Bush Camp Baobab
Last weekend, although we were supposed to have been confined to base, we actually went out to our friends' bush camp (known in this blog as The Middle of Nowhere - mentioned here and here).
It was kind of a hard week and escaping from (relative) civillisation was just what the doctor ordered - so we set off after work on Saturday on the transit road through the National Park, stopping only for a herd of very shiny, well-fed looking buffalo to cross over.
Hot, blue and sunny weather was a welcome break from the recent gloomy raininess, and naturally called for a quick stop in Mabele village to purchase ice cold Hansa beers at the lovely Kanini Kanini General Dealer & High Life Bar. The general weirdness of this transaction brought back memories of a Botswana we used to know about 20 years back!
We found that great progress had been made out at the camp, and enjoyed staying in one of the newly established future guest tents. Very romantic design, set upon teak decking, in amongst the natural indigenous trees. A piece of heaven...
Tent hiding amongst the trees
We enjoyed an evening round the fire, gazing up at the Milky Way and the dazzling Stars, liberated from the cloudiness by the clear weather...
Waking up the next morning to the birdsong surrounding the tent, I opened my sleepy eyes - straight into sensory overload! An astounding, wild, red sunrise was busy going on, as viewed through the huge, uncurtained mesh windows! Alas, being half asleep at the time, the colours had rapidly faded into tameness by the time I could get to a camera to capture it...
As ever, I just revelled in being in the bush. And indulged my delight in hugging, and if possible curling up in, great big, warm, earthy baobab trees!
On the way back, we stopped numerous times - to just enjoy the pure silence, the sheer seasonal abundance of the trees and undergrowth, and also to pick some Sausage Tree fruit for medicinal purposes...
Sausage Tree, (Kigelia Africana) with fruit
Looking up through the stunning vegetation
Oh, and what would a trip through the lush vegetation be without frantic reversing and climbing inside a thorny acacia tree, to capture a rambling, creeping, Flame Lily in full flower. This is a slightly different colour scheme to the others featured in earlier blog posts - but still a delight to behold in the wild!
What an adventure - the trunk of the baobab tree is just fascinating.
ReplyDeleteOh how I love the Baobabs. You look so happy curled up in that one. A fab weekend away in such a beautiful spot seems like the perfect reward for a weeks hard graft!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful break to have had. Love the idea of stopping to hear the silence.
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Amazing tree, great picture of you hugging it and smiling. I'm a city boy really and things like this make me a little nervous but I like the pictures.
ReplyDeleteIt strikes me that your part of Africa, even with all its problems, is just slightly closer to heaven than the rest of the world. There's still that intense connection with nature that defines it. I love the picture of you lounging on the giant tree. Don't you wonder how old the tree might be?
ReplyDeleteHi Pink.. yes, it is too amazing.. i think i will post some better close ups of this trunk. some are very smooth, too. gorgeous trees!
ReplyDeleteRob, yes i am always happy when i'm communing with a baoabab, and there's no real explanation for this at all!
FB, the silence is palpable and its truly wonderful, especially when it's really hot...
Walker - city boy :-), I assure you I find lots of things in the city very unnerving, too!
Barbara, yes, it's one of the things i love so much about Botswana, especially living here. you never have to go too far to touch the absolute wilderness. Some baobabs can be thousands of years old. I'm thinking a baobab post will be coming up soon! They are endlessly fascinating...
sigh - lovely but homesick making... am guessing is this P&G's new spot??? gorgeous photos. what areyou using the sausage tree fruits for?xx
ReplyDeleteKaren, ooh, trying hard here not to be jealous...I'm soo glad you got to have a get~a~way. And at a romantic bush camp?!
ReplyDeleteLove the Kanini Kanini General Dealer, thanks so much for the picture!
The baobab is great too, you are the cutest tree hugger I've ever seen...did you know there are a couple books devoted just to this incredible tree? The Remarkable Baobab by Thomas Pakenham & The Africa Baobab by Rupert Watson, i've only seen the first. Great!
I'm so glad you had a wonderful time!
xx
hi val, yes it's the very place you're thinking of! garden lodge extension... slices of the fruits apparently work miracles on "sun-spots"
ReplyDeleteLori, I haven't heard of either of the baobab books - will have a look out for them! It's always great to get out of here for a bit, even tho' here is pretty great, too! sometimes we can get so bogged down in the business.. Kanini-Kanini always puts me in a good mood, too! :-)
What a great post! Sausage trees? This is really interesting reading with a wonderful sense of place. You are now being followed officially by me. Thank you.
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That tree is AMAZING and it sounded like a blissful weekend.
ReplyDeleteWaking up to bird calls in the wild is among the best experiences ever. The baobab sure are big. The pictures are paint the beauty of the bush well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the award. It's a privilege to receive it from you.
Crikey, your life over there is SO different from Parisian living. Great photos. And I love that name: Kanini Kanini General Dealer & High Life Bar. They ought to open a branch over here!
ReplyDeleteThis is great! Love those big beautiful trunks. I bet snuggling up in them is a wonderful feeling. You look so happy in the pic.
ReplyDeleteBlue skies and heat and hansa beers. Yum! Happy late summer to you. Enjoy the bush!
you have been tagged - hope you play :)
ReplyDeleteWow, what great photos, and the natural world around you is astounding. I'm envious a bit! You do look content curled up in that tree. Lucky indeed...
ReplyDeleteLakeviewer, glad you enjoy the weird and wonderful African trees! ever heard of a wooden banana?!
ReplyDeleteHi BritGal - yes,i'm always blissed out in the bush!
Anil, yes those bird wake up calls are spectacular..love your blog too :-)
Hi Dumdad, yes - oh so different to Paris!At least it's an original name, should you one day open a general dealer/bar in france!
Hi Reya, thanks for the visit - yes, this is actually my favourite time of year coming up right now (once it stops raining!)
Thanks, Pink - will have a look! :-)
Sigh, sigh, sigh... Oh perfect bliss. You've made me hanker for the bush. And you're reminded me that I've never hugged a baobab - it must go on the to do list!
ReplyDeleteThat first photo is just stunning.
ReplyDeleteAV, when/if you come to Chobe, there will be lots of baobabs to hug!
ReplyDeleteHi Rae, aren't they just amazing trees? it's impossible to take an ugly photo of them! :-)