Madagascar

Malagasy girl from whom we bought a fresh pineapple along the road.

Fragrances of the many species of wild flowers provided a natural aromatherapy.

Wild ginger - ginger flavours with fresh zebu steak - mmm.

Flore - our naturalist and guide during our hike thgrough the tropical rainforest of Antisabe National Park.

A small waterfall and natural pool where we took a swim during our hike.

Near the edge of the granite massive while hiking in Isalo National Park.

Mother and her baby at a local market.

School girls savouring homemade mango popsicles on their way.

Clothes drying on the roof - a few bananas for sale.

Boys hanging out in front of a typical food stall.

Threatening skies above our small bungalow soon turned to lightening and a torrential downpour.

We bought fresh muffins and bananas from these industrious young girls in the early morning.

The beautiful baobab tree - its branches emmulating its roots.

Photovoltaic panels in the foreground absorbing the last moment of solar radiation at sunset.

Wildlife - Madagascar

Black and white ruffed lemurs.

Golden lemurs.

Ring tailed lemurs.

Chameleons - very slow moving but hard to spot blending in with their natural surroundings.

A 2 meter long tree boa basking in the sun next to the trail.

A croc waiting to snap.

A 75 mm spiney spider dangling above our heads.

Tomatoe frogs having a go .....

..... and junior.

The tortoise just wanted to hang around outside our lodge bungalow.

South Africa

The party continues outside the 2010 World Cup Stadium in Cape Town.

Nelson Mandela - 1993 Peace Prize recipient.

Desmond Tutu - 1984 Peace Prize recipient.

Spontaneous dancing broke out to the rythmn of a marimba band - Cape Town.

"Bang - Bang - Fire Power" [inside joke] with Table Mountain in the background.

Our overlander group wine tasting at one of the South African vineyards. The 2008 Shiraz was silky smooth.

Namibia

Sunrise enriches the colors of the mountains at Spitkoppe.

Our overlander at Etosha Pan - a flat barren lake bed in the dry season then floods during the wet season.

Butter trees - bark is peeled off and directly used as paper.

Rural housing in a village along the backroads of Namibia.

Hiking the ridge line of Dune 45 in Sossusvlei.

Climbing the boulders in Sesriem Canyon.

The lone tree in our campsite at sunset.

Wildlife - Namibia

This sign posted in our campground at the edge of the river. Crocodiles reportedly ate the campground owner's great dane dog last year.

Lions position down wind, then posture, then stalk their prey.

Ever graceful elephants drinking at a water hole.

Long sharp horns easily identify the oryx - we dined on oryx on two occasions.

It was a treat to spot a rare black rhino.

Wildabeasts drinking at a water hole.

Cheetas accelerate from 0 to 112 kph in 4 seconds !

Giraffes share the territory with other animals.

Zebras grazing in the grass.

Himba Tribe - Namibia

The Himba Tribe of Namibia has rejected Western ways to preserve their culture which has remained virtually unchanged for centuries.

A beautiful baby in a box.

Young girls wear their hair forward in twin braids.

Bare breasted girls and women of the Himba Tribe apply a mixture of ground ochra and cow butter to their skin and hair turning them a rich brown color. The mixture is a natural sunscreen and insect repellant - they never bath their entire lives.