A E London Journal

Africa 2014
Our Ssafari this year was exceptional! We shared an incredible adventure with a great group of friends. Our Arts for Animals program grew, and everyone came home safe.

Africa 2014

Cape of Good Hope
As we do every year, we began the trip in Cape Town and spent a wonderful day near the tip of Africa, hiking and enjoying the incredible views.

Cape of Good Hope

Our 1st day at Inverdoorn
We visited Inverdoorn, an endangered species breeding facility in the Cape's dry area.

Our 1st day at Inverdoorn

Here they raise orphaned rhinos
These young rhinos have had radioactive pellets put into their horns to discourage poachers.

Here they raise orphaned rhinos

Orphaned cheetah cubs are incredibly cute!
I had a rare opportunity to play with these very young cheetahs. They will be raised to be released back into the wild.

Orphaned cheetah cubs are incredibly cute!

The cheetah outreach center
Our work with the cheetah outreach center enables us to go behind the scenes with our friends to interact with young cheetahs. These are about 8 months old.

The cheetah outreach center

Our friend, Anne Spencer, with one of the Cubs.

Our friend, Anne Spencer, with one of the Cubs.

Visiting the studio of bronze artist Dylan Lewis
One of our favorite side trips when we visit the wine lands of the Cape is to drop in on Dylan. He has transformed his 200-acre ranch into an outdoor sculpture garden framed by soaring peaks and rows of vineyards.

Visiting the studio of bronze artist Dylan Lewis

The flowers at the Cape are unbelievable
There are more species of plants in the South African Cape region than in all of North America and Europe.

The flowers at the Cape are unbelievable

The wine country of South Africa
No trip to South Africa is complete without a visit to one of the hundreds of wineries of the region. We usually visit Stark-Condé, since their wines are superb, their restaurant is incredible, and they are old friends of Steve, our guide in the area.

The wine country of South Africa

Wine tasting on a romantic island in a small lake
After a delicious wine-paired dinner, we retreat out to a beautiful island and sit under a shady willow tree to sample more of their best wines.

Wine tasting on a romantic island in a small lake

Lunch the next day
One of the advantages of being friends with one of the most well-known guides in South Africa is getting to experience Cape Town cuisine likeooks Cape Town an a local. This restaurant specializes in original Cape Town cuisine.

Lunch the next day

A beautiful sunset sail
Although the importance of Cape Town as a seaport diminished with the building of the Suez Canal, we get to experience what the early explorers and traders saw as they sailed into Cape Town nestled under magnificent Table Mountain.

A beautiful sunset sail

South African Wines 101
Learning about all South African wines, instead of just specific wines, is very interesting. Being a winemaker himself, our guide Steve was able to give us an introduction into the history and nuances of the most famous South African wines.

South African Wines 101

The District 6 Museum
No visit to South Africa is complete without learning about the history and consequences of apartheid. Although it's one of the darkest eras in South African history, it is certainly one we can learn from.

The District 6 Museum

En route to the Kalahari Desert
After four days in the Cape region, we board our planes for Botswana. At these small airstrips in the bush, it's not uncommon to see elephants or kudu on the runway.

En route to the Kalahari Desert

Grasslands Lodge, home of the Predator Project.
One of our favorite places in Africa is the Kalahari desert and Grasslands Lodge. Here they raise and condition troubled lions and painted dogs so that they can be re-released into nature.

Grasslands Lodge, home of the Predator Project.

Horseback riding in the desert
You never know what you're going to see riding in the desert. If you look closely in the background, you can see a journey (herd) of 30 giraffes!

Horseback riding in the desert

The San bushmen
Of course, one of the most interesting aspects of Grasslands is the nearby tribe of bushmen: one of the oldest civilizations on Earth. Over the years, we have become friends and look forward to visiting with them each trip.

The San bushmen

Hanging with the bushmen!
It's always interesting for us to see the interaction between our friends from America and our bushmen friends.

Hanging with the bushmen!

My artwork, featuring the shaman
Last year I did an art piece based on experiences we had with the shaman on a previous trip. It is said they can enter a trance and communicate with the spirits of the animals. After 3,500 years in the desert, who can say what these people are capable of!

My artwork, featuring the shaman

The shaman
Early explorers were captivated by the connection the San people have with the desert and its wildlife.

The shaman

We learned about a fascinating lifestyle
Spending the day with the bushman, and learning about how they hunt, gather food and water and even how they play was quite incredible. This amazing culture is close to 4,000 years old!

We learned about a fascinating lifestyle

Thirsty? Just dig up a root!
They demonstrated how they could dig up a certain root, shaped like a potato and shred its interior. Then you put it in your hand, squeeze, and drink the water that flows down your thumb. It worked for Mary!

Thirsty? Just dig up a root!

This year we saw more baby elephants than ever
It's always a good sign to see lots of baby animals, although it gets a bit touchy at times because the mothers are so protective.

This year we saw more baby elephants than ever

My magic
Each year I draw a lion on the hand of the shaman to protect him in the bush. As a child, he was gored by an eland and still bears scars where the horn went through his body.

My magic

The simplicity and joy of this culture is amazing
The San people have none of the material things we cling to, yet they have learned over the millennia what it takes to be happy.

The simplicity and joy of this culture is amazing

They love to see themselves on camera!
These people love to interact with others who are interested in them and their way of life. Sometimes they are given houses, but they would much rather sleep with stars overhead as they have done for generations.

They love to see themselves on camera!

Kazoo diplomacy
Each year we bring kazoos for our African friends. It's amazing the joy such a simple instrument can give. This is usually the first time they been able to express themselves musically. You never know what you are going to hear when they begin to play.

Kazoo diplomacy

The shaman's first tune
It was so interesting to hear when he played and watched the smile on his lips, although he had never heard any Western music before. His melodies were beautiful, even on kazoo!

The shaman's first tune

Going back thousands of years
As the San people shared their ancient dances and traditions, we were mesmerized and, for a moment, transported back thousand of years ourselves!

Going back thousands of years

What stories are written in the lines of these faces.

What stories are written in the lines of these faces.

The lions here are beautiful!
The lions kept here have been caught in areas where they were going to be shot for eating cattle.

The lions here are beautiful!

A rare photo op
Dub somehow managed to get close to these skittish painted dogs.

A rare photo op

Through the Predator Project, these lions will be saved.
Here at Grasslands, these lions are fed cattle which have been treated with chemicals to make them nauseous. The lions will become conditioned to no longer eat cattle and only eat wild game so they can be re-released into their old habitat.

Through the Predator Project, these lions will be saved.

Ya-a-awn
Getting shots like these are a photographer's dream

Ya-a-awn

Tragically, one of our guides got too close to this lion!

Tragically, one of our guides got too close to this lion!

Just joking!
Our friend Valintine began raising this orphaned cub at three months. Now, three years later, the two are inseparable friends. Their incredible story will be the subject of a National Geographic TV special this coming year.

Just joking!

Two beautiful cheetah brothers
On our way from the bush airport to Savute camp, we spotted these two cheetahs and followed them as they hunted.

Two beautiful cheetah brothers

My, what big teeth you have, Grandma!

My, what big teeth you have, Grandma!

Front row seats
There's nothing in the world like being 8 feet from one of the most magnificent predators in Africa.

Front row seats

I could see this becoming a beautiful art piece!

I could see this becoming a beautiful art piece!

Frequent fliers
Chartered planes are the key to covering almost 3,000 miles in 15 days.

Frequent fliers

Almost too close!
Getting close enough to really feel the mood and spirit of the wildlife is the key to my art. Sometimes it's a little scary!

Almost too close!

Sundowners at Okavango
Cakes, snacks, champagne, gin & tonics, good friends and beautiful sunset all combine to create the perfect "sundowner."

Sundowners at Okavango

Each sunset, we stopped to drink, eat and reminisce
An old African tradition is to watch the sunset with your friends, sip drinks and talk about the day's adventures.

Each sunset, we stopped to drink, eat and reminisce

There's nothing cuter than a baby giraffe!

There's nothing cuter than a baby giraffe!

Zebras stripes and patterns are almost hypnotic

Zebras stripes and patterns are almost hypnotic

I use every opportunity to sketch

I use every opportunity to sketch

Safari surprises
As we drove through the bush, we never knew what we were going to see.

Safari surprises

Sometimes it was lions

Sometimes it was lions

Sometimes elephants

Sometimes elephants

Sometimes leopards
This leopard was standing on the side of the track as we headed into camp one day.

Sometimes leopards

Lions are so majestic, even when they're sleepy!

Lions are so majestic, even when they're sleepy!

Dance party in the village
At night, the staff sings and dances their local traditional dances and we are always invited to dance and sing along with them. It's so much fun to share their culture.

Dance party in the village

Fine wines, gourmet food, and luxurious tents far from civilization
The camps we visited are all known for great game viewing and incredible comfort in the middle of nowhere.

Fine wines, gourmet food, and luxurious tents far from civilization

Dinner under the African sky
After singing and dancing with the staff, we sit down to a sumptuous meal with the Southern Cross constellation overhead and the sounds of the African bush in our ears.

Dinner under the African sky

Some people never see the elusive leopard
We followed three different leopards at Savute Camp. What wonderful luck!

Some people never see the elusive leopard

What an incredible animal!

What an incredible animal!

Simply beautiful

Simply beautiful

Clark wondering when this roadblock will move on

Clark wondering when this roadblock will move on

The birds of Africa are especially beautiful
Hornbills are one of our favorites

The birds of Africa are especially beautiful

Dancing and singing with the locals

Dancing and singing with the locals

Cape larks are everywhere and so beautiful!

Cape larks are everywhere and so beautiful!

Another African sunset

Another African sunset

What a fun group of friends
Here we are acting like our favorite animal. This is why we enjoy sharing Africa with friends. It really adds a whole new dimension to our safaris.

What a fun group of friends

Victoria Falls
Enjoying the roar and mist of one of the planet's greatest waterfalls.

Victoria Falls

Mosi-oa-Tunya, the indigenous name for Victoria Falls
It means "smoke that thunders," and after visiting the falls, you understand why it's called that.

Mosi-oa-Tunya, the indigenous name for Victoria Falls

Our visit to the school was amazing
A couple of young students took each one of our friends on a personal tour of the school. Each of us enjoyed getting to know the kids personally.

Our visit to the school was amazing

Kelly made a few new friends

Kelly made a few new friends

We also toured a local Zimbabwean village
Getting to know some of the local people and seeing how they live day-to-day was interesting and fun.

We also toured a local Zimbabwean village

They love to laugh
The community havsa wonderful sense of humor and very positive outlook on life. Their laughter is truly infectious.

They love to laugh

White rhino
Although becoming very rare, we even managed to see a baby rhino. They are being hunted almost to extinction.

White rhino

The orphanage
Of course, we had a blast at the orphanage -- as always!

The orphanage

The kids sure love those kazoos
It's such a thrill to brighten these children's day.

The kids sure love those kazoos

What a smile!
Although they're initially nervous, each year our friends say that the orphanage visit was one of the high points of their trip.

What a smile!

Who has the biggest smiles?
Us, or the kids?

Who has the biggest smiles?

Another high point is the elephant-back safari in Zimbabwe

Another high point is the elephant-back safari in Zimbabwe

Getting to interact with the elephants is so much fun

Getting to interact with the elephants is so much fun

There's nothing like sunset on the Zambezi River
Besides spending a day in inflatable canoes, fishing and watching the wildlife, we also do a private sundowner cruise on a small river boat. Note the herd of elephants in the background playing, swimming and even mating. Simply amazing!

There's nothing like sunset on the Zambezi River

Watching elephants drinking and playing from just a few feet away is an indescribable experience

Watching elephants drinking and playing from just a few feet away is an indescribable experience

Last night at the Boma in Victoria Falls
We went to a giant thatched hut where you can feast on grilled impala, kudu and warthog. You can eat mopane worms and sample all the native African foods while watching local dancers. It's a really fun way to end our time in the bush.

Last night at the Boma in Victoria Falls

Fourteen days later, we end in Johannesburg.
We spend one last night with our friends in Johannesburg at a beautiful boutique hotel with a great gourmet dinner, and then we're off to Zimbabwe early the next morning.

Fourteen days later, we end in Johannesburg.

Exhausted, but ready for more adventure
In central Zimbabwe, we stayed at Davidson's camp near two villages where children were going to work with the next day. This was next to the largest park in Zimbabwe, Hwange National Park.

Exhausted, but ready for more adventure

Hwange is very remote, but that means lots of wildlife.
We had seen this pack of wild dogs earlier on our way to the school. Later we ran across them again, this time chasing down a pregnant antelope. We followed them for several miles through the bush, savanna and grasslands.

Hwange is very remote, but that means lots of wildlife.

A slice of life (and death) in the African bush
Just when we thought we had lost the pack, we rounded a corner and there in the road was the dead antelope. The hunters had ripped her open and left her and her unborn baby until the rest of the pack caught up. We parked nearby and watched the scene.

A slice of life (and death) in the African bush

We watched as the pups and older painted dogs caught up
Spellbound, we notice that the unborn calf was still alive and kicking. Sadly, we watched as it too was eaten. We felt uncomfortable but privileged to watch this slice of life in Africa unfold.

We watched as the pups and older painted dogs caught up

The next day, we visited Xinga and its two schools
The kids here live on the boundaries of Hwange park. These are the children that will decide the fate of the wildlife that reside in the park. Hopefully, we can help them to understand how they are linked to the animals here.

The next day, we visited Xinga and its two schools

The classrooms, although bare, are very nice
We taught two separate schools, Xinga in green and Ngama in red. These schools are usually rivals and compete with each other.

The classrooms, although bare, are very nice

Teaching with our Art for Animals poster
We brought 200 drawing kits with us, and using our poster, I taught the kids to draw three threatened species.

Teaching with our Art for Animals poster

During the class, the kids are really focused
While the kids concentrate on these animals, this is the perfect opportunity to teach them how connected these animals are to their heritage and to their future.

During the class, the kids are really focused

They are so proud of their work
Our goal is not only to teach them how to draw and the benefits of art, but also to teach an important stewardship lessons for "their wildlife. Often they don't realize that these animals exist nowhere else on the planet.

They are so proud of their work

We have so much respect and admiration for their teachers
We leave lesson plans, artwork and posters so that these teachers can continue the art and conservation lessons we began.

We have so much respect and admiration for their teachers

The two schools singing and dancing together
After our lessons, the kids began a competition to see who could sing and dance the best. It was a tie, as one sang better and the other danced better. We challenged them to sing one song together and dance together and the result was simply amazing.

The two schools singing and dancing together

Their smiles and hugs were wonderful
They made sure we knew that we had made a difference in their lives!

Their smiles and hugs were wonderful

Our reward is almost immediate
How often do you get to feel you're making a difference in the future of our planet's wildlife?

Our reward is almost immediate

An African roadblock!
Our path to the airfield was blocked by these two fat and sleepy lions. They just killed a wildebeest an hour before and needed a nap.

An African roadblock!

Sleeping in the road

Sleeping in the road

We then flew two hours north to Mana Pools National Park, a World Heritage Site.
This was an amazing area on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It's at the end of the dry season and all the wildlife from hundreds of miles away are gathered along the Zambezi River. The only hitch: it was about 110°F.

We then flew two hours north to Mana Pools National Park, a World Heritage Site.

There were elephants everywhere
The best wildlife viewing is from the river.

There were elephants everywhere

We spent our days on a pontoon boat
Game viewing from a boat is wonderful! You can safely get within just a few yards of the huge herds and even mothers with babies.

We spent our days on a pontoon boat

Prehistoric looking crocodiles dotted the shoreline
These boys were huge and very dangerous looking. These reptiles mean business. If you look closely in the mouth of this one, you'll see the leg of an unfortunate impala that had ventured a little too close to the water.

Prehistoric looking crocodiles dotted the shoreline

That hippo's 8-inch-long teeth can easily crush a boat
This was definitely not a river you wanted to go swimming in!

That hippo's 8-inch-long teeth can easily crush a boat

Despite its dangers, the Zambezi is a beautiful river

Despite its dangers, the Zambezi is a beautiful river

We took hundreds of photographs and did many sketches

We took hundreds of photographs and did many sketches

As we fished, elephants would swim by our boat
Often the elephant were totally underwater, with only the tips of their trunks exposed.

As we fished, elephants would swim by our boat

We drifted along in the river's swift current, then hit troubled waters
Our guide Honest mentioned that we were going to run over some grass and to hold on. As we hit the "grass," the boat stopped dead in the water; we had hit a submerged tree. Suddenly, I was underwater!

We drifted along in the river's swift current, then hit troubled waters

After a few seconds I resurfaced from the dark swirling water
I got back to the boat and Honest immediately pulled me aboard. Jim said that since Honest was helping me, he was free to jump for his camera to get me coming back on board. A likely story!

After a few seconds I resurfaced from the dark swirling water

Later, everyone had calmed down
Honest explained that I was the first client he came close to losing. Needless to say it wouldn't have helped his reputation as a fishing guide. Luckily, I escaped with all my limbs intact. Much to his relief!

Later, everyone had calmed down

We spent a lot of time in the pool
You could swim in the pool and watch elephants grazing along the river bank. At night it cooled off to only 90° in our room. We found that if we stood in the shower with our sheets on and then got in bed with wet sheets the small fan would keep us cool.

We spent a lot of time in the pool

Mana pools was definitely one of our favorite spots in Africa

Mana pools was definitely one of our favorite spots in Africa

We took off from the dirt runway and flew 200 miles back to Victoria Falls

We took off from the dirt runway and flew 200 miles back to Victoria Falls

Jubalani School
After we returned to Victoria Falls we taught another two groups of school children about the importance of wildlife and art to their lives.

Jubalani School

The children are so focused on their artwork

The children are so focused on their artwork

Taking the pledge to be a "Wildlife Protector"
This year we also began our Wildlife Protector program. Through this program, children take pledges saying they understand the importance of African wildlife to their heritage and to their future.

Taking the pledge to be a "Wildlife Protector"

These children gain an appreciation for art and their wildlife

These children gain an appreciation for art and their wildlife

Through our work, the Zimbabwean government will bring an official art teacher to the school
One of our greatest accomplishments this year was helping the school to get a permanent art teacher for their district. This was unheard of in Zimbabwe.

Through our work, the Zimbabwean government will bring an official art teacher to the school

Our program helped this young man make a difference in the future of wildlife in Africa
The notecards we created from the children's artwork last year will be sold to establish scholarships for artists and park rangers.

Our program helped this young man make a difference in the future of wildlife in Africa

These children are now Wildlife Protectors and wear their blue bands proudly
The band say: "Help me protect our animals," and "Our Wildlife, Our Heritage, Our Future."

These children are now Wildlife Protectors and wear their blue bands proudly

This year, 450 children became Wildlife Protectors
By May, we hope to have 2,000 children take the pledges.

This year, 450 children became Wildlife Protectors

With Sue Goately, our local contact for Children in the Wilderness
Through wilderness safaris, this joint program has become possible. It is a wonderful collaboration between the Children in the Wilderness organization and Arts for Animals.

With Sue Goately, our local contact for Children in the Wilderness

You can help these children make a difference in their future and the future of Africa
For more information, visit www.Artsforanimals.com or www.Childreninthewilderness.com.

You can help these children make a difference in their future and the future of Africa

2014 African Adventure

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