Naniboujou

Don't ask me to pronounce it. I would come up with something that sounds like a child's taunt and offend people. We had dinner at this "lodge" after crossing into the U.S. on our way back to the lake. Naniboujou reminds me of the elegance of another time for those who traveled in style or perhaps to some of the lodges in U.S. National Parks. This lodge goes back to the 1920 and the guests we shared the dining room with were a mix of scruffy travelers and wealthy looking guests spending a few days. I always enjoy being a part of the former group in this type of mix.

Walleye sandwich - my favorite

Hard to know if this will be our last outing of the year. It is time to winterize the rPod and enjoy the colors around our lake place. I don't post leaf pictures to our travel blog, but I have yet to find another location that matches the fall colors of northern Wisconsin. 

Thanks for reading

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

If you are a fan of the "far North look", Canada has some exceptionally beautiful scenery. It turned out we were about a week early for leaf peeping and most of the trip was very wet and foggy, but the dense greens with a variety of water and rocks was spectacular. Wifi and cell service were often lacking making daily updates impractical. Here are a coupe of photos from our trip to and stay in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park.

We did make heavy use of the rPod on this trip even exhausting our propane keeping warm at night. We did have one great evening at this park allowing for the only camp fire of the trip.

Canada, eh

It rained very hard all day so we mostly drove without any exploring. We did see a moose walking on the side of the road, but the Cindy to Mark iPhone handoff was too slow and no pictures are available.

We started the day by driving from Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, to Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario, by way of the International Bridge. This is a very high bridge and when ever why drive over a bridge like this I always ask Cindy if she thinks a strong gust of wind would cause us to flip over the edge, She never thinks this is funny. I suppose from the passenger side looking over the edge you get a different perspective.

I spent a little time walking about our campground and I did find this tree gnome. I found another of this species in Hawaii. Fun to photograph. 

The campground has wifi. This is great because our cell plan is not useful in Canada. Not fast, but at least the signal does not drop. I am playing Canadian music. k.d. Lang is great. 

Scenery is great. The sun may come out tomorrow. Tomorrow. 

Sault Sainte Marie

We are at the border between the U.S. and Canada.

I knew the name of our present location, but I had no idea how it was spelled. I tried Sioux Saint Marie. The search engines figured out what I mean, but I was surprised to learn it was Sault Sainte Marie. I guess the translation is basically "the rapids of the Saint Mary's River". The important word for present day use of the Great Lakes is rapids. The giant ships that move from one lake to another could not do this if there was not a way around the rapids. The engineering answer to allow transport was a canal with locks. Today we watched a large ship carrying iron ore pass through the locks.

The ship we watched move through the lock was 1000 feet long. The locks lowered this ship 21 feet before it would be at the level necessary to enter the water outside the locks.

Double click on this panoramic photo get a feel for the length.

My pasty post

I am not a foodie, but I have noticed that I post food and drink photos when I travel. We do try different things when we are on the road. In Hawaii it was poke and shave ice. I thought these were really unique, but we did see a new poke eatery in Minneapolis and I saw a sign for shave ice today (upper peninsula).

Today I did run across an old friend - the pasty. I have also seen it spelled pastie, but I was careful to identify what we ate today as a pasty. The pronunciation is past ee and not paste ee. To me, it seems like a chicken pot pie (if you get the chicken pasty) with a little different shape. These must be shaped and then baked without a pie tin. When you drive down the road here it is not difficult to find a little shop that serves these goodies. The density of restaurants with this offering within this narrow band of the country is interesting. This is not a fine dining item. We noticed workers stopping by for several that they took away in a bag and headed off in their pickups.

This would definitely be described as a comfort food. The gravy and cole slaw complete the meal. 

A little Internet revealed a Pasty trail in case you need an interesting travel guide. 

Leaves, light houses, but no cell towers

We spent last evening camping in Copper Harbor. Driving along the shore we noticed one strange thing. No cell service even when in the small towns along the route. Great views, but not a made for ATT&T or Verizon ad spot.

Circle Route

We didn't end up staying home for long. We like to take our camper on a trip after school starts and the parks are less crowded. Our time frame and snow in the mountains to the west limited our options. We decided on driving the Lake Superior Circle Route. As the title implies this is a trip around the shores of Lake Superior covering both the U.S. and Canadian sides. There is a Great Lakes Circle route, but other obligations made that impractical. This is a great time to explore this area of the continent as the leaves should be turning and the temperatures are perfect.

Our first stop is at the location of the red arrow.

Our first stop was in Bayfield, WI. This lake side town is about 100 miles from our lake place in Minnesota. We have visited before and had to stop at a local eatery for their great pickled herring and a beer. This is not the pickled herring you would get in a grocery and is prepared locally.

The lingering legacy of Soweto

Soweto is a township, we might label a suburb, of Johannesburg. It was created as a "black" township when South Africa separated blacks and whites when South Africans lived under the divided system of apartheid. My description is simplistic as the labeling of individuals was more complicated. These divisions and the inequities that resulted created a great deal of unrest that the country still struggles to escape. Legislation eliminating divisions does not necessarily remedy the long-term inequities that were created and the country as a whole is still in the process of creating a more inclusive democracy. Areas of Soweto still demonstrate how far large numbers of citizens are from benefiting from the potential of a modern country.

Entrepreneurs find a way under even difficult circumstances. We had a great lunch at a small restaurant/hotel that the Smithsonian tours use to provide a meal while in Soweto. The woman hosting us described the many struggles she experienced to solicit  backers for what has become a successful venture.

One of our experiences in Soweto was visiting the Hector Peterson museum. The museum is named for a high school boy shot during student demonstrations against some of the policies of apartheid. The primary complaint concerned a requirement that courses be taught in Africaans - a language many students did not know. Hector's dead body was captured in an infamous picture widely distributed following the aggressive response to the demonstrations.

We had the opportunity to talk to the now grown women who was Hector's sister (shown in the picture above). 

One of her concluding comments I used in a previous post. She described South Africa as attempting an experiment in democracy. South Africans are quite aware of the present political situation in the U.S. - satellite dishes top even the most humble dwellings. She added that we seem to be still experimenting as well. 

Time to plan for our next adventure. Thanks for reading. We hope you have similar opportunities to explore. 

Elephants

Our friend Stan predicted that our most amazing memory would be the first time we saw elephants. While the elephants were certainly amazing, my favorite memory was when we spotted a couple of painted dogs (wild dogs). We later realized the dogs were more numerous than we recognized and they were stalking a group of impala that explode into flight when the dogs moved in initially running right at us.  I have photos of some of the dogs, but not the moment they attacked the impala.

The elephants were amazing. Here are a few photos. We saw many elephants - from the air when we took a helicopter flight over Victoria Falls, from boats as we cruised the Zambezi, and on several jeep drives. I will include a sample of images below and conclude with a short video as they picked up speed descending toward the river to drink.

Personal sacrifice and commitment to a higher cause

We are probably home by the time you are reading this. I am writing this post on the flight, but I will have to wait for the opportunity to prepare and upload photos.

We spent the morning of our departure visiting Robben Island [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robben_Island]. This is the location where Nelson Mandela and other dissidents protesting apartheid were imprisoned. Mandela spent 18 years on this island.

The version of South Africa with all ethnic and racial groups of equal political status has only existed since 1994. My personal awareness of the conditions in South Africa goes back further than that through a South African born citizen whom I met when he worked at the University of North Dakota. Stan and I shared common academic interests and have remained friends since. He moves about more than we have, but we reconnected after both of us ended up living in Minneapolis. He spends half of his time there and half back in South Africa. I had the opportunity to stay in his apartment when I spent some time at the University of Minnesota many years ago. Stan was in South Africa. Stan collected African art and had a nice collection of South African music much of which was protest music. At that time South Africa was functioning under sanctions as other countries tried to pressure the apartheid promoting government. Tracking his life and times gave me some insight into the peculiar functioning of this country. Now, I have had an opportunity to visit. BTW - Stan and a friend write crime novels set in southern Africa under the pseudonym Michael Stanley. There is plenty of accurate commentary on life in this region as a background for their stories. [http://detectivekubu.com/]

Mandela’s Gold Bird of Paradise

Mandela speech from Cape Town City Hall - https://www.si.edu/object/yt_9DjAXRhz6DA - I have photos of the memorial simulation added to the building.

Trying to understand the significance and recency of the present government in South Africa is a bit of a challenge. It may be something like trying to understand the risks and sacrifices made by George Washington and his peers. The outcome for the U.S. is what we take for granted so being reminded is not a bad thing. It reminds me a bit of the comments of a women we met in Johannesburg what now seems like many days ago. When she was in school, her older brother was shot and killed during a demonstration by high school students. She commented that “we are an experiment in democracy.” She added - “but so are you.”

Unique experiences

An important benefit of international travel is exposure to different ideas about how things can be done. Keep your eyes open and you will discover something new. 

Shopping is an opportunity available everywhere. It may be a primitive craft market in the bush or the upscale version of the same thing in large metro areas. Everywhere you have shopping you have bored and tired husbands desperately hoping there is a place they can sit and pass the time with a drink. Take a few bucks or a couple hundred RAND in this case, keep the purchases made to this point, and pass the time. 

I have to give it up for the South Africans or at least those in Cape Town. They have come up with a husband/significant other waiting area complete with bleachers and free WiFi. If the only had television with 24 hour sports. I suppose if they did it would be cricket or rugby or one of those other sports I don’t understand. The free WiFi is good enough. 

Twitchers

I was never a bird watcher. I have friends who watch birds and I have even accompanied them on outings. They seem like nice people with a strange hobby. They keep lists and trade numbers reflecting their accomplishments. I wonder if they cheat like golfers. I take pictures. You know I saw something if I can show you the pictures. I saw this elephant. I saw this leopard. I tried this with birds, but that little smudge in that bush could be about anything. You can’t see that it has three red spots on the crest of its head and a downward curving bill. 

The representative from Smithsonian who travels with us called the birders "twitchers". I suppose this in reference to the way they look this way and that as they move about and communicate which each other. I trust these birders on their bird IDs. When they call out a sighting and they apply the same name, I think they must be right. They also must have better eyes and memories than me. Even with binoculars, I don’t see the details they see and then they remember the names - common and scientific. I can’t remember the names of some of the people I worked with a few years ago. Maybe I don’t practice enough.

I do try to weave in some tech content with my travels stories. In this case, the title of this content might be described as "there is an app for that". There are plenty of great apps for bird identification and related activities. As I have questioned my fellow travelers regarding their bird watching activities, they often are using an app on their phones not only to identify the birds, but also to keep a running list of their finds. The app makes these tasks fairly easy. See something, match what you see with a bird pic within the app, and click on the appropriate button to date, locate, and store the find to your list. I found what they were using and it cost $33. This would have probably been the most expensive app I had purchased had I made the purchase. I do sometimes spend more when one considers the cost of a subscription fee, but this was the cost for the African edition of the birding app.

My alternative was to take advantage of the "lens" feature of Google photos. Google will take a stab at identifying any bird I photograph. Actually, it will take a stab at attempting to identify anything. Google will offer me alternatives which is a great opportunity for me to consider whether I agree with the suggestion Google makes and it will find online content related to what it thinks the photo is. Often the suggestion is to a Wikipedia entry. I tried this with several birds and Google seems to have been accurate in all cases. At least what Google suggested was something I knew we had seen and was appropriate to the area in which I had been when photographing the bird.

Here are some examples using screen captures to show my photo (at the top) and the Google suggestion below.

Climate change

Getting close to nature can offer some insights into the changing climate. Aside from some very interesting discussions with Don Wilson a retired Smithsonian scientist regarding the Smithsonian’s efforts to combat the science deniers, two observations made an impression on me from our time in Zambia. Both involved first-time actions humans have taken to offset present challenges. In both cases, these were the first time such actions have been taken. 

This is the view of the river from the lodge. The original channel for launching the boats is the near channel. A new system had to be constructed when things became very dry and the boats could no longer navigate this channel. 

For the first time. the lodge is supporting feeding the animals. This cannot be done in the actual national park, but in the surrounding game preserve. Hay and salt blocks have been put out to support the animals until the rainy season.

Tiger Fish from the Zambezi

As would be appropriate for all good citizens of Minnesota (and Wisconsin and North Dakota) we had to participate in one of the fishing events offered by the lodge. We were after the Tiger Fish. I assume the name has something to do with its large teeth and aggressive nature. The fish is a great fighter including jumps in an effort to throw the hook and desperate dives when nearing the boat. Our boat did quite well with Evondra landing a 10 and 11 pounder. Mark caught a small one. Cindy helped in the collection of baitfish.

So, this is a two-step process. First, catch smaller fish that can be used for bait. Cut up the smaller  fish and drift waiting for a Tiger will strike. Wait for line to be taken, close the bail, and then set the hook.  Hold on

Bait Fish

Rig for Tiger Fish - wire leader, note strangely shaped hook

Mark's fish

One of Evondra's boat winners

The larger fish caught in the boats that went out seemed to be 9-11 pounds. Watching someone try to land a 10 pounder was impressive as it took some time to get the fish into the boat. These fish can be much larger. Our guide said he used heavier tackle to catch a 25 pounder and even this fish would be small in comparison to some that have been landed.

Bugs

The preparation for a trip to Africa requires that you visit a travel clinic, read some warnings from the CDC, and get some shots and medications. The information is enough to scare you. Don't drink the water and remember to use bottled water when brushing your teeth. Wear the highest concentration DEET you can find, long sleeve shirts, and don't venture out in the still of the morning or evening. Don't wear black or bright colors. I am guessing it is enough to scare some off and I admit I was a bit concerned, but had some comments to ease my fears from friend Stan.

So, here is the word on the bugs. If you are concerned about the number of bugs and say have experienced Alaska or northern Minnesota or Wisconsin, there is no comparison. It is torture in the evening to walk from the dock to our northern Wisconsin cabin in the summer because of the mosquitos. The ticks are also gross and have sent us to the clinic for shots a couple of times [I had one attach between my toes once when I was wearing sandals. Thinking I must have athletes foot because I am such an athlete, I did not seek medical attention until I started to notice red streaks up my ankle and calf. Not even a test for Lyme disease - immediate antibiotics.]

However, the consequences of exposure to mosquitos and tsetse flies in Africa can be damaging. The mosquitos are mainly known for malaria and the tsetse flies for sleeping sickness. We are taking medication for malaria. We did mostly invest in khaki-colored clothing to avoid tsetse flies.

In summary, the insect density at this time has been low. It still pays to take precautions.

This is a tsetse fly trap you see along the roads in Zambia. I think it works in a somewhat similar manner to the devices some are using to limit the damage to their gardens from Japanese beetles. The flies are attracted to the black and blue colors and then there is a vial of liquid (you can see the pocket) the lures the insect in to kill them.

In addition to the high concentrate DEET we brought along, we found two forms on bug repellant in our room. Imagine the line-up of complementary products, shampoo, conditioner, hand lotion, insecticides, and you kind of get the picture. There was a lotion infused with DEET that was supposed to smell pretty good. I am guessing this second can was provided to assure reluctant tourists. It implies that what is contained within would kill pretty much anything.