Just NB

I'm back in Quebec and it kind of feels nice! I was a little up and down yesterday, but...I have like, the perfect solution to any crankiness: This creature. She's cute and funny and quirky...and....can drive you absolutely crazy. She has these little spazz sessions in her bed, and that's how she pets herself. She barks to ask permission to go into her cage (where she eats and sleeps). She refuses to drink her water if there is any tiny, little thing in there. Like a hair. She is scared of going up stairs (I need to get a video of this because it's quite funny). Yesterday my luggage came from Air Canada (it's a very long story that resulted in me barely not yelling and swearing at the delivery man...I am so not impressed and a letter will be written), and I was super annoyed, but then I had this crazy beast trying to get me to play with her. Yesterday Maggie and I had a fight, because I was determined to break this, "Replace my water, there...

The last stop on my trip was Franschhoek, Cape Winelands. The last blog entry left off here , in Nxbega. It was about an hour or so drive (no helicopter this time!), then back on this little teeny plane. We arrived back in Kasane (where I was so happy to see my luggage ); then did the reverse of the journey from Botswana to Zambia (while listening to a bunch of senior citizens talking about their hip replacements..); then fly from Zambia (Livingstone) to Johannesburg; then fly from Johannesburg to Capetown; then drive to Franschhoek. It was a LONG day of travelling...and was the longest possible route. Three countries in one day! FINALLY arrived at La Fontaine guest house about 19h00 (after leaving Okavanga at 4h30...) What a house! Amazing views! Each night I'd sit in the reading room, and drink South African port and read intellectual magazines like all accountants do. (Yah right!!) The little cat kept coming into the room for some cuddles!! Every morning I...

One of the animals that I didn't really get to see up close on my last trip was hippos. There were many times I thought the guides were getting far too close to the animals - but - they would NEVER go near the hippos. And even when we'd see some hippos, they would slow their boat down and be carefully watching the behaviour of the hippos. As soon as one would break away from the pod, the guide would start up the boat and immediately head away. I learned that hippos are very aggressive and one of the most dangerous animals in Africa! Here are a few of the pictures I got...unfortuantely (or maybe not, given how aggressive they are) we never saw any out of the water in the evening (but heard them often in the night when I stayed at Africa-Disney Nxbega . They make like... a deep laughing kind of noise?) Here's a group of hippos in their pod. An adult can spend up to 5 minutes under water (I had to google that fact...not consult my notes :-P) We're being watched...

Finally!! After multiple attempts to load all these pictures, they're finally up!! My second last stop on my Accidental African Adventure Part 2 , was to Nxbega located in the Okavanga Delta in Botswana. I have heard great things about the Okavenga...unfortunatly...I didn't really experience them. However, I'm pretty sure it's because of where I stayed... The accomodation is called a "luxury safari" and....that... it is . Because this little adventure came up last minute, I didn't do any research of where to stay and left everything in the hands of the travel agent. Won't be doing that next time... My Okavanga trip starts in Kasane - leaving from the Elephant Valley Lodge . (Also the place where I was told that I'd have to leave my luggage...and ended up paying the $30 Bitch Tax.. :)) It's quite the milk run to the camp....rode on this plane for about an hour (with three stops) (um...is it a good sign if this is in the front seat of t...