Well, here we are nearly at the end of another year, to be very honest I am not sure where it went. Having said that and looking back for me it has been a very good year.
As I said in my earlier blog the start was doing the Namaka 4 x 4 trail with David and a couple of his friend, it was truly a unique experience. This was followed by the Photographic Congress in Calitzdorp where I meet up with some old friends and meet people who previously had only been name on the net or in a magazine. It was a great outing.
The gem of 2024 was without doubt the Botswana trip. This was absolutely out of this world, or should I say going back to the nature that I love. I stayed at Senyati camp near Kasane, and this was outstanding, just to sit there in front of my chalet with a fire, glass of red wine and watch wildlife not more than 50 meters away. There is a hide at Senyati which actually takes you with in ‘touching distance’ of the waterhole, this was truly a unique experience. To add to this, we also did a trip on the Chobe River to experience the wildlife together watching elephants cross the river as well as the bird life, hippos and crocs.
Whilst we were in that neck of the jungle “woods” a visit to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe bought back memories of 55 years ago when I first came to Africa. Yes, it has changed a bit and in respect has become rather expensive as everything is charged in U.S. Dollars. It was another great day
I think one of the things that really stood out was the Botswanan people, they were very polite, helpful and had a sense of humor. I found Botswana a lovely country and very clean.
The drive back took us 4 days – 2500 kilometers – with some very interesting accommodation along the way. I have included some photos of the trip in the Photography Section. On the drive home we stayed at a couple of great venues both in Botswana and South Africa.
One of the other ‘things’ I will remember 2024 for is that the Suzuki’s gearbox packed up on me, it was a little embarrassing getting stuck on a busy roundabout. Anyway, we managed to get it fixed, with the help of some very nice people. The garage quote for the repairs was R150K as I said with the help of some nice people, we managed to get this down to R35k a little bit of a difference.
To continue with the car scenario, I decided to replace the SX4 with a Vitara, well the difference is remarkable. The big surprise was the fuel consumption, down to 6 liters per 100 kms compared to the SX which was around 9 liters per 100 this is outstanding. The Vitara is bigger overall size wise and has a few Bells and Whistle but on the whole, I am extremely happy with it.
I must compliment Suzuki Vredendal for the service I receive it was outstanding, many thanks’ guys.
September saw a Photographic Club weekend in Tulbagh. This was also a great weekend, and the company and photographic opportunities were fantastic.
I have included some images from my various travels in the latest December Images along with a ‘Photography Update’ so please have a look, comments good or otherwise are always gratefully received so please let me know what you think Thanks
Well, here we go towards a new year, and I wish all of you the very best and trust that it will be another fantastic year.
May I wish all of you a very Happy Christmas and a great New Year, along with health and prosperity
Bob
