There’s a great crocodile park in Livingstone popular with Guests staying at Chanters Lodge. Apart from seeing various different sizes of crocodiles in lovely manicured garden surroundings, you can, if you so wish, play with snakes – as indeed Linda Webb is doing – a recent guest of ours from the Netherlands. One of my Facebook friends tells me it’s a harmless brown house snake – I’ll take his word for it!
Nice one Linda!
This from Tim Masters entertainment correspondent of BBC News amused us – Victoria Falls really is an awesome spectacle, even late Michael Jackson wanted it!
Kenny Ortega – the choreographer of Michael Jackson’s ill-fated shows at London’s O2 arena – is chuckling at the memory of one of the singer’s big stage ideas. “One morning Michael called me and said: ‘Victoria Falls!’ and I said: ‘That’s in Africa’. “And he said: ‘That’s why we have to have it!'”
What Michael wanted was the Victoria Falls in 3-D pouring over the stage – with him in front of it, singing! Kenny Ortega, choreographer, a long-time friend of Jackson, is director of the film This Is It which is released on 28 October. The movie is based on more than 100 hours of footage from rehearsals for the 50 London shows Jackson had planned to perform. Jackson died in June aged 50.
“Daily, Michael and I would be creative jousting and wrestling down ideas,” recalls Ortega. “I think Michael wanted the world on stage, and he wanted the wonders of the world represented on stage. “We had choirs and children and dancers and singers and musicians and effects and movies and the world’s largest 3-D hi-definition screen.
Ortega was speaking after a press screening of 12 minutes of unseen footage from the This Is It movie. Jackson is seen working out dance moves to Human Nature, with his backing band in Los Angeles. The star is also seen performing The Way You Make Me Feel with a solo girl dancer, followed by an energetic sequence with some male dancers dressed as construction workers.
At one point Jackson drops to the ground in a press-up pose and leaps back up. He appears to be in good health, and his singing voice is strong. The building site set – with its silhouetted dancers scaling upwards – looks impressive on the big screen. Jackson died two weeks before he was due to return to the stage in London
Ortega thinks the film will have an appeal wider than Jackson’s fanbase. “I think it goes way beyond the fans,” he says. “You see a show being built with Michael as the main architect. “I loved watching the young dancers on stage with Michael: seeing the sparkle in their eyes and the excitement in their bodies – that they were on the stage with the very man that inspired them to want to be dancers.” Ortega adds: “The show was massive, but it was also intimate. With just Michael alone on the stage, with the light, with the band, and audience. We really worked out a plan so that those dynamics were in harmony.”
Travis Payne, a choreographer who worked alongside Ortega on This Is It, gives an insight into Jackson’s workload during the rehearsals.
“Each of our days would start with me going to his residence. We would rehearse at 2pm every day until about 3.30pm or 4.30pm – and then we would reconvene at the venue and usually go from 6pm to midnight. “It was pretty full-on, and then sometimes during the night we’d speak about the creative parts of the show.” Payne, who has also choreographed for Madonna and Beyonce, says he hopes the movie will be part of the “healing process” for Jackson’s fans.
There’s the picture Michael wanted to sing in front of! Awesome!
Doesn’t look much like progress does it? It is though – as we show a picture of the tiling taking place in the bathroom of one of our two new rooms under construction at Chanters Lodge in Livingstone Zambia, to provide increased poolside accommodation!
I’m always delighted when Guests compliment us about our garden at Chanters Lodge and indeed at this time of year it does look nice – though some more rain would help improve it even more!
Check this photo of a pink hibiscus close to the restaurant terrace. Isn’t it beautiful?
Looking north from the car park at Chanters Lodge Livingstone, this is the great view of our neighbour’s flamboyant tree in full flower. We have one too, but their’s always flowers before ours! Why’s that then?
You’ll agree with me that our new room number twelve, currently under construction at Chanters Lodge, Livingstone, is definitely a room with a view! I snapped this photo yesterday! The tiler is due to begin work today – but so too was he due to start yesterday!
My son Jan Martyn – seen above being dangerous on Livingstone Island in 2006 – is Chef at The Brown Dog in Barnes, West London on The Thames. This is what Time Out recently had to say about it:
“There’s much to cherish about this gastropub tucked among the cute backstreet cottages on the border between Barnes and East Sheen. A handsome space by day, with cream wood panelling and retro metal signs, it positively twinkles by night thanks to the warm wooden furniture, polished red ceiling and copper globe lamps above the central bar.
The bar divides the smallish space into drinking and dining areas, and there’s also a back courtyard for summer lounging. Prices and clientele are upmarket, but not stuffy, and the food can be very good. Classy ingredients are used in unfussy combinations, whether it’s top-notch seafood (dressed Cromer crab or Colchester rock oysters to start, beautifully cooked lemon sole with brown shrimp and parsley beurre noisette to follow), a lavish Sunday roast (Longhorn ribeye or whole poussin with all the trimmings), or comforting puds (rice pudding with damson jam, egg custard tart with raspberries).
Attention is paid to seasonality, witness a whole baked vacherin mont d’or as a starter to share. Kids get mini portions of adult dishes. French bottles dominate the wine list, and there’s Hepworth Sussex, Bitter and a seasonal guest ale on tap. Dogs (of any colour) are welcome.”
Sounds nice doesn’t it? Doing well isn’t he?
“A picture of the stores?” I hear you ask. Well…..no actually. It’s a photo of ‘my office’ at Chanters Lodge, Livingstone – which is not really an office but the smallest of our ten rooms – at the moment doubling up as an office!
The boxes? Air conditioners, fridges and TV’s for our new two roomed extension which we hope to complete next month. After that? Well, we’d better build an office hadn’t we, and sort out the stores as well!!
Just a quick check for you on the progress on our two roomed extension at Chanters Lodge, Livingstone. As you can see the plastering is complete, so too are the concrete floors, and the ceiling is in the process of being (noisily) fitted. Hot water geyzers are due to be fitted this week, and work will start on the drainage at the back of the extension. The tiler should be able to start in (less than?) a week or so.
We seem to be just about on target to have the new rooms finished and ready to let by November 15th.
I’ve been battling African Bullfrogs and Tree Frogs and goodness knows what other kind of frogs at Chanters Lodge Livingstone for years now – at certain times of the year they make a terrible racket in our garden in the evenings, such that you can hardly hear yourself think! Now, shock! Horror! People are advertising FROGGING SAFARIS! Yes! And to make matters worse, there’s my friends at Hills Of Africa pushing it for all they’re worth! Oh well, each to his own I suppose! Not for me thanks a lot! Here’s all about it…
“Impressionable mediums such as Hollywood and novels have positioned Africa as a continent synonymous with fierce game, adventurous safaris, and stunning wildlife. But Africa embodies much more than its traditional stereotype as a game-viewing safari destination. Although game-drives are the perfect way to observe the Big Five and other large African animals, it’s impossible to immerse yourself in the minute details of the African bush, where vehicles are forbidden.
Teeming with some of the world’s most intriguing flora, peculiar insects, stunning nocturnal creatures, and mysterious wilderness, Africa is abundant with hidden treasures and unspoiled terrain that make walking safaris a must. There are a variety of walking safaris to choose from, depending on your personal preference. Many travelers enjoy the niche-oriented walking safaris such as those that focus specifically on birding, plants, or lions. But one of those most interesting niche-oriented walking safaris is a frogging safari.
It may sound odd, but a frogging safari is a unique way to observe some of Africa’s endangered amphibian species, and is highly adventurous as it does encourage some detective work on your part. One of South Africa’s most reputable places to enjoy a frogging safari is the Dunes Country House in St. Francis Bay, South Africa. Here, extremely knowledgeable safari guide, Warren, who specializes in frogs, educates you on the unique lifestyle, behavior, and habits of frogs and opens your eyes to peculiar frog species that are endemic to the area.
With nearly 100 species of frog found throughout Southern Africa, approximately 47% of which are only found in the South African region, a frogging safari in St. Francis Bay opens your eyes to some of the world’s most rare and mesmerizing amphibians. The decrease in the African frog population can be correlated with indirect human influences such as pollution and deforestation.
On the Dunes Country House frogging safari with Warren, you’ll . . .
* Begin your excursion at sunset and will be equipped with headlamps, nets, and gum boots.
* Take a Land Rover to Dunes Country House’s private nature reserve, Thula Moya, where you will find a variety of frog species.
* Hear the beautiful whistles and songs of the resident male frogs. Each male frog looking for a female mate works hard at their music to be the loudest, because in the end, the loudest frog gets the girl.
* Learn about the frog species in the area and discover what makes these frogs unique creatures. From the soothing sounds to the vibrant colors and hues of these frogs, you’ll discover the purpose of each frog characteristic.
* Need to keep an eye open in search of colorful frogs. Frogs range in color to bright reds, yellows, and greens, to brown hues with intricate detailed skin.
* See a variety of frog species including the painted reed frog, cape sand frog, raucous toad, eastern leopard toad, clicking stream frog, bronze caco, and striped stream frog–to name a few.
When you arrive back at the Dunes Country House, you have the opportunity to purchase a hand-beaded frog statue as a souvenir from local crafters. The proceeds from this purchase will further go to the preservation efforts of the area.
Experience the beauty of Africa on a South African family safari or honeymoon safari vacation. Let Hills of Africa Travel create for you a detailed itinerary that is tailored to your every individual preference. Contact us today at 800.940.9344. We’re looking forward to making your dreams come true.
Would you enjoy a frogging safari in Southern Africa? Well stop off at Chanters Lodge Livingstone if you haven’t had enough frogging!