Day 16, April 30: You are welcome!

 

Hello Class: Love the picture! You are most welcome and I am so glad you were able to share this adventure with me.

 

We are now home (arrived yesterday-late afternoon) and are recovering from several days of travel. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have had such a wonderful and exciting African experience.

 

I promised to show you more about the Jan Oelofse Hunting Lodge we stayed in which is pictured above. In the middle of the set of pictures is the overall lodge (6 rooms) with a photo of the circular viewing room. We met here at the end of every day and discussed everyone's exciting adventures during the day. The above top left picture is the Lapis Dining Room where we had wonderful dinners every night and more grand conversation. The picture to the right is the informal dining room where we ate breakfast and lunch every day. This room had a fantastic wide-open view of the water hole with great animal observations. The bottom left was our very large-long room. The last photo was our view from our room.

 

I look forward to meeting with you tomorrow and sharing with you the video from the Mt. Etjo Private School students. I have a couple of other quick videos and stories to tell you. I am also excited to hear about what you have learned while on this safari with me.

 

Until then.......

Thank you!

Mrs. Janes,
THANK YOU so much for sharing your adventure with us!!!  We can't wait to hear and see more when you return.  Safe travels.
   Mr. DeCoito's Gophers

Day 13, April 27: Mr. and Mrs. Janes are Surrounded by Lions! Yikes!

Hello Class: We are nearing the end of our trip. Sadly, we leave this lovely place early tomorrow morning and  return to the USA on Saturday (we loose a day due to 9 hours time difference). We thought we would leave without seeing Africa's largest predator-the ONE animal everyone wants to see. We were unsuccessful yesterday in finding one of the two prides of lions on the 10,000 acres preserve where they are located. However, Rudie our Guide was relentless in finding them for me, so he kept looking today and found them! He was afraid they would run away by the time he returned with us, so he left a very large leg of game for them to eat and rest while he could return with us. Right after the school visit, he found us and rushed us to the sight. They were still there! What a magnificent sight! I have several pictures and videos which I will show you when I return. At one point we were surrounded by them (3 feet away). The large lion with the game meat to our right, and the mom with her young cubs (not really that young-about 1-2 years old). Two males and one female. They were relaxing under trees, not really paying us much attention. However the large young male lion came over to the vehicle and starting clawing the front tire! Rudie turned it several times to get him to stop, after much persuasion, he finally did. A few scary moments! I was able to capture that on video. What a fantastic way to end the trip!

We are off and packing now....

I have a few more photos to show you and plan to upload the final video of the Mt. Etjo School kids when I return.

This was truly a trip of a lifetime far exceeding our expectations!

I am glad you were able to come along with me.

Until we meet again.....

Day 13, April 27: Mrs. Janes Goes to Mt. Etjo Private School!

Hello Class: This morning Mr. Janes and I had the privilege of visiting Mt. Etjo Private School. We were able to upload your video onto their newly donated monitor with success. The kids LOVED your message and enjoyed seeing all your enthusiasm. I was able  to point out on a map where Tulare, California was and discuss how long it took to arrive here. I told them a little bit about Tulare. They asked me questions about how many schools we had in Tulare, how many kids go to our schools, what a School Board Member does, what the weather was like, how many children I had, etc. I took their picture (above) and was able to also get a video of them enthusiastically sending you back a message. We ended by passing out a t-shirt to each child, which they greatly appreciated and I think we had just about enough correct sizes for all-with some left over. They also loved the variety of books we were able to send to them. The picture on the bottom right was of their school as we were approaching. The vehicle on the bottom left is their school bus!  The kids left for home right after we handed out the T-shirts (they only have school for 1/2 day). Notice several kids have already put their t-shirts on! Overall, the teachers were very pleased with the visit and commented it was so good for the kids to have someone visit from another country and give them a fresh view of another culture. They are very limited in their area and classroom. At this point they do not have internet.

The global outreach was a success! Thank you for being part of it.

The Grand Finale: We found the lions! Oh, oh!

Stay tuned for more.......

Days 11-12 April 25-16: Leaping Leopards! and Other Stories from the Bush...

 

Hello Class: I am glad you are enjoying the blog. The top picture represents various hunting expeditions. But first I would like to point out a beautiful view of Mt. Etjo. Notice the top left picture is Mt. Etjo, a flat mountain top in the distance, and on this day it is shining under the glow of the sun. To the right you will see Rudie looking across the landscape for game. The second row left is Mr. Janes and Rudie putting on a stalk for game.

What I have discovered since being here is, Africa is full of stories. If you ask and listen carefully everyone has a rich story to tell about their lives and experiences in this beautiful land.

Now for a scary leopard story. Remember Steve? I spoke about him earlier. He has a story to tell about his encounter with a leopard. See the leopard picture underneath the first set of pictures. You might want to do some research on the African leopard. Steve and his client were pursuing an out of control leopard who was on a killing spree. The result of this hunt ended up to be one of his most terrifying experiences that left visible scars. During his pursuit, the leopard knocked Steve to the ground injuring him and then attacking  his client full on!  Both were injured, but not life-threatening. You will see in the picture above what Steve looked like the day of the attack (careful, there's blood); and then several years later the remaining scars on his arm and face to remind him that the end result could have been much worse!

Yesterday, while Mr. Janes and Rudie were out tracking, they discovered very large drag marks in the sand. They stopped their vehicle, got out and followed the marks over 300 yards!  They were amazed to discover a dead large Springbok "stashed" under" woody-thorny bushes. A leopard kill they thought. They determined by the tracks it was a young female, possibly a new mother. Just think how strong that young female leopard must of been to be able to drag a 70 lb. Springbok all that way!  It was most likely stashed to eat later when safe. However just as they were surveying  the site, they also noted several birds acting anxious nearby....

Safari Tip: Whenever birds are close together and acting a little nervous in the African bush, there may be a leopard close by.

Mr. Janes was thinking "here we are close to a leopard kill and nervous birds without my rifle and just Rudie's small handgun on his waist." Time to make a fast exit back to the vehicle!

On the bottom of the first set are the two pictures of hunters at the lodge getting ready to go out for their hunts. The first is Rudie and Mr. Janes and the second to the right is Steve, Angie and her husband, Dan (both hunters from Illinois), James (I will tell you about him below) and Steve's star dog, Rocky. He may be lying down in the picture.

The next set of pictures are about the Namibian Bushman. One of the most highly published and researched people on the planet and a very important part of the Namibian culture. James, Steve's tracker is a Bushman. You might want to look up Namibian Bushman and if you do, you might be surprised to find out the Bushman (San Tribe) are one of the most intriguing people in the world. It is estimated (and confirmed by archeologists) that the San are the region's earliest inhabitants, some over 30,000 years ago! Sans people were hunters and gathers in their earlier days; whose incredible tracking skills remain today. Their home was the vast expanse of the Kalahari desert. Notice in the picture to the right James is having some fun with a couple of found Warthog tusks.

This afternoon I plan to do Lion exploring with Mr. Janes and Rudie. I hope to see some soon. The only large animal of the region I haven't seen yet. Yesterday we had quite a surprise as Rudie's favorite elephant came down to the water hole. Remember, I told you about him yesterday? See the picture at the bottom. He lumbered on down to the water and took a very luxurious mud bath. You might want to look up why elephants like mud baths.

Answer to your question about what I miss most about home: To be able to share our wonderful experiences about Africa with our family, friends and you, in person.

Tomorrow I plan to visit the Mt. Etjo School and share your video, T-shirts and books with them. I plan to take a picture and bring a video of them back to share with you.

More later. Good luck with your testing. I know you will do well!

Amazing!!!

What an amazing place!  We are in awe of the pictures and it's great hearing about your adventure...you're in Africa!  There are animals normally only seen at the zoo or on television, RIGHT THERE!  The students are reading, researching, and asking questions every day.  It's a nice little distraction from testing this week. :)  

The big question from the kiddos today is...Do you miss anything from home?

Days 8-9 April 22-23: Magnificent African Animals Surround Us!

Hello Students: I continue to be amazed at the beauty and variety of animals we see every day. Many come to the lodge and taste the salt lick provided for enticement of up close viewing. In the first top picture behind me you will see a family of giraffes who came in for a visit. Giraffes are the tallest and heaviest of the world's hoofed animals and are plentiful in the area.  Do you know how tall a giraffe can stand? 19 feet! How much they weigh? 1 1/2 tons!

The other day, as we were leaving the Mt. Etjo Safari Lodge, several zebra stopped to check me out. Also, notice the beautiful brown impala, who was calmly walking in front of them. There are two kinds of zebra in this area. The Burchell and the Hartman Mountain zebra. Do you know which kind these were and how you can tell? These are the Hartman zebra, which are confined to Namibia's western plains. Notice they do not have stripes on their under belly, which is the difference between the two types.

Saturday, we went looking for the elephants and hippos. On the way to the elephants we came upon a large water hole. We drove along the waters edge and looked through our binoculars. At first we didn't think we saw anything-pretty calm on the water front. Then we spotted a couple of heads sticking out of the water, and then there were more! We saw 5 hippos! An adult male and female and three babies in-between them (protective mode). Pretty soon we saw their ears in the water. Sorry, no pictures-they were too far away. Hippos come out of the water only at night to graze and can live up to 40 years! Do you know what animal is known to kill the most natives? Hippos! Hippos kill more people than any other animal in Africa!  When  surprised, they head for the nearest route to the water, and will run down anything in its path.

Safari Tip: Do not get between the hippo and the water!

Now on to the elephants....Elephants are not close to the lodge this time of the year because they require a dryer land for grazing. So, to get to the elephants it is a very long drive. After we left the hippos we proceeded through a dark forest, with many dead and downed trees. When we asked about the trees, we were told you can always tell where the elephants are because of the stomped and knocked down dead trees (in addition to their tracks). After much unsuccessful exploration it was getting dark. Since this terrain was less traveled and rougher roads than others, we decided to turn around and return to the lodge. As we were turning back lo and behold we spotted a family of elephants! You can look in the second row of the first picture and you will see the termite mound (remember those?) and a baby elephant next to it. We determined he is only about one week old! He was surrounded by very protective adult female elephants. See the large female in the right picture? She just left our jeep after she came up close to it and made charging motions towards it. It was a few scary moments! I didn't get a picture-I am sure you will understand why. Once she determined we were not a threat, she returned to her group. What a magnificent find! I asked Rudie, our PH, what his most favorite animal was and he said it was the elephant. He seems to have a love for all the animals and insects (later). He has history with the elephants though and made friends with them. One very large bull elephant regularly comes to his jeep, lays his big trunk on top of it and visits with him for awhile. We had an adventurous ride back to the lodge ( I think we got off the beaten paths for awhile) and surged up a river bed around a downed tree in the road. I thought I was on a Raiders of the Lost Ark Disneyland ride! Rudie is a great guide, driver and PH so we made it home safety. Whew!

The two pictures at the bottom of the first set are of a Dik Dik (remember, I spoke of them before?) who was taking a nap at the side of the road. They are small antelope, with tiny spindly legs. The very large beetle-like bug to the right is seen everywhere. It is an armored cricket. If you look closely, you will see his antlers out front and his armor on his back.

The next set of pictures are one of Rudie and myself looking out-exploring with our binoculars.

Safari Tip: If you go to Africa, you cannot go without a good set of binoculars. So much to see!

The open road is much of what we have traveled on almost every day. During this time you never know what you are going to see. Sunday early morning we were putting a stalk on a few blue wildebeests on the open range. Our guide noticed they were extra "squirrely" and moving around a lot. He thought it was unusual. After much tracking (and not a whole lot of luck) we discovered the small tracks you will see in the riverbed. They were from a leopard cub. We later discovered the mother's tracks. We figured the wildebeests sensed the leopard was around and were on high alert. This explained their anxious state.  The other night when coming back from the safari lodge Rudie noticed two beady flashing eyes up on the mountain side. We stopped the jeep and beamed a light on them. They flashed again; we think it was a leopard waiting for game to come to the water hole. Leopards are considered one of Africa's big five dangerous animals. They are effective and ruthless killers. I will tell you more about leopards later.

The two bottom pictures are of a baboon and blue wildebeest I saw at the water hole just this morning. I was able to video a troop of baboons as they were crossing the waterhole. You might want to look them up. They are considered one the most widespread primates in all of Africa. There are two varieties of Wildebeest-blue and black. These are majestic animals similar to buffalo.

So much to see and do! Later I will  tell you a couple of scary leopard stories, and we will explore the hunting lodge a little more. Hope you are learning to love Africa as much as I do......

Day 7 Friday April 21: Mrs. Janes Goes Rhino Tracking and Takes a Tangle with the Bushes!

Hello Class: On Friday I had an adventurous day. My guide Flippi took me Rhino Tracking. Although we didn't see any rhinos on this day, we did see two the first day we were here. See the above bottom picture to the left-we saw a young male bull and a young female white rhino. Also, the one to the right Mr. Janes saw yesterday on his exploration.

Here is a fact you might be interested in: Although Africa has black and white rhinos, they are not named for their color. They are the same varying color, but distinguished by their features. The white name is actually Africans for "wide," referring to the  white rhino's mouth, which is flattened. You will also notice the tracks at the top of the picture. While tracking the rhinos we were looking for the clover leaf-like tracks. You will see in the photo, there are three clover markings, the top of the three indicates the direction the rhino was going.

It is important to know about the plight of rhinos in Africa, specifically Namibia. Many people in the USA do not know about this. Sadly, there is a real problem with poaching these magnificent animals, almost to the point of extinction. There are less than 5,000 black and 18,000 white rhino alive today. According the Rudie, Professional Hunter, in the last three years, 3 rhinos were poached a day. Unfortunately, there is a foreign market for the rhino horn, which is believed to be a remedy for many ills. Mount Etjo has approximately 60 Rhinos on their 80,000 acre property which are  protected very carefully to assure they are not poached. Currently they have 3 teams of security who conduct patrols in the area, as well as security gates and helicopter surveillance. Mount Etjo RHINO Trust, under the guidance of Annette Oelofse (the owner, who has a passion for saving the rhinos) was established to aid in the survival of the animal. The Trust helps  pay for the cost of raising baby rhinos, vitamins for the herd and to assure no poaching takes place. You might be interested in linking with another website developed by a 6 year old girl, Sophia who visited Mt. Etjo and became concerned about the rhinos. Here is her website: www.sophiasavesrhinos.com.

In addition, Annette Oelofse wanted to assure her herd of rhinos expanded, so she acquired three "lady" rhinos which she recently released into the wild so they could mingle with the male bulls. While I was out exploring a few days ago, we saw Annette and she pulled up next to our jeep. She said she was looking for the ladies and last saw their tracks at the riverbed. Not knowing the story, I asked her if she was looking for a few lost lady tourists. Ha-ha! We got a good laugh out of it. The next day she was able to find her lost lady rhinos.

Mrs. Janes' Safari Tip of the Day:  See bottom picture. While out exploring on this day (and sitting on the top-side of the vehicle) I took a tangle with the Thorned-Acacia bushes. Looks like a leopard pawed me!  Tip: Always sit on the middle seat.

We are having the time of our lives here! I have never been in such a serene, pristine and lush environment surrounded by some of the most beautiful animals in the world. I am glad you are sharing this experience with me.

Next, I will tell you about our encounters with two of the animals I said I  haven't seen yet, but hoped to. You will not be disappointed! But, that is another day....

Answer to Your Questions

Hello Class: Thank you for your response. I am so glad you are checking the Blog and able to use the information I am sending you. Nothing like having first hand knowledge! It's called a lived-experience.

Here are the answers:

1. No, watching the Cheetahs was not scary. We were far enough away from them in the Safari hunting vehicles you have seen in the posts. I would say about 10 feet. An animal could leap onto it; but they were far more interested in eating the meat provided, than me. ☺Also, there was another group of people observing from the lodge, although we were in separate vehicles.

2. There are several animals I have not seen yet, that I hope to before I  leave. I plan to go hunting with my husband and his guide tomorrow and we will go to the Lion Preserve to observe them. I would like to see the lions, elephants and hippos. I am sure I will be able to do this, as we still have plenty of time.

Great questions, I look forward to more......

Was It Scary?

Hello Mrs. Janes,
Your days are full of adventure, that's for sure!  We are absolutely loving the updates and the pictures are great.  The kids are pretty eager to check the blog each morning to find out what's going on or to see if there are any new pics.  It's been a lot of fun having them do news reports each day with continuing coverage from their roving reporter in the field, lol!
Questions of the day...
Were you scared or nervous when you saw the cheetahs feeding?  How close were you to them?
Is there an animal you hope to see that hasn't been spotted yet?

Day 6, Friday April 21: Dinosaur Footprints in Africa? No Way!

Hello Class: Ready for another adventure? Today we explored Dinosaur Footprints. As we entered the Dino Tracking area I thought we were in the midst of a Jurassic Park Expedition! We passed the Mount Etjo Camping grounds-yes, people really do camp in Africa, although today I didn't see any takers. My awesome private guide, Filippi (we call him Flippi) and I climbed a very large red rock mountain to get to the tracks. It was quite a hike and my trekking poles came in handy. We had an amazing view of the mountains and valleys as we gazed down. Such a beautiful place! Once there, we saw several fossilized dinosaur tracks identified by archeologists to be from a 9 foot dinosaur, who used his two back feet to move around. He was a Saurichnium Damarense and a herbivore. On the way back we saw a Leopard Tortoise. He was moving so fast (to get away from me, most likely) I couldn't snap a picture. So, Flippy took my picture as I held him up. Based on his markings, we determined he was pretty old and a male (they have a concave inner shell and a bigger tail). There is a reason why I was holding him away from  me because I think he was a little scared-you will notice the water spot by my shoe! :)

The food here is wonderful! So far we have eaten Gemsbok, Eland, Wildebeest, leg of Impala and (sorry, I didn't know until after I ate it) a Giraffe marinara sauce that was very good. The cook is a wonderful baker too. We have had an assortment of cakes, after dinner desserts and homemade donuts this morning. Yum! Yum!

 I have seen many more wild animals. The other night we saw two little honey badgers (Mom and baby) in the road. The mom was really squealing at the baby (probably telling him to get out of the road!). Today we saw two little Dik Diks (the smallest of the African antelopes) on our way to the mountain.

Mr. Janes' Safari Tip of the Day: Yesterday they were out hunting and the guide saw a Boomslang Tree Snake. You might want to look that up. He was on the ground and then moved up a tree. My husband didn't see it. They are very dangerous and are considered a immunotoxin. Always look up and down when out in the African bush and be aware of your environment.

Next I will tell you about Rhino Tracking and what happens when you take a tangle with a bush! Until then.......

Day 5: Mrs. Janes Goes on a Cheetah Feed. Ah, Where's the Meat?

Hello Class:
We are having a great time! You may be wondering how large of an area in which we have access to explore these beautiful animals.  Would you believe the Jan Oelofse Family owns 80,000 acres and has access to 300,000 acres for hunting and exploring? You may want to do a math lesson to figure out how many miles that is.

Perhaps you have been wondering what type of languages they speak in Namibia, and around this area. The predominate language is English, which is also spoken at the Mount Etjo School. Their second language, and one we hear spoken quite often is called Africans. You can  look this one up, but it is a more simplified version of Dutch, German and some Belgian. Namibia has early origins of Dutch and mostly German settlements, so you will hear this being spoken as well. In addition, you will find other languages (as we have in the United States). My Professional Hunter/Guide Fillipi has roots in Angola and they speak Portuguese.

Jan Oelofse is famous for his early works with the actor John Wayne and the making of the movie, Hatari! This would be a good one for you to see. He was the one who brought in the animals and trained them for the movie. Also, Jan is famous for inventing the Oelofse Animal Capture Method. It consists of a special net and use of a helicopter. By using this method, staff and animals are not as much at risk for injury.

Steve Tors, is another noteworthy Professional Hunter, who has been with Jan Oelofse Safaris for many years. His father was a famous Hollywood Producer years ago. When I was a little girl, I used to watch Sea Hunt, which was one of his father's TV Programs.

You will see me in the picture above. Behind me are two animals. Do you know which ones? They are Springbok and a herd of Eland.

Now on to the Cheetah Feed. There are three Cheetahs on the Cheetah Preserve-a mother and two children, who are now grown to around 6 years old. The mother was relocated to a better area and at the time it was noticed she had two babies. So they found them (which was no small feat) and they are all together. Here at the hunting lodge, they were teasing me that perhaps they may not have any meat to feed them, so it would have to be me! Ha! Fortunately, they did have the meat (other game, not sure what kind-maybe Kudu). We drove through the preserve and the guides laid out the meat. The mom was the first to grab it and move it into the shade; the two younger ones jumped in for dinner! I also took a video, which  you will see below. In one of the pictures you will see where the mother broke away from the children and is sitting by the Termite Hill.

Cheetah Facts from the Guides: Females hunt alone and males always hunt in pairs. Do you know how fast a Cheetah can run? 70 kilometers in 3 seconds! How many yards is that? They cannot do that for long, so that is why they need to be about 50 kilometers in front of their prey so the chase is short. They have flexible spines and cross their legs while running which is why they can go at such a fast speed. Cheetahs are day hunters.

Safari Tip: How can you tell how old a Cheetah is? You look at their teeth. Younger ones have sharp teeth. Older ones have teeth that have recessed and they are dull. I guess that may be similar to a human!

Hope you have learned a lot! More about the great Dinosaur Tracks I just saw and other animals. So much to see and do.......

Day 5- Answer to your Great Questions!

Hello Class: Thank you for your questions.

I think so far my favorite animal (I actually have a fondness for all of them) is the giraffe. There are many here. They are so tall, majestic looking and can see above all others in the land. So, they may be the first to site danger and distress. Also, they slowly lope along in their not-in-such a hurry fashion. Today, we came upon one just slowly lumbering along in front of us on the road. In addition, I was traveling back from the Cheetah Feed (another story tomorrow) and it was dusk. Out ahead I could see the beautiful sunset and two knobbly antlers up higher than the trees-no face, just the antlers between two tall trees. Another beautiful giraffe set against the sunset. Quite a sight to see!

We sleep well at night and hear nothing, until.....we open the door in the morning. Then, we hear the wide variety of birds chirping. It is a beautiful way to wake up in the morning. African birds! Good luck on your projects! My guide Flippi is taking me out to see the Dinosaur Footprints tomorrow morning at 0730, then we will visit the other Mt. Etjo Lodge. Until then.....

Rhinos, Giraffes, and Springbok...OH MY!!!

Wow!  It looks amazing!!!  The kiddos look forward to hearing about what each day brings.  They were a bit freaked out to hear about the dangerous snakes in your area.  Students have started working on their Google Slides and are adding items from your blog each day.  It sounds like you're having a wonderful time and the students truly enjoy checking the blog.  I've tried to narrow down the questions to about two or three a day (they have WAY more, lol!).
What's you're favorite animal of those that you've seen?
Is it noisy or quiet at night when you're trying to sleep?

Today's news report.

April 19, Wednesday-Day 5 : A Mini-African Safari!

Hello Students: Yesterday, Mr. Janes and I had the pleasure of experiencing a Mini-Safari in the open range of the Okonjati Wildlife Sanctuary. Here, there are known to be over 6,000 animals of a large variety of species. Fillipus, our escort (and another PH-Professional Hunter and Tracker) drove us in this two-tiered hunting vehicle. We sat on top for the best view! The first order of business was for my husband to "sight" his rifle (a 375 H &H-a powerful rifle!). He was very happy after some adjustments to hit the set-up target at a very long range.

Now on to the search for animals. We were not disappointed! Some of the animals were not keen to having their pictures taken, but the above are a few of the shots. Notice the giraffe at the top. He was among his herd, but stood out as he was munching on some leaves for dinner. We also saw Zebra and Giraffes traveling together. They seem to have a rather symbiotic relationship. Both are not predators and eat vegetation, one up high and one down low. The giraffes most likely look to the zebra to warn them of impending danger. While my husband was down the road sighting his rifle, I heard something shake close in the bushes and then snort. I asked Fhilippi what that might have been and he said a Zebra; they sound like a horse. It was rather hot, so he was probably resting near. We saw a Springbok lying in the road taking a rest. Springboks are the national emblem of South Africa. Second row, middle picture. They get their name for their pogo-stick style of jumping when  alarmed. We saw Impala, Eland (they can get up to 2,000 lbs.!), ostrich, several bat-eared fox and the white rhinos above (a young bull and young female). Notice the carcass (and drag marks) of a young unfortunate Impala, who we think became lunch for a leopard in the area. This is Africa, where the young and weak are prey for the more aggressive predators, who have to eat to stay strong. Can you guess what the bottom picture to the left is? You might want to do some research on this one. These unusual looking hills are throughout Africa. Inside consists of millions of termites! They built the outside (Fhilippi said this one is about 4 years old) of mud. Interesting, the outside is hard to touch and the bull-type animals use it to sharpen their tusks (elephant/rhinos, etc.).

Another Safari Tip: The last, but not the least photo looks like a long-winding road. But it is really the tracking of a Python snake! How do you suppose our Tracker could tell this? The tracks are deep and wide.

Today, I will watch a live Cheetah feed. It's raining, so the animals have not come out to the water hole yet. I hope you are learning lots along with me on this great adventure. There is more to come. I welcome your questions and comments. I may not answer right away as sometimes the internet is spotty and at times we are out exploring.......

April 18, Tuesday Day 4-Never Go Alone!

Hello Class: Thank you for your note. We are doing well and are now rested. I was so excited to wake up and look outside to start the beginning of our African Adventure. What a view it was! Bridget, our Lodge keeper met me and cautioned me to never to take walks alone-only on the Lodge premises. She will be my escort for morning walks if I would like to go. Of course I would! You will see the bottom picture is actually to the left of our room which is the African terrain for as far as you can see. She pointed out several heads of loping giraffe sprouting out from among the tall trees! Also, she informed me there were all sorts of wild African animals out there from elephants, hippos, baboons to black and white rhinos. Black Mamba and Zebra snakes are around the lodge (you might want to look them up-the most dangerous in all of Africa). Also, leopards and cheetahs (you will never see them, but they will see you..). In the water hole behind me all the animals come together to drink in the dusk and morning hours. We saw impalas, springboks, waterbucks and African geese this morning. The elephants and hippos are not at this lodge now as the terrain is quite green and they prefer a more dry environment. They are present though at the Mt. Etjo Safari Lodge. But when the elephants are there in the dark, you will never hear them, because their hoofs are cushy and they are very quiet. We had a hearty breakfast and lunch (with chocolate cake for dessert!) and this afternoon we went on a mini-safari. Can't wait to tell you what we saw! That is another story for tomorrow.......

Safari Tip: From Professional Hunter Naftari (better than a bushman tracker-according to him): How can you tell which direction a snake will go next? Look for the bushes and sticks they left behind. As they slither, they disturb the ground and depending on which way the sticks or various debris point, that is the way the snake will go.

Day 3 Monday April 17th. We have Arrived!

Day 3 Monday April 17:

Hello Class: We arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa in the morning and left for Windhoek, Namibia on South African Airlines this day at 1:15. Apollo (picture) from Jan Oelofse Hunting Safaris met us at the airport. Off to the lodge we went-3/12 hours! 35 of those miles we were on rain-washed roads leading into the Mount Etjo Safari Lodge. We arrived in the dark. I  thought we were already there, but were informed the hunting safari lodge was another 1/2 hour away (on even rougher roads!). We saw several (rather shy) jackals (small predator-like coyotes) on the way, as well as an assortment of birds. When we arrived (a big yeah!), all met us (including Bridget, the Lodge keeper and Rudie the Professional Hunter-PH). We were served a fantastic dinner consisting of Eland (largest of African horned-antelope species) and Gemsbok (known as the desert warrior). When we went to sleep that night I was excited to see what we would wake up to. More to come......

Day 2, April 16th-Sunday-The Art of Sleeping on a Plane!

April 16, Day 2, Sunday: Flew from London, Heathrow airport to Johannesburg, South Africa. Another 10 hour trip! We partially slept on the plane. Notice the route and coordinates on the flight navigator on the plane. Stay tuned for more!

April 17th

Hello Mrs. Janes!  We're back from Spring Break.  The students were so excited to read your posts today!  They are busy jotting down some notes, making calculations, and creating a timeline to follow.  So many questions... How are you feeling?  What did you do first?  What have you eaten since arriving?  Can't wait to hear more!

Day 1 April 15: LAX to London, Heathrow Airport

April 16 Day 2: We have arrived at London, Heathrow after a 10 hour flight! Happy Easter everyone!

Next Stop Leg 2: Virgin Atlantic (again) at 8:00 PM headed for Johannesburg, South Africa. Let the traveling continue.......for another 10 hours this next leg....

Mrs. Janes' Fun Fact about Heathrow Airport: 1,400 flights leave a day, every 45 seconds, approximately 1/2 million a year.

Day 0 April 14: Mrs. Janes' Guide on How to Pack for an African Safari

Hello Class: It's the night before we leave for Africa and we are very excited! If you go to Africa it's important to plan ahead. We have been packed for at least a week. Notice at the bottom right we have packed the Garden School Tee-shirts that your school so generously gave us. How much do you suppose they weighed? Almost 15 lbs.! No problem-we have plenty of room. We also packed about 5 lbs. of Tulare City School books, which Mr. Hollingshead so graciously donated on behalf of the District. We are allowed up to two bags each and they cannot weigh more than 50 lbs. each. The bags are labeled with special tags (they have African animals on them!) for easy identification at the airport. For the trip going over I packed two changes of clothes in my backpack. I will also carry a crossover purse (and a money belt). It will take three days to get to Mt. Etjo so the backpack is a necessity.

Notice the pants in the front on the top picture are TAG Safari pants-I packed two pairs. They are sturdy pants for safaris and can take a tangle with the bushes (or good for running from wild animals!). I also packed several long-sleeved (one UVF) lightweight shirts-easy to roll up if it gets hot while exploring. All the colors of the clothes are earth tones (no bright colors, which may detract or attract animals). Sunscreen. Two hats-which will shade me from the sun, three pairs of shoes-low boots, regular boots and of course if you are from Tulare-cowboy boots! A fleece jacket for the African evenings and a black puffer one for the airports. They do laundry once a day,  so I think I am good to go. I will bring my lap-top, mouse, mini-iPad and iPhone.  I will also carry the smaller suitcase with the t-shirts. Mr. Janes, the Hunter, will carry a big suitcase with his safari clothes, hunting equipment and a locked gun case for his hunting rifle.

So many things, but I think we are ready. Oh, and not to forget the passports, some money and one credit card.

April 15, 2017 Day 1: The first leg of the journey is a drive to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). We will leave about 1:30 PM in order to get there at least 3 hours early for our 9:00 PM all night flight to London, England. First stop.

Let adventure begin.......

April 6, 2017: Thank you for the Visit: A Video from Garden School 5th Grade Class

Hello Class: Thank you inviting me to your class today to talk about my pending trip to Africa. I will share this video with the Mt. Etjo School children. They will see your excitement about the adventures to come! I am sure they will want to share one with you. Africa awaits......