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The Hundred Acre Wood and The Search for Heffalumps and Woozles


twaffle

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Love the playful elephants! It's interesting, but Pooh has been making appearances on ST a lot lately - I had brought him up in @@michael-ibk's TR about a chubby rat that reminded me of when Pooh got stuck in Rabbit's 'door' to his house after eating too much Hunny, and he came up another time recently too as I recall!

Yes, the elephants too--a main event at Mana Pools. Lovely animated shots. Did you mention Winnie the Pooh, safarichick? I saw him, yes I did, the real Winnie the Pooh statue in Winnipeg! Right there in front of me! :P

 

 

Well @Atravelynn I guess I should note that I too have seen Winnie the Pooh so we are even on that front! Of course I live in Winnipeg and have only seen it once. Maybe I'll go see our Polar bears and make a stop to see Winnie and somehow incorporate it into my Kenya trip later this year. It would be a shame to have a trip report without Winnie in it now!

 

@@twaffle

 

I'm still getting caught up but EVERY picture is fantastic and you really do have a wonderful eye for a great picture

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Page 2

 

Even Winnie the Pooh would be speechless at that purplish hazy sunset (I believe) shot!

 

Your assortment of elephants even included one even reaching for the moon! I hope the feisty bull encounter was not unnerving.

 

Mongoose are not the first animal to come to mind when Mana Pools is mentioned, but you have some lovely portraits.

 

You catch those leaping impala at the height of their jump. And nice job on the fleeing croc where you caught some actual reptile and not just the splash.

 

The safaritalker parade through Mana Pools with Doug in the lead keeps flowing--Julie M and the I'll be back with Doug.

 

Wild dogs eluded us as well last year, not even a tell-tale tail.

 

 

The lions appeared on page 3. So glad you saw them after their taunting calls. The aggressive behavior of the pride on your first encounter may have been lingering upset at the hyena encounter.

 

I have to ask whether picture #3 of Doug in post #42 was posed? Last year he was wearing a birthday crown, this year a pith. He's gaining quite a reputation for head gear.

 

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard” You and Winnie have that right.

 

This is one more testament to Mana Pools with Doug! What a wonderful trip you had!

Yes, we did have a wonderful trip and I'm glad that I'm not the only one the dogs evaded but they were never a focus per se, so I only have myself to blame.

 

Sunsets and sunrises, moons and Suns are all interchangeable!

 

We posed Doug a few times with the pith, mainly with the palm tree as I hadn't taken any shots with them in. But he wore it as his safari hat as well and I have to admit that it was very cool (as in 'not hot' ).

 

Can't wait to hear all about your upcoming return to Mana.

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@@dlo. Thank you for carrying on reading and for the nice compliments.

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@@twaffle - post number 4 with the Hyena and Vulture interaction is an amazing photo.

Really enjoying this report, thankyou.

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Love the playful elephants! It's interesting, but Pooh has been making appearances on ST a lot lately - I had brought him up in @@michael-ibk's TR about a chubby rat that reminded me of when Pooh got stuck in Rabbit's 'door' to his house after eating too much Hunny, and he came up another time recently too as I recall!

Yes, the elephants too--a main event at Mana Pools. Lovely animated shots. Did you mention Winnie the Pooh, safarichick? I saw him, yes I did, the real Winnie the Pooh statue in Winnipeg! Right there in front of me! :P

 

 

Well @Atravelynn I guess I should note that I too have seen Winnie the Pooh so we are even on that front! Of course I live in Winnipeg and have only seen it once. Then I bow to you and your proximity to The Pooh! Maybe I'll go see our Polar bears and make a stop to see Winnie and somehow incorporate it into my Kenya trip --nice going-- later this year. It would be a shame to have a trip report without Winnie in it now! Oh no, we have created a monster of sorts.

How about the snakes? Have you been to Narcisse?

 

 

@@twaffle

 

I'm still getting caught up but EVERY picture is fantastic and you really do have a wonderful eye for a great picture

An award winning eye!

 

Edited by Atravelynn
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Thanks for so many beautiful images of Mana Pools and Matusadona and the falls.

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@@twaffle

 

Really nice report I look forward to you're next one whenever that may be. The photos of Doug are quite amusing and seeing those houseboats at Kariba brought back some very fond but distant memories of staying on one of those many years ago.

 

@@Atravelynn

 

I have not been to Narcisse and my current marriage contract forbids me from willingly venturing anywhere near a snake.

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@@twaffle I was so looking forward to this, but missed your start, and you're already done.

 

How beautiful that elephant looks in the deep of the gulley, alone but enjoying a solitude of reverie.

 

You wove an enthralling tale with the enchanting reflections of winnie the pooh with the magic of Mana Pools, interspersed with the at times haunting and at time atmospheric photos, and left me with wanting much more than you provided. As usual, stunning photos (too many to mention but that stunning eland and the gorgeous elephants) and a masterful even if brief story of Mana Pools. Thank you!

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Thanks for the comments everyone. @@Kitsafari I know it was a brief report but if I didn't get something up quickly I wasn't going to be able to post anything at all. I'm just heading into a busy time for work with quite a bit of travel and I didn't want to start and then just never finish it. Still, a short report has to be better than no report.

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@@twaffle - I am so happy to be a member of Safaritalk, where fantastic people like you writes tripreports - with such a passion and love for Africa. And as allways your photos are outstanding. Thank you for making my sunday morning much better.

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@@twaffle A short report was definitely much better than no report. Great ending, despite the bad luck with the dogs.

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@@twaffle - I am so happy to be a member of Safaritalk, where fantastic people like you writes tripreports - with such a passion and love for Africa. And as allways your photos are outstanding. Thank you for making my sunday morning much better.

 

Thank you for such a lovely comment, it is reward enough for writing reports when you know that someone has enjoyed it. That is what attracted me to Safaritalk many years ago, the generosity of people sharing their experiences in so many different places. I've missed many reports but found them later when I've been searching for new places to visit and I'm always so thankful that people give back to this community.

 

@@twaffle A short report was definitely much better than no report. Great ending, despite the bad luck with the dogs.

Dogs are tricky beasts and I knew that we would have trouble given our timing on this trip. To be fair to Doug, we didn't make them a priority because my experience has been that you can get so focussed on one species that you miss some other amazing experiences. I think Doug was more concerned than we were and no matter what I said he still worried about them. However, not many visitors would come across a dog's tail to go with the dog's tale, so I think I'm pretty lucky.

 

And I have a cunning plan to fix the dog problem in a future Zim trip with Doug so all is good in my Universe.

 

PS. I do feel just a little guilty at the brevity of this report and hoped that I could cover up the lack of words by putting lots of photos in. Obviously, I can't trick anyone!!!! ??

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@@twaffle absolutely it will be a loss for us if there was no report. thank you so much for sharing it with us. a short report still takes time, so im glad you did.

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Botswanadreams

@@twaffle I love your report with the little mix of stories and your beautiful pics. It brings nice memories back in my mind. Mana Pools is one of the finest parks in Africa I think. Don't worry about missing dogs. With 6 nights in 2011 we couldn't find them.

Matusadona especially the area around Rhino Camp and the formal Muuyu Camp is very special too. Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us.

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Hillary,

Thank you for a jewel of a trip report. You with Winnie the Pooh in Zimbabwe is just excellent. Your photography and prose are unmatched.

To your next adventure.

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@Kitsafari @Botswanadreams @AKR1 thank you for your appreciation. It almost guarantees that there will be another report! :lol:

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COSMIC RHINO

it is lovely scenery and deligtful animals

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Lovely trip report @@twaffle, even if it was short the quality more than makes up for it. Out of curiosity, how did you handle your photographic equipment while you were walking?

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@@Zubbie15

Lovely trip report @@twaffle, even if it was short the quality more than makes up for it. Out of curiosity, how did you handle your photographic equipment while you were walking?

 

Thanks Zubbie. To begin with I carried my 70-200 which was easy to handhold but I realised that I needed the reach of the 200-400. I was concerned that carrying the heavy lens and walking would make hand holding problematic but I made sure the shutter speed didn't fall too low and in the end found I could hand hold effectively at 1/250 if the animal was still. When we had the vehicle nearby I used the tripod for low light shots and in the vehicle a combo of handheld, beanbag and tripod as a monopod.

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it is lovely scenery and deligtful animals

Thanks CR.

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@@Zubbie15

Lovely trip report @@twaffle, even if it was short the quality more than makes up for it. Out of curiosity, how did you handle your photographic equipment while you were walking?

Thanks Zubbie. To begin with I carried my 70-200 which was easy to handhold but I realised that I needed the reach of the 200-400. I was concerned that carrying the heavy lens and walking would make hand holding problematic but I made sure the shutter speed didn't fall too low and in the end found I could hand hold effectively at 1/250 if the animal was still. When we had the vehicle nearby I used the tripod for low light shots and in the vehicle a combo of handheld, beanbag and tripod as a monopod.

 

Very helpful. On foot is more of a challenge than carting all the gear in the vehicle. You got great results.

Edited by Atravelynn
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@@Zubbie15

Lovely trip report @@twaffle, even if it was short the quality more than makes up for it. Out of curiosity, how did you handle your photographic equipment while you were walking?

Thanks Zubbie. To begin with I carried my 70-200 which was easy to handhold but I realised that I needed the reach of the 200-400. I was concerned that carrying the heavy lens and walking would make hand holding problematic but I made sure the shutter speed didn't fall too low and in the end found I could hand hold effectively at 1/250 if the animal was still. When we had the vehicle nearby I used the tripod for low light shots and in the vehicle a combo of handheld, beanbag and tripod as a monopod.

Thanks for the info @@twaffle, it's very useful to know how people deal with the walking and their camera equipment, certainly carrying it around seems more challenging than when you're in a vehicle all the time. You obviously managed really well.

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AfricanQueen

Thanks for the TR and the wonderful pictures@@twaffle!

I like them all, they are superb and they bring back memories and raise my anticipation as next week we will return to Mana and stay at Chitake for the first time. It will be our honeymoon then and I cannot think of a better place to go.

 

There actually was a pic of that tree in the middle of the dry river bed (with the red cliff behind) where -last summer- my now husband surprised me with champagne and some nibbles - and his proposal! :)

 

We will see whether our trip will be of the "nearly missed" or the "we were very lucky" kind, but I already know that I will be VERY HAPPY staying in that wonderful N.P. again and even visit new places! I can only agree with Hemingway in saying: I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up and was not happy!

 

Your amazing pictures capture the spirit of Mana perfectly and I'm already in the mood of packing my things and starting the trip right now! Thank you once again!

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@@AfricanQueen. Thanks and I hope you have lots of luck for your upcoming trip. I look forward to hearing all about it.

 

What a wonderful thing to do for your honeymoon.

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As always a real treat to look at your images @twaffle

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