The Year In Review
Time once again to take a look back over the last year while wishing I was on plane heading out on another adventure right now. I'm actually going to go back a little more than a year because at the end of 2023 and into 2024 I was on an epic trip to Madagascar and South Africa - which ended up being the real big trip for the year. I did a quick post about Madagascar (read the previous blog post here- -Madagascar ), but have been a little too busy to really say much more about Madagascar or South Africa. So now, without further delay... Madagascar was one of the most amazing places I've ever visited. I'm used to African safaris where most of your time is spent in a vehicle looking for wildlife and not often very physically demanding. Madagascar was a bit difficult and sometimes trying, but more than rewarding. From desert hikes and leech filled rainforest treks, to kayaking through mangroves and raging rivers, it was pretty much everything everywhere all at once. The lemurs were just terrific, the baobab trees stunning, and the people were great (when I could decipher what was being said). It was quite an adventure, ending with a few days on an absoulutely gorgeous little island off the northeast coast of Madagascar called Tsarabanjina, where I unwound and got a little diving in. After all of the plane hopping, leeches and hiking, it was great to get in the water where I feel more relaxed than just about anywhere. This was a terrific and unique trip, and one that will stay with me. Seeing rare endemic wildlife is quite a previlege, and one I don't take lightly. One impression of Madagascar that stayed with me is that being an island country where all of the wildlife is endemic, it is struggling with development and habitat loss at a pretty rapid rate. Some of the lemur species are dangerously close to extinction and although conservation efforts are helping, it's a struggle with a growing human population. This is true in a lot of places, but it seemed more dramatic to me in an island nation where the wildlife is not seen anywhere else in world.
(more about the trip below the pix)
Well, as if that wasn't enough, from Madagascar I went to South Africa for 10 days to visit Zimanga Private Game Reserve. It had been 13 years since I was last in South Africa, and it instantly brought back great memories of my first visit. The people are so welcoming, it's just such a pleasure to be there & hard to leave when it's time. Zimanga is a very nice and well maintained reserve and one of the unique features there are the ground level hides for photography. Most of the hides are near a man-made water source, so the animals come in to drink, and give you a great, often eye to eye perspective that's tough to duplicate elsewhere the wild. But for animals to want to drink, there has to be a need for water - and that's not that easy when you arrive in the middle of a stalled weather system that kept it raining for nearly all of the ten days. So compared to some of the stories the guides told, and photos I saw in the lodge, it was kind of slow. That said, I had Cape buffalo, zebra, elephants, and great bird sightings while there. Which was a good thing, as you spend the night in those hides (and try to stay awake) - so it's a commitment. During the day, we had great sightings of rhino, giraffe, elephant, hippo, and amazing bird life. Oh the birds - it was mating season for many of the birds while I was there, which made for great opportunities. We witnessed all kinds of wonderful mating behavior. There's also a heathy cat population in Zimanga. The cats there are habituated to people so it's possible to get pretty close on foot without fear. The cheetahs were especially relaxed and allowed some shots that you can't get elsewhere. (even more below these pix)
So that was the big long trip of the year - actually maybe the longest I've taken. But my year wouldn't be complete without a few days in Yosemite and the desert. I've gone up to Yosemite at the end of October the last few years. It's a great time to go - the air is cool, sometimes a little snow falling, and the foliage and light are beautiful. The climbers on El Capitan are always amazing to see. (you'll see their lights on the face of El Cap in my milky way shot.) Climbers either camp overnight secured by ropes or continue to climb in the dark. All of which is nuts to me. Even though I seem to have my favorite spots in Yoemite, I discover new things every year. It's an amazing place to visit. I also made a couple of quick trips to Joshua Tree. I made a special trip up there to see the Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) um.. aka the A3 Comet. It was really great to see this comet - easily one of the biggest and most easily visble comets I've ever seen. Of course Joshua Tree is amazing under normal conditions, so this made for a great visit.
I think that's about it. Happy new year to everyone, I hope 2025 brings great adventure for all of you! Check out my site for some more shots from these trips in the galleries!
