Please see the last title....

Eli and Amber visited here two weeks ago and did we ever have a hoot! They came to Johannesburg on a Saturday, we stayed in a hotel right at the airport and spent the evening story telling and catching up. That night we went to dinner where I enjoyed over indulging in the "dreaded buffet". More on that later.

Next day we were chatting so much on the drive home that we got a touch lost. As we pulled over to check a map, a guy in a Beemer slowed and pulled over in front of us. As he got out of his car he flashed us his "badge" from one of those classic folding wallet thingies that you see on all the detective shows. He approached us and stated that is was "against the law to stop on the side of this road" and that he'd " need to "see our passports." This is such a classic ploy, to take possession of your passports and then ransom them back to you. "OK but may I see your badge first?" say I. "What, you don't believe I'm in the South African Police?" All of the police on patrol are in uniform, in marked cars and will show their badge unless they are undercover. And wouldn't waste their time with a guy like me. By now I've had a good chance to look at his "badge" that was sticking out of his wallet thingy. It was plastic (!) like the kind you get at the toy store. A classic stand off. All the time I was thinking I would resist unless he pulls a gun (there are over 40 homicides in Jo'burg a day according to Wikipedia). No gun and he ultimately backed down stating "Thank you very much, enjoy your day, and you will be shaken down on the main road." Unbelievable.

We went back through Lobatse where my friend Roger chaperoned us around Athlone Hospital, the oldest in Bots, giving Eli and Amber a sense of health care in the rural areas of Botswana. Then home to dinner, sleep and trying to shake jet lag for E and A.

Next day I had some admin stuff to attend to and we prepared for our trip to Chobe. I think I may have summed up our trip to the Okavango the same way; WOW! We stayed a 4 star hotel, a bit of a reach from my local dive preferences in the States (where else can you make some friends and sample the local illicit crank and coke?). The hotel backed onto the Zambezi; full of hippo, crocks, birds. Beautiful. All meals were buffet style and yours truly is now 4kg heavier and much more well marbled. We went on several safaris and were impressed no only by the animal life (there are more elephants there than any other place on earth) but I was amazed at the safari clothing that everyone had. There were people from all across the planet and had all stopped into their local L.L. Bean buying the place out before they came. Eli and Amber were ultimately a bit amused that I chose shorts and the ever present grey T-shirt. But hey, at least I could be easily identified in that crowd. The best experience was a river cruise at sunset where we saw elephants playing in the water including a young one that had to be less than a month old, crocks and flood plain that were spectacular.

Also included was Victoria Falls. Now I admit that I was less than eager to go there even if it was only down the road as you have to go into Zimbabwe and I was still a touch puckered about the whole passport shake down thing (sick, I know). Eli and Amber would have none of it so Lynne booked a day and night to see it. OK so I didn't want to see one of the 7 wonders of the world. I have already said that I'm not one of the brightest bulbs in the chandelier. Again, WOW. The water over the falls is in such a huge volume that it sprays up, condenses, and rains. You can walk 2m and are in a warm Mid Western rain. Being Oregon ducks we loved it. That night the resident bachelor herd of elephants came up onto the lawn and ate, well, whatever they wanted. As did we . It might have been one of the best meals we have had; great food and company. Fantastic.

The best part of the whole experience is that we have to do it again in a month with Forrest and Shannon.

Outreach continues to reward and fascinate. I love being in the bush and teaching/relying on the instinct, reckoning, creativity that one needs out there.

I should head out to the pool. Lynne was finally able to score an entry into the UB pool. I know, not your basic "resource challenged" experience. Never the less, the 10% that one has to keep for one's self. That and I don't want to embarrass myself more than will already happen at masters nationals. Have to go work on my marbling, see ya.