Introductions

Re: Dumelang

cheapChic — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:31:12 GMT

Nicci jade I did look at the web page of your country hay its cool Im from washington state south of seattle at the edge of tacoma county area welcome I have some farm knowledge and yes I know those droughts a pain in the keyster I may say but welcome your country is beautiful..

cindy

Re: Dumelang

MarthaMFI — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:27:52 GMT

thanks for the tip Luvd! When the kids are older (teens etc) this is the type of trip I would like to take.

My boss went on a trip in January to Africa with his kids as part of doing service. He is Jewish. then they went on safari. looked awesome.

Re: Dumelang

Luvd_Lioness — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:23:38 GMT

Martha,

You could check into the universities up there ... that is how I found out about my trip. It would shave off some $ since it would be a group tour. (You are a little more limited on activities but still get an experience and a great memory!)

Re: Dumelang

MarthaMFI — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:11:34 GMT

Thanks! I always keep my travel dreams alive!

Re: Dumelang

babs — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:01:58 GMT

NicciJade, you are so right about the cost for transportation. My DH travels to Africa a couple of times a year. His biggest cost once he is there is for 4X4 or big van to travel around. He has been to Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, S Africa, Zimbawe and Zambia. Not to your country yet.
We have had people from your country to attend our church while in school here in Vt. Happy that you have joined us. Please continue to share , Babs

Re: Dumelang

NicciJade — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:59:31 GMT

Hi Martha

Yes, unfortunately it will be an expensive holiday, even with the dollar/*** exchange rate. Apart from plane tickets, you will need a 4X4 vehicle to go into the reserves, and most of the Delta camps are fly-in only.

Camping is cheap, however, once you're here

Keep that dream alive!!!!

Re: Dumelang

MarthaMFI — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 04:49:51 GMT

I would love to come one day. but out of the budget at the moment! I think it would be a $10,000 plus trip for our family.

Re: Dumelang

Edey — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:21:46 GMT

We have grackles in the parks near here that have the same pretty glossy, shiny coat like your starlings. The male makes a very loud screechy sound, which makes you wonder how a small bird can make such a huge squawk.

The bee-eater and roller are very pretty, colorful birds. Edey

Re: Dumelang

NicciJade — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:38:02 GMT

Hallo all

Martha, glad to hear BW Tourism is actively marketing the country - hope it inspires you to come out here one day

Edey, I live in the south-eastern part, which has a relatively high rainfall, but the country as a whole is quite dry and very hot.

Luvd_Lioness, yes, Dumela/Dumelang means Hello

Villages here are determined by population (Tlokweng has about 20 000 inhabitants), and it also determines the infrastructure and government services available. I live on a dirt road, for instance, even though I'm about 5 km from Gaborone, the capital city.

Glossy starlings are lovely (and are quite easy to tame, with some patience) - but have a search on the net for bee-eaters and roller: beautiful, bright-coloured birds.

Re: Dumelang

Luvd_Lioness — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:29:14 GMT

NicciJade:
I live in a village, with lots of open bush around me

Just wondering what youre definition of a villiage is? I live in a city that has a population of 50,000 and my ex-h, who was from Kenya, called that a village (where he was from was also 50,000).

There was a bird that I saw when I was on safari that I never got a picture of was the irridescent blue starling. The most beautiful bird to me. (I was in Tanzania and Kenya in 1997 for 2 wks).

So is Dumelang directly translated to Hello?

Re: Dumelang

Edey — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:28:40 GMT

NicciJade:
going to the Delta there are more waterbirds and my all-time favourite - the African fish eagle

Are you in an area that has a lot of water or a more desert area?

I'm about an hours drive from the Pacific, which offers more variety of bird watching; however the little shore birds I've never been able to see close enough to figure out which is which, but do love watching them run in and out of the waves searching for food. Edey

Re: Dumelang

MarthaMFI — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 02:01:51 GMT

I did read one of the book but it didn't grab me as much as the show. all that lovely scenery!! great actors too. They also have a 1/2 hr show called botswana a gem which explains the history, the aids problem (what they are doing about it) and the related orphanages, the characters, the music in botswana etc.

I would love to visit one day.

Re: Dumelang

NicciJade — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:09:34 GMT

Edey, obviously our bird lists won't match - but it sounds as if you have an amazing variety!

Birds I've seen in my garden or the surrounding bush are sparrows, doves/pigeons, mousebirds, weavers, tchagras, cuckoos, glossy starlings, white-eyes, sugarbirds, hornbills, shrikes, prinias, rollers, swallows, chats, babblers, coucals, crows, plovers, drongoes, egrets, guineafowl, ibis, louries, twinspots,barbets, waxbills, hoopoes. (I've probably forgotten some, but these are the "dependables". Plus, I'm not an expert on raptors.) Eish, what a list - sorry if i bored the socks off you!

Obviously, going to the Delta there are more waterbirds and my all-time favourite - the African fish eagle - and going to the desert there birds more adapted to desert conditions.

I live in a village, with lots of open bush around me, so there are many opportunities for bird-watching.

It's a fascinating and frustrating hobby, especially those lbj's.

Keep me up to date with your lifers!

Re: Dumelang

Edey — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:10:45 GMT

NicciJade:
birdwatching.

What are some of the birds you see most often? I'm a backyard birdwatcher; since retiring and being home more often I see more than I thought I would. We have hummingbirds, orioles, scrub jays, mockingbirds, sparrows, finches, crows, flycatchers, starlings, and doves. We see seagulls flying overhead but don't land in the yard. There are also red-tail hawks, owls and killdeer around, but these last two are more heard then seen. Occasionally a flock of feral (is that the right word) parrots that fly by occasionally, squawking all the way. I do enjoy watching them all. Edey

Re: Dumelang

NicciJade — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:18:22 GMT

Hallo again all

Thanks for the kind welcome!

@ Edey Hobbies are photography, gardening, reading, birdwatching. I also so some beadwork - really basic stuuf, though

@ Martha Yes, it really captured live in Botswana. See if you can get hold of the books - they are absolutely wonderful

@ Luvd_Lioness Come and visit - Botswana most be the most peaceful country in Africa; awesome scenery