problem?  What about other big cats? I mean you are near Etosha” I questioned him.

He had no problem with lions or other smaller cats.  He experienced occasional leopard kills, however, he didn’t mind leopards.

“ You see, the cheetahs, if they can, will kill every day.  Leopards, like lions, will feed on a single kill for several days, until it is finished.  Cheetahs they kill, eat what they can that day and move on.  They prefer the fresh meat” he explained.

“So what is the solution?  What can you do?” I asked.  He told me he had made several visits to CCF and they kept giving him the run around.  “The only solution is to kill them” he said without hesitation.

I knew that if farmers see their livestock being harmed or endangered by a predator they were in their legal rights to take the predator out.  I asked him about this, and he told me, that I was right and all the kills had to be reported with the government.

“I bet many kills go unreported” I said.  His eyes glowed above a small grin before he looked forward into the sun we were traveling.

At Wild Safari Africa we are dedicated to protecting animals such as the cheetah.  Instead of hunting wild game with rifles, we bring our high powered cameras to take amazing killer shots.  And when we get home we hang our trophies on our wall.  Did you notice I said trophies?  That’s right, plural.  It’s much cheaper to print multiple photos than mount an animal’s head or get an entire body stuffed.  And much more practical too!

Although, the cheetah population is flourishing in Namibia, Namibia remains one of the few countries in the world home to such healthy populations.  Let’s keep it that way.  Together, we can do our part saving the fastest land mammal.

Wild Safari Africa partners with foundations like the Cheetah Conservation Fund, making your dreams of up-close and personal interaction with some of Africa’s most majestic animals a reality.  You too, can help save the cheetah.  To learn more about the Cheetah Conservation Fund visit, www.cheetah.org.

Keep things young and wild!

Jermibia

P.S.  Only thinking about a safari?  Answer Wild Safari Africa’s 6 Most Important Questions to better decide on where, what, when, how, and why you want to Safari with Jermibia.

P.S.S. The story above was from this past July when Wild Safari Africa founder, Jeremy “Jermibia” Allen was in Namibia writing the first edition of his guidebook to Namibia.

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