The Lake Kariba Smorgasbord

While visiting the lovely Lake Kariba, we came upon this stunning bird.

He would hover like this before dive bombing for food. He was amazing to watch.

An African Fish Eagle --- also Zimbabwe's national bird.

Isn't he just beautiful?

A baby hippo and its pod.

Lake Kariba was just awash with birds.

This guy was on the hunt for food.

Success!

Check out how incredibly graceful he was:

And what is an animal posting without my beloved elephants?

Hello, hippo!

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The Chobe Smorgasbord of Animals!

Why, hello, giraffe!!

I love the attitude in this giraffe's look.

These beautiful animals are all over Botswana's Chobe National Park.

So stunningly beautiful!

An African buffalo in Chobe.

An African buffalo cub.  How can an animal be so cute and ugly at the same time?

After rolling in the mud.

Why, hello, you beautiful elephant, you!

A pod of hippos sunning along the Chobe River.

A hippo cooling in the grass.

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A Love Affair with Elephants Continues

After a stunning visit to Victoria Falls, we visited Chobe National Park.

Where Botswana reminded me instantly of how much I love elephants.

Isn't this guy just adorable?!

Chobe overs the chance for land and river safaris and my love affair with elephants to grow.

A mama and her baby.

I love the mutual relationships you find in nature, especially the tiny bird and elephant relationship.

A mama elephant helping her baby through a mud bath.

Oh!  What this old elephant has seen in Africa.

A breeding herd drinking at the Chobe River.

I was just floored by the size of the hippos in Chobe.  This elephant was huge.  Look at the size of those hippos next to him!

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The Chobe Hippos et Al!

Why, hello, hippo!

A hippo yawning in Chobe National Park in Botswana.

A baby hippo nestled in its pod.

A crocodile lounging on the Chobe River.

An African Buffalo.

Why, hello, elephants!

There's something about baby elephants that is just so ridiculously cute.

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Snapshots from the River: Pontoon Safari Style

Hippos chilling at sunset in the Zambezi River in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe.

Hello, hippo!

An African Fish Eagle, the national bird of Zimbabwe, on the Zambezi.

The beautiful sunset from the middle the Zambezi River.

Love, love, love the roots on this tree.  Made me think of this awesome tree in Senegal.

Our sweet ride: the pontoon.

On the return to Ruckomechi Safari Lodge, we did a night time safari.

They shine the light on the animals, searching for a reflection of eyes, resulting in a strange psychedelic effect like on this impala.

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Reading and minding my own business....

During a visit to Ruckomechi Safari Camp in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, I was minding my own business,

soaking up the warmth of the sun at my tent and enjoying some reading.

When who should visit me?  This beautiful elephant. 

At first, he stayed away, eating near the beautiful Zambezi River.

Then he came closer and sauntered past.

I never thought I'd say an elephant's tush is my favorite photo in a post..but this is.

And he stopped to eat some more and I realized quickly he was so much more interesting than my book.

And then perfectly across the river, a hippo yawned.

I felt incredibly blessed to find such solitude and such beauty around me.

That's my tent on the left, as seen from the Zambezi, where I was minding my own business.

A vulture!  This really has nothing to do with the post, I just thought it was a cool photo from my walking safari....

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