Hi again,

I wish I didn’t have to be such a prophet of doom, but ellies are being killed for ivory.

The elephants are being illegally poached because people are hungry for ivory. If nobody wants ivory then no one will bother to kill elephants.

Poachers do it for the money. They know they can sell their ivory. Seriously what can you do with ivory? Fashion some ornamental nicknacks and jewellery.

I don’t need to wear ivory and I hate dust collectors of all sorts. I realise of course that some people may find ivory ornaments pretty. But just think of the massacre that happens to get that bit of ivory into your hands.

Besides elephants are fabulous creatures. They are known to have memories and family relationships. They grieve when one of their own dies. The elephant herd needs the dominant male and female.

Just thinking of the blod shed that happens to capture ivory sends shivers down my back.

Please write a letter to the US government to oppose the international ivory trade.

Seriously nobody benefits. Would you rather know elephants are wondering the plains of Africa or would you rather have an ornament or piece of jewellery which has been begotten by inflicting pain and bloodshed?

Write Letter by clicking HERE

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I know I’ve been a slacker reporting to you on what’s happening in Africa.

I’ve been hanging around Europe and right now it’s cold! But news has come to me that carbofuran is being sold in Kenya and other eastern African countries.

It is horryfying. Right now a poisen made by a U.S. company a product that the Environmental Protection Agency says is too toxic to be used in America – is threatening the extinction of the African lion.

Just a handful of carbofuran – a deadly neurotoxin can kill an entire pride of lions. Sadly this awful poisen is still sold in stores and widely used across kenya and East Africa.

If something is not done soon, you can kiss these great cats goodbye.

Just 50 years ago, it is estimated that nearly half a million lions could be found in Africa. Now lion experts say that as few as 16000<remain. That is a staggering decline of more than 95%. In Kenya, home to world-famous wild lions, the story is especially sad.

The Kenya Wildlife Service estimates that fewer than 2,000 of these majestic great cats now remain in Kenya — down from an estimated 35,000 that made their home in the country just 50 years ago. According to the agency, one hundred lions are killed each year — many by carbofuran.

If Kenya’s lions continue their precipitous decline, there will not be a single wild lion left in the country in 20 years. Can you live with that thought?

At least seventy-six lions have been confirmed killed by carbofuran, with many more deaths left unreported. And while it is a crime in Kenya to use this deadly poison to kill lions, but very few have ever been arrested for poisoning a lion with carbofuran.

A quarter teaspoon of carbofuran can kill an individual lion. Less will paralyze this mighty beast for up to a week, leaving a lion or lioness to starve to death or be killed by other predators.

I am a member of Defenders and ask that you help us to win this fight. Over the last two decades, tens of thousands of Defenders activists hearblped finally convince the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the use of this deadly poison in America. Now we need you help to save the lives of endangered African lions threatened by carbofuran.

Please take action  – all I ask is that you sign the petition to Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

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When moving to my little piece of heaven some four years ago, I discovered, somewhat rudely, what the agent told me about being the sole proprietor, King of my own Land, the main Ranchero, etc, etc was a bit far fetched. In fact, it was a down right bald-faced lie to be exact. Eleonore, the warthog had been there long before me and with a stony “drop dead in your tracks” stare, made it abundantly clear to me that she was the owner of this particular little piece of Africa which I now called home. In the animal kingdom, “first come – first served possession”, is all the law you need to defend your territory with life and limb and to make it damn unpleasant for any intruder wanting to home in on your turf. Being somewhat of a stubborn animal myself, I decided as I had paid some real good money for the place, Madam would simply have to go and find some place else to live other than my porch.

Now I am not sure how many readers out there have ever been in negotiations with animals before, but it is not that easy. Had this been another two-legged animal, things would have been a great deal simpler to conclude. One phone call to my attorney would have had the scoundrel scampering away tail between his legs. But with Eleonore things were not going to be that simple. The look she gave me on our first encounter left me with no uncertainty whatsoever that She was the owner, not just some simple squatter and I was in fact the intruder. So there she stood, all four legs firmly planted on my porch, and me sitting in the drivers seat of my trusty old Land Cruiser, “Shova” (now the origin of that name is an entire story on its own) trying to look as threatening as possible to a warthog, teeth bared, shoulders puffed out glaring back at her with dagger eyes that would have sent any human scurrying back to mummy. This had absolutely no effect whatsoever, so I decided to change tactics.

Since that day I was always under the misguided impression that we humans were the most intelligent beings on earth! After all, we could speak, stand erect, reason, we have the capacity to love and show emotion, which psychologists say sets us apart from our lesser counterparts. We build cities, cars, airplains, we take raw minerals from the earth with wanton abandon and make things to make our lives easier. Now surely with all this superior intelligence I could devise a plan to get a simple pesky warthog off my porch so that I could go into my house and establish my manly presence in my new home, catch a long cool shower after the dusty 10 hour trip, pour myself a Johny Walker Black and sit on MY porch watching the ever spectacular winter African sunset.

Charged with new enthusiasm and confidence, I climbed on Shova’s horn, revved her motor and jumped up and down in the seat like a demented orangutan. Any casual passerby witnessing this spectacle would have had me certified immediately. The only effect it had on Eleonore was for her to casually turn around, antenna tail thrust at a 90 degree angle from her body, trot casually to the end of the porch and calmly flop down in the last remaining pool of amber sunlight. The message was abundantly clear. “This is my turf and I am here to stay, so take your smelly, noisy man-made animal and shove it where the sun don’t shine”! Round one to the warthog with an attitude.

Disillusioned at my failure to stamp the entire human race’s superiority over lesser beings and weary from my demonic antics I slunk, keeping a watchful eye on the almost lifeless grey blob at the far end of the porch, through the back door into Eleonore’s house. After unpacking a few things and taking a well-needed shower, I poured myself a stiff whiskey and slumped in my recliner in the living room, just in time to see the last flaming rays of the sun melt into the distant aubergine mountains. Oh well, four out of five isn’t too bad I guess…… but, I still want the porch.

I sat up a while mulling over the long drive, the naked, harsh beauty of Africa and its diverse people and problems. How wonderful it must have been when game roamed plentiful and freely across this continent. The rivers, crystal clear and sparkling in the sun or swollen and muddy after a typical African rainstorm. The magnificent mountain silhouettes, skillfully carved over thousands of years, clearly defined in the crisp, smogless air, uncluttered by horrendous deformities created by the superior beings to enhance his lifestyle. Hoe I wish I could have witnessed this Africa, before humans tore her heart out, raped her virgin soil and vandalized her natural wealth. Starry eyed I heard a faint shuffling on the porch and my thoughts snapped back to the present and my current predicament. It is my porch, I paid good money for it. Perhaps we could negotiate some kind of a deal. After all, this is Africa and far more complicated agreements have been hammered out. Sharing the porch is out of the question as warthogs have a reputation of being somewhat ill tempered and unpredictable. Maybe I could build her a porch of her own down by the waterhole. That way she would not have to go too far to enjoy her own sundowners. Damn, this whiskey is good! It’s giving me the wisdom to negotiate a land deal with a warthog! Warily I stumbled to bed, secure in the knowledge that some kind of an intelligent compromise could be reached.

Before first light I am up and making myself a cup of coffee. Cautiously I peer out the living room window. The porch is deserted! Ah-ha, this is my chance. I ease out the sliding door, making sure hogzilla is not lurking in the shadows. I am alone on my porch, I am king of this place! I sit quietly sipping my scalding coffee listening to Africa awaken in the pale false dawn. I can hear the hippos down by the river. An Eland snorts in the distance, probably startled by the presence of some predator and the birds begin their daily charming cacophony of calls. This is the life and I would not wish to be any place else right now, when in true African fashion, things change faster than the fall of the Zimbabwe dollar. There she is, eyeballing me from the one end of the lawn. The warthog from hell is back. I feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise. Is she going to charge me? My mind races, possession is 9/10ths of the law, but does she know that? Maybe if I stand up and make myself look really big it will scare her off. My mind goes back to my show stopping performance on Shova’s front seat and the absolute non-effect that had on her. No, that’s not going to work. So I sit quietly and watch her instead. Why the hell did I close that sliding door? Why did I not wear brown underwear? She strolls casually across the lawn, her beady black eyes never leaving me. I am armed with a coffee mug and a teaspoon, she has teeth the size of a back-actor’s bucket. This is not going to be a fair fight. I wonder how badly I will get cut jumping through the closed window. That’s also not an option as the nearest doctor is 50kms away and I will not give her the satisfaction of bleeding to death on our porch. Suddenly she turns and heads for the flowerbed. Ten minutes is about all it took her to uproot everything that even resembled a plant in that bed whilst I took the opportunity to sneak back into the house. That was her way, I guess, of showing her disgust in being banished, even temporarily, from the porch.

This is how the somewhat weird relationship was formed between one of earth’s superior beings and a lowly dumb animal. Eleonore had outwitted me from the time she first laid eyes on me and had cunningly gained the upper hand in the relationship. She is the boss and she knows it. I am weary wary of her and have kept my distance whenever sighting her.

Since those early days we have always had that antagonistic explosive tolerance which two adversaries have when forced to live in the same space. I have seen enough prison movies to recognize the signs. She would sneak onto the porch at night and beware of anything left out which she would destroy with criminal abandon. Friends and guests found this rather disturbing and many unsuspecting cameras, i-pods, pieces of clothing and the like have fallen foul to Eleonore’s wrath. So much so that about two weeks ago I decided to enclose the porch with neat, sturdy gum pole railings which she cannot get through. So now my porch is really and truly all mine. Superiority conquers in the end.

Feeling really pleased with myself, I decided I would treat myself and take a ride into town, do some shopping, catch up on the local town gossip and watch a movie. I needed some fuel for the Range Rover as well, so I decided to use it instead of Shova. Kitted out in my best khaki “go to towns” I approached the carport and saw that one of the Rangies tyres was flat. Damn, now to change a flat in 36-degree heat! I got closer and my eye caught the front bumper, which was almost torn off! The grill was badly gashed and the fender dented. What the hell happened to my new vehicle? Typical farm workers, no regard for anything they have not paid for. I have seen how the throw equipment onto the back of a vehicle with gay abandon. I swung around accusingly, looking for any poor unsuspecting worker to vent my anger on, when out of the corner of my eye I saw a grey shadow sauntering off in the distance.

I’m damn sure that bloody warthog had a smile on her face!

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Most people have a pretty good idea on how they would like to die.

If you had the CNN news team at your disposal and you conducted street or door to door interviews you would probably come up with some interesting opinions. I think most people would want to die with their loved ones at their bedside or have a burial at sea in the Caribbean off the side of their 100 foot yacht.

There was a trial in the USA some time back where the judge handed down the death penalty to a 30 year old murderer but allowed him the courtesy of choosing how he wanted to die, he chose old age.

There was another guy whose wife wanted a beauty spot on her face so he buried her under the Yosemite National Park, and the list goes on.

Let’s face it there is death by hanging, death by asphyxiation, death by motor vehicle, death by rabid dog, death by chocolate, even death by OJ Simpson and they tell me there is also death by McDonalds. Of course the oldest and most popular of all is death by orgasm, where as you reach the peak of magic mountain you fall off. (instead of a climax you exit) come to think of it, death by Paris Hilton could work for me.

If you wouldn’t mind hanging on for a second I think my Lawyers on the other line.

Even though you believe I don’t have one, my point is we are surrounded by death every minute of our daily lives and the truth of the matter is unless you take yourself out by jumping in front of the 15.30 to New Jersey the chances are you are going to be around until the boss upstairs pulls the plug on your existence and you fall off your perch.

Another popular kind of death is murder.

The value of life seems to diminish every day, nobody cares if you live or die any longer and no matter where you live on this planet if you work on a sliding scale of how you rate in the ‘risk department’ – you might get quite a surprise.

On a scale of 1 to 10 the boys and girls in Iraq would be around 9, I guess, and the people of Zimbabwe would be about the same, and of course the people of South Africa. According to global statistics the country holding the number one position for murders and violent crime is Colombia with South Africa taking a proud second spot where almost 300 000 women and children are raped annually.
As an adventurer I also happen to be a South African and I live amidst these statistics and even that reality does not deter me from appreciating and loving one of the most beautiful countries on earth. The international media paint a bleak picture convincing everyone that the only country in the world with a high crime rate is South Africa – this of course is a load of bollocks.

There is crime everywhere to a greater or lesser degree and you cannot hide from it even if you move to Qatar where you can lock yourself in your room with the latest .45 Magnum and a Lacoste bullet proof vest. You will be pleased to know there are no murders or violent crime in Qatar, mainly because there are only six people living there – imagine after six murders there would no one to talk to.

My father had a glass I and I was born with a crystal ball – you better believe it you will not escape your destiny. A lady associate of mine had a fear of being raped and because of the high crime rate in SA she figured the odds were stacked against her – so she immigrated to New Zealand where she was raped in Auckland a week after she landed there – and this is not bollocks.

The bottom line is folks, ‘death by not living’ must be the worst of the lot because ultimately ‘shit happens’ no matter where you are. So live a little, come on a wild adventure to our country – the beers are cold.

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Are you ready for this?

You live your life in the fast lane of your jungle, immersed in traffic noise and pollution.

You owe it to yourself to experience Africa; taste it, feel it, see it, touch it and breathe in its unique scent.

The AFRICAN WILD ADVENTURES ON-FOOT ADVENTURE is probably the most demanding physical and emotional experience you will ever encounter. Our highly trained trackers who live with the Big 5 every day will brief you on the dangers that you could encounter; what to expect and most importantly, how to react.

Imagine, you are about to hike kilometers through untamed wilderness to get to a campsite where you will spend the night, but not before you erect your own tent and bathe in the river under the watchful eye of a tracker, just in case there’s a crocodile lurking…

The hike is along the Olifants River Valley, which is dry and sandy with rocky outcrops that are almost impassible in temperatures well into 35°C during the day, dropping to 0°C at night. The banks of the Olifants River is the playground of the Big 5 and chances are you will rub shoulders with elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion, hippo, crocodiles and the likes. You will cross streams and gullies which are extremely difficult to negotiate on foot and will walk for 4 days, covering a distance of 47 kilometers. Under normal circumstances, this does not seem to be a long walk, but along the Olifants River, it’s a lifetime. There is no mobile phone communication with the outside world; it’s just you, your fellow adventurers and the trackers.

ARE YOU UP FOR THIS?

Okay, This Is How Your Adventure Begins:

Day 1

Meet the Zesty Claudia Apfelthaler in Paris at Charlesde Gaulle Airport and fly to Johannesburg.

You will fly with Air France tourist class.

if you wish you may fly business or first class at an added expense.

In Johannesburg Karen and Bill are ready with a smile – waiting for you!

Day 2 & 3:

You will be whisked off for your 2 night stay at a Safari ranch on the outskirts of Johannesburg.

Here you’ll be able to relax and greet Africa by visiting an authentic Zulu Village.

Maidens serve traditional Zulu beer while you indulge your senses in rhythmic tribal dancing.

Day 3:

After breakfast you will travel in a 10 seater air conditioned bus to the southernmost part of the kruger National Park, where you enter at Kruger gate.

You’ll overnight at a rustic but comfortable restcamp.

Once you are settled our trackers Neil, Neil and Wilbert, will take you on an afternoon game drive to watch the African sun set in the West.

This video shwos a lion roaring in the evening – this cannot be compared to experiencing this live.

Day 4:

After an early start and a buffet breakfast you take a slow 150 kilometre drive to Olifants Camp.

Game spotting all the way.

This trip can take up to 5 hours because of the rugged terrain and wildlife movement.

Once at Olifants camp, Wilbert will give an orientation talk about your imment “ON FOOT” adventure.

He will explain the trail and how to use the equipment.

You will enjoy your last dinner seated at a comfortable table for the next 3 nights.

At Olifants Camp you will be exposed to an unforgettable window to Africa.

The camp is located on top of a hill which towers above the Olifants river.

The view from the look out platforms are those which an eagle sees.

Olifants is my most favorite place on the whole planet.

Olifants has not only won my heart but others too. When ever I take people to Olifants for the first time I notice some thing shifting in their soul.

The Olifants area is host to the Big 5.

The Big 5 are:
Leopard
Lion
Buffalo
Rhino
Elephant

As the name of the camp suggests – Olifants in Afrikaans meaning elephant in English, there are plenty of elephants in this region.

There are baboons and vervet monkeys. At night bush babies come out to play. Lions and leopard are spotted regurlarly.

The Olifants territory is also spectacular for birding. Plovers wade through the river bed. If you’re in luck Pel’s Fishing Owl can be spotted at night.

As far as the fauna and flora goes Olifants has beautiful trees. Raisin Bush and Mopane are prominent in the area. South of the river is the transition zone between thornveld and the mopane belt.

This makes for interesting game watching because vistors experience both ecozones.

In the camp itself their is an abundant assortment of trees and plants. Some of which are scarce in the rest of Kruger. Aloe lovers will appreciate the variety. There’s a sesame plant next to the filling station which is the only accessible place in the park where you can see it. The Sjambok Pod (yellow flowers) and the Weeping Boerboon (red flowers) bloom in spring – the contrast of color is amazing. If you’re into tree euphorbia you’ll notice plenty in this region.

The accomodation is comfortable and each person will be stay in their own hut equipped with a bathroom, bed, kitchenette (which you won’t need as you’ll be lavishly dined in the restaurant). Afterwards you’ll sit around a fire with us where you’ll either want to talk with us or just slip into comfortable silence as you let the sounds of Africa wash over you.

Day 5

At the crack of dawn you will receive your hiking equipment which includes:

• • • a tent
    • backpack
    • sleeping bag
    • sleeping mat
    • cooking utensils
    • water purifying filter and pills
    • food rations
    • battery headlamp
    • water bottle.

You’ll pack your backpack and take a drive on an open vehicle to the start of the trail where you will embark on foot for 5 kilometers on the first part of your adventure .

Your first step to getting ‘up close and personal’ with the untamed African wilderness in previously inaccessible parts of the Kruger National Park. It is wild and dangerous and you need to be aware that you are hiking on a trail used to train professional trackers.

You are no longer part of civilization as you’ve known it. For the next four days and three nights you have no contact with the outside world. You will not hear the sound of the traffic and mobile phones ringing; instead they will be replaced by bush sounds and roaring lions…hey, what was that? Are those fireflies or the eyes of one of our beautiful feline friends? Whichever way, you’ll know you are being observed…BEWARE!

Day 6 & 7

Both days entail a 15 kilometer walk along the river, with a siesta at lunch time until late afternoon, when you will observe the wild animals at the water’s edge, coming for a drink and maybe, if they’re lucky, a snack.

Day 8

You embark on the final 7 kilometer stretch of the hike, where you will be met by the Land Rover that will drive you back to Olifants restcamp. At sunset you will embark on a game drive, where Wilbert will take you deep into the African bush where you can observe predators come out to play, this time from the security of a vehicle!

Watch the video below.

This video shows spectacular action happening in Kruger. The video caused a sensation amongst wild life fundis all around the world. National Geograhic produced a documentary from this footage which was taken by a “corporate adventurer” who was using his camera for the first time!

Day 9

This will be a leisurely day for you to take a break after the trail and recharge your batteries.

At sunset, you’ll be taken on a game drive in an open vehicle, en route to a bush observatory in one of the prime sky viewing destinations in South Africa.

Here you can view the stars, planets and other heavenly bodies through a powerful telescope.

Day 10 & 11

After a not too early breakfast, Wilbert will take you on a drive to Orpen Gate and finally onto a spectacular Private Game Reserve, where you will spend 2 nights in luxury en-suite safari tents, set on stilts amongst the treetops.

If the adrenaline rush takes you, hop onto a hot air balloon (subject to weather conditions) and skim the tree tops above herds of wildlife, including the Big 5.

This is your ‘chill out’ time, as you enjoy the solitude of daily early morning and late afternoon game drives. You will also visit the Centre for Endangered Species, where cheetah and several other rehabilitated animals can be viewed at close range.

Day 12

You’re back on the bus after breakfast and you’re heading through some of the most spectacular scenery that winds through breathtaking mountain passes and canyons along the Panorama Route.

En route you’ll stop at the Blyde River Canyon, which is the third largest gorge in the world, before we move on to God’s Window, overlooking a section of the 250 kilometer long rampart of sheer, 700 metre high cliffs.

Watch the video to see the largest swing in the world – for dare devils and adrenlin junkies.

Feel free to have a turn your self.

As you slow down at the end of the day, you’ll be fantasizing about an ice cold beer as you check into a hotel in Graskop for a 2 night stay.

Day 13: 27 July 2008

Today you’ll visit Pilgrims Rest, a once flourishing gold mining town in1873 – a taste of old South Africa.

The entire town has been declared a natural monument and boasts a number of bric-a-brac stores where you can shop for souvenirs.

Day 14

After breakfast, you drive you the Sudwala Caves, believed to be about 2 000 million years old, home to prehistoric man.

After a tour through the caves where you will observe impressive stalagmites and stalactites, as well as the largest dolomite chamber in the world.

You will make your way back to Johannesburg, where you will spend your final night at an exclusive lodge.

Day 15

You will be transported to Oliver Tambo Airport, for your return flight to Paris.

NB:

1. Because of the strenous nature of the On Foot Adventure it is imperative that you provide African Wild Adventures with a bona fide Medical Fitness Certificate, confirming that you are physically fit and capable of partaking in this adventure.
   Click Here to get the Medical Fitness Certificate.
2. You will need to sign a Waiver & Indemnity form prior to to your arrival in South Africa.
   Click Here to get the Waiver & Indemnity Form.
3. The cost of this adventure is $14.170,00 per person.
4. The price includes:
   • Airfare from Paris to Johannesburg and back
   • All accomodation
   • All meals & beverages
   • All transport
   • Hot air balloon ride
   • Big swing
   • A bottle of high quality South African wine with your dinner each night
   • All game drives
   • A DVD, professionally filmed, cut and edited at my Crocodile Farm studio in Vienna. It will be sent to you by post 3 weeks after your return.
   • A photo album
   • African Wild Adventures Ranger Jacket.
     The ranger jacket boasts a durable bushblend outer body, fully padded and lined in taffeta for extra warmth.
     A generous cut, this garment features chunky zip, double entry pockets and double studded cuffs.
     Best choice for the outdoors.
     
     Not for sale – not even for LOVE or MONEY! Only for my select clients.
   • No alcohol is allowed during the 4 day & 3 night hiking trail, for your own safety.
     It is also advisable not to partake of alcohol the day prior to commencing the hiking trail (you can catch up after the trail)
   • Due to the exclusivity of this wild adventure I can only take a maximum of 8 people.
     I suggest you book now to avoid dissapointment.
   • Payment to be made via bank transfer. Contact me via the contact page to make arrangements, and to discuss the adventure.

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