Dan Will Travel
I'm Dan and I WILL Travel
Once again, I am in South Africa doing much loved safari trips. This time, I am in Timbavati a private game reserve area adjacent to Krueger National Park. Krueger’s immense size (7,523 square miles, or essentially the size of New Jersey!) is further enhanced by many of these reserves along its western border. The rules and regulations are different but the animals are able to roam freely between the reserves and the park itself. The daily accommodation fee here includes all meals, drinks and two 3+ hour guided safari trips each day. Our wonderful guide, Anna does the driving and Albert sits on a jump seat attached the front of the Land Rover to do the spotting. These spotters are always amazing at what they see as we move through the bush, scanning for animal tracks, and spotting well camouflaged animals to either side. I do not think much of anything misses their eyes, while Anna’s true passion for the animals and guiding really adds to the experience! My resort, King’s Camp is located in the central part of the area where it is much dryer than further south. This creates a different ecosystem and different animals thrive here than in other areas. A key reason that I love the Kruger ecosystem is that the immense size allows one to stay in different parts and experience different animals in different settings. So far, on two safari’s I have gotten nice close ups of a seriously endangered white rhino, elephant, giraffes, hyena cubs, steenboks, impalas, baboons, cape buffalo, and even a hippo. (surprising to me due to the dry conditions)
A white rhino. A rare and mixed emotion sighting. Truly a majestic animal, so peaceful as they graze, but with the rate of poaching going on those in the wild will all be gone in less than 10 years. All due to a mistaken belief in Asia of the horn’s sexual benefits.
A young male. Far better sightings will occur later, but the first one is always special.
Tuesday morning gathering of female buffalos. Resting to get ready for a very hot day ahead.
I liked this close up shot. Contemplative it seems, but, knowing the buffalo, probably more like a blank stare. but nice either way.
Young hyenas waiting for mom to come home with dinner
Nice close up. how can we look at this cute child and mesh that with the reputation of hyenas?
Impala’s. The most common sighting in the area, but always nice as they are so attractive and graceful. Seeing them run full tilt leaping 15+ feet at a time is truly exciting. Not easy to photograph, though.
Baboon in tree. classic.
these baboons were part of a troop of 50 or so.
A yellow-billed hornbill.
I always love the old dead trees out in the bush.
After 3 quick days here, I do not think I found it. This is a huge, totally created city, a bit like Las Vegas, but different in that most are here to work, not play. The population is in the millions, but the native Emeriti part is well less than 10%. Everyone else is from somewhere else. Surely the biggest melting pot in the world, making it quite interesting to ask people where they are from. Pakistan, Italy, Singapore, India, Nepal, Uganda, you name it. All here for the work that exists. The Dubai museum does a good job explaining the history of the city, showing that Dubai, until just a few decades ago was a sleepy fishing village with its prime export being pearls.
It is clearly in the middle east, and muslim, but with so many “exceptions.” Western life goes on full tilt in the hotels and I am sure in the private homes of the expats. The streets are full of all people of all faiths and cultures mixing together as they walk the old town. In the more strictly Muslim cities I have been in, this is not so common. But, I think the impact of tourism is just so great here that it just has to be this way. Interestingly the key tourist group seemed to be Indian, which I have not seen before on my travels.
I love the souq’s of the middle east, so I immediately sought those out on day one trying to experience a bit of what Dubai would have been like before all of the development. These were pretty mild versions of a true souq. Only slightly aggressive hawkers, nothing like Syria or Tunisia. I walked much of the old town area, down narrow streets, along the Dubai creek waterfront, and in and out of the souq’s. Ending the day on the extremely modern metro, going back to the area of the high rises. Dubai, so many contrasts.
And, forget it Seattle with all of your construction cranes. A pittance compared to Dubai. Shanghai cannot match this either. This is growth like I have never seen. Just everywhere, to the point that getting around is really hard, whether walking or by car. And, where there is no development, there is only sand. Lots of sand.
The Dubai fort, dating from 1799 and home of an excellent museum all underground below it.
The souq specializing in textiles.
Dubai creek scene
In the gold souq
Back in the new area, view of Burj Khalifa. Note crane load in upper left of photo.
Construction cranes everywhere. Are all of the completed buildings occupied? I do not know.
Well, that got your attention, huh? Like how stupid can he be? Ok, don’t answer that one, please. Not that stupid. It is the middle east.
To “get high,” I went to the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. And, surprisingly, quite a beautiful building, even for its immense size. The observation deck on the 145th floor is over 1,800’ high. Like two Columbia towers high. And the building goes far higher, beyond where tourists can go. I think the spire tops out at about 2,500’ high. (1/2 mile up!)
And, fearless Dan even went outside at that 1,800′ height. (Love that thick glass……. ) They say that the temperature can be about 6 degrees cooler there than at ground level, but I think it was offset by being so much closer to the sun. Wow, was it hot!
After that, Dan the retailer had to visit the attached Dubai mall, the world’s largest mall. And it is huge. Indescribably huge, maybe 20 times the size of what we would call a large shopping mall? I would think that every retailer of any scale in the world has a shop here. Not sure how much they all sell, but there sure were lots of people wandering around.
The Burj Khalifa. Sun gleaming off it’s spire.
closer shot of the tower. Really quite a beautiful building.
Downtown Dubai as they call it. Most of these are 40-60 floor buildings, but far below from this vantage point.
looking the other direction towards Business Bay and my hotel, the Marriott which are the twin towers in the upper right hand corner. 76 floors each, 16 restaurants, and packed all of the time.
looking mostly straight down.
A very different view of a freeway cloverleaf. Using the new telephoto that I lugged up here.
tiny towers, really they do not even look real, do they?
Next stop, the Mall. This is the roof structure, giving some idea of the immensity of it. The shots I took of the tower were right by the breast cancer pink ribbon, far, far below this vantage point.