I was in trouble yesterday for publishing a photo of my sister Ruth which she described as ‘rather unglamourous’! I guess – though I love those photos of people wearing huge raincoats and hats, still getting soaked at Victoria Falls!
Anyway to appease her, there’s a lovely photo of Ruth Binney enjoying her river safari on the Chobe River during our recent visit to Botswana and the Chobe National Park!
(Another contribution from guest blogger Ruth Binney)
If you’ve ever wanted to see a herd of elephants walk down to the water to drink, cool down and play, watch crocodiles and monitor lizards basking or see more than 25 different species of birds all in the space of a few hours then the place to be is in Chobe National Park in Botswana.
The one day safari from Chanters Lodge begins with a drive to the border on the Zambezi, the only place in the world where four countries meet (Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe), There you quickly realize that the speed boat organized to take you across the river is luxury indeed, On both sides there are lines of trucks a mile or so long waiting to be carried, one at a time, by the three ferries that ply the water, At worst, we learned, it can take more than a week in the queue.
Our party – myself, Richard on a rare day off and his wife Ireen and Henry aged 7 – were transported the short distance to Chobe Safari Lodge for the first and most spectacular part of the day, a 2 1/2 hour boat trip along the river Chobe. What an experience! Botswana’s bird spectacularly on display, best of all being the malachite kingfisher (pictured, lilac breated roller (Botswana’s national bird, fish eagles, maribou storks and lappet faced vultures. Plus the elephants with mothers protecting their young between their legs and many hippos in family groups. A game drive through the park followed lunch, when Henry excelled himself spotting a tortoise and mongoose – neighbours to the many elephants, wart hogs and giraffes.
Altogether an excellently organized day thanks to Bushtracks and their informative guides and our driver Chris who sped us through the form filling needed to cross the borders back and forth. Another outing not to be missed from Chanters and a thrilling day for Henry too!
Yesterday my sister Ruth, staying with us from UK, Ireen, Henry and I went on the Chobe 1 day safari that we offer Chanters Lodge Guests at US$150 per person inclusive.
I’m sure I’ll have the chance to write about it fully some time soon, meanwhile check my great photo of a giraffe!
Check that picture! It’s three in one! Why? Well, clearly you can see my sister Ruth Binney, here on a visit from chilly England and enjoying our warm sunny weather. Then, you can also see ‘The New Car’!! Last, but I think not least, if you look very carefully you can see the reflection of the photographer (me!) in the car window! How about that then?!
Ruth arrived on Wednesday on British Airways (after a lovely holiday in Cape Town with friends Gail and Andre), and is understandably slightly concerned about the possibility of a cabin crew strike effecting her scheduled return journey next week. Let’s hope not, though I for one wouldn’t mind if she had to stay a little longer! A cricket fan, as I write she’s enjoying her English breakfast at Chanters Lodge while watching the 1st day of the 1st Test Match between Bangladesh and England. Eish! What we do for these ‘comps’!
2009 was a tough year for Ruth. You may remember that her husband Donald passed away suddenly in November 2008, so last year was a year of mourning. Let’s hope 2010 will be her year of recovery. Her husband’s loss was especially tough coming soon after our mother’s passing in March 2007. Ruth had nursed our mother in her latter days and then had ably administered her estate. She deserved better, but as she’s fond of saying herself, life sometimes is just not fair, so get used to it. She has one daughter, Laura – beautiful, married and currently living in London, working for Top Sante as Beauty Director (advertising).
We don’t have a lot planned for her visit, but on Monday we’ll go to Chobe for the one day safari and on Tuesday enjoy a sunset cruise on the Lady Livingstone. Meanwhile we’re busy trying out some of our competitor restaurants. Last night The Armadillo, tonight Olga’s – the city’s pizza/pasta place run by Italians next to the Catholic Cathedral and opposite the new Shoprite complex.
Ruth’s an accomplished writer. Check this page on Goodreads for a list of some of her published books. She’s currently working on ‘Wise Words and Country Ways, Weather Law’ – explaining all those familiar sayings about the weather – red sky at night etc! Due out soon from her publishers David and Charles, so watch out for it! Ruth would also love to have her own website and intends to ask nephew Ed for help!
It’s always lovely to have family to stay, and so far the Livingstone weather’s really behaving itself!
Our late mother used to enjoy her visits to Africa as witnessed by the above photo!
Today would have been her 96th birthday. She passed away March 2007.
Standard Chartered Bank said this during the week:
“Technically, US $/kwacha is now perched at key support levels the 100-week moving average stands at K4,440, and a decisive break of these levels can see an acceleration to the downside a key 50 per cent retracement level lies at K4,210,” said Khan. “We revised our US $/kwacha forecast profile to show more near-term kwacha strength and only very modest weakness further out. Without wishing to downplay slow local event risk, it is noteworthy that at many maturities Zambian government debt offers an attractive prospective total return on our central scenario of very mild kwacha depreciation on a one-year horizon.”
And Standard Chartered Bank has projected that Zambia would record 11.4 per cent rate of inflation this year while GDP is projected at 5.5 per cent with the kwacha expected to close at K4,925 against the US dollar.
I can’t pretend to understand exactly what it all means, just hope they’re right that the Kwacha will be K4925 to a US$ by the end of the year….that will mean a lot to Chanters Lodge
The picture? The Jump – my son Jan jumping into the Zambezi in October 2006 – if the Kwacha goes the other way – just watch me!
JUST IN CASE YOU WEREN’T FEELING TOO OLD TODAY EARLY IN THIS NEW YEAR OF 2010:
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE STARTING UNIVERSITY THIS YEAR WERE BORN IN 1991.
THEY ARE TOO YOUNG TO REMEMBER THE SPACE SHUTTLE BLOWING UP.
THEIR LIFETIME HAS ALWAYS INCLUDED AIDS.
THE CD WAS INTRODUCED EIGHT YEARS BEFORE THEY WERE BORN.
THEY HAVE ALWAYS HAD AN ANSWERING MACHINE.
THEY HAVE ALWAYS HAD EMAIL, CELL PHONES AND THE INTERNET.
THEY HAVE ALWAYS HAD VCRS, AND VIDEO CAMERAS.
THEY HAVE ALWAYS HAD CABLE.
POPCORN HAS ALWAYS BEEN MICROWAVED.
THEY NEVER TOOK A SWIM AND THOUGHT ABOUT JAWS.
MCDONALD’S NEVER CAME IN STYROFOAM CONTAINERS.
THEY DON’T HAVE A CLUE HOW TO USE A TYPEWRITER.
The picture – another reminder of age – my youngest Henry, 7, about to take his first flight on 1Time Airlines earlier this week!
Surprisingly, my sister sent me this (she doesn’t usually forward stuff). She liked it, and so do I:
To realize
The value of a sister/brother
Ask someone
Who doesn’t have one.
To realize
The value of ten years:
Ask a newly
Divorced couple.
To realize
The value of four years:
Ask a graduate.
To realize
The value of one year:
Ask a student who
Has failed a final exam.
To realize
The value of nine months:
Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.
To realize
The value of one month:
Ask a mother
Who has given birth to
A premature baby.
To realize
The value of one week:
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize
The value of one minute:
Ask a person
Who has missed the train, bus or plane.
To realize
The value of one-second:
Ask a person
Who has survived an accident.
Time waits for no one.
Treasure every moment you have.
You will treasure it even more when
You can share it with someone special.
To realize the value of a friend or family member:
LOSE ONE.
The origin of this letter is unknown,
But it brings good luck to everyone who passes it on.
Remember….
Hold on tight to the ones you love!
The picture is a sunset on the Zambezi – we live in the most beautiful place but don’t always appreciate it!
This, to me, and I’m sure the rest of my family, is a very poignant picture. It shows my late brother-in-law Don Binney, who passed away on November 13th last year, being served by my (now) Assistant Manager Annastasia Katele, during Don’s visit to Zambia in March 2006 with my sister Ruth. A good time they had too! Don and Ruth came to Zambia following some time in South Africa during which Don, a great cricket lover, was thrilled to have attended a test match at Newlands in Cape Town. I’m very much looking forward to Ruth’s return visit in March 2010 as I’m sure she is too. Our thoughts are with her today.
Annastasia’s had a great year since being promoted to the post of Assistant Manager in January this year. She’s grown a lot in the job (not in height, she’s still pint sized) and is about to start her annual leave. She’s shown herself to be super reliable, tough and her great public relations skills have made her popular with suppliers and Guests alike. By way of a reward for excellent work the company have sponsored a return flight to South Africa for her to go and see her young brother who lives in Johannesburg. As soon as our new bedrooms are finished (a week or so to go), we’ll be starting the construction of two offices – one for her and one for me, with a view to her being able to take over even more responsibility next year.
How nice to be able to link these two super people together in one image!
Thanks to my friend Derek Dawson for these classics! My ‘gawjus’ daughter Alex is an expert English language despoiler, so I’m sure she’ll enjoy! Hope you do too! The picture? One of my favourite places in England – Devil’s Punchbowl on Exmoor in glorious Devon!
Cocktail lounge, Norway :
LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BAR.
Doctors office, Rome :
SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER DISEASES.
Dry cleaners, Bangkok :
DROP YOUR TROUSERS HERE FOR THE BEST RESULTS
In a Nairobi restaurant:
CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER.
On the main road to Mombasa, leaving Nairobi:
TAKE NOTICE: WHEN THIS SIGN IS UNDERWATER, THIS ROAD IS IMPASSABLE.
On a poster at Kencom:
ARE YOU AN ADULT THAT CANNOT READ? IF SO WE CAN HELP.
In a City restaurant:
OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND WEEKENDS.
In a cemetery:
PERSONS ARE PROHIBITED FROM PICKING FLOWERS FROM ANY BUT THEIR OWN GRAVES .
Tokyo hotel’s rules and regulations:
GUESTS ARE REQUESTED NOT TO SMOKE OR DO OTHER DISGUSTING BEHAVIOURS IN BED.
That’s the first ten – some more tomorrow!