Dear Sigrid and Mike,
Finally I could see Your Beautiful pictures of our common Africa Tour and those of Emy and myself . We passed a month in India and the Maldives and hope that you had nice holidays, too. All the best to you and merry Christmas.
Manfred and Emy , Milan, Italy. C i a o.
From: Roberto Lari
Hi Mike and Sigrid-
How is everything in San Francisco? I just recently got the Internet at work so I thought I would drop you an email. Kathy and I sure enjoyed seeing the Africa Tour on the Net. Sigrid`s Gallery was impressive! Too bad there wasn`t a picture of a caracal cat to add to it! Last January, I cought a marlin in Cabo San Lucas. It makes up for the fish I didn`t catch in Botswana. Kathy can`t tease me any longer! My email address is wgordo01@apsc.com. Kathy can`t receive email yet, because it interupts the graphics on her computer. Hope you are both doing fine. Talk to you later. Wayne
From: wgordo01@apsc.com (Wayne E. Gordon)
Hi Sigrid and Mike:
Just got back yesterday from Botswana (you'll be happy to know the rains
finally came, while I was there last weekend), and popped into the office
this morning to get some work done. I've now spent a couple hours reading
your entire report, having a bit of a giggle (albet an embarrassing one at
the beginning in Vic Falls), a good laugh from time to time and with lots
of interest. You sure saw a lot and it sounds as if you got into the "spirit"
of Africa extremely well.
Your report is great and was really fun to read (and we've read quite a few), I would put yours at the top of this list (so far, as Edward reported about your status as "best guests"). Just kidding, I'm really impressed and know Andrea will be quite *chuffed* to read it (am sure you heard that expression a lot).
I was in the Selous in southern Tanzania when I heard the OJ verdict, the reactions were the same. Also, I didn't know all the Bill Gates stories, am amazed to learn he was she! Tee hee.
I'll show it to Andrea on Monday. She tends to stay away from the internet when I'm not here. Our "brochure" is at:
http://phrantic.com/phrantic/nature/
just in case you want to look at it.
Best regards
Caren and Nature Encounters
Mike, we finally are back to reality! We had a terrific Botswana a La Hemingway trip. We returned on June 30. It was very cold during the night and early mornings. They had nightly hot water bottles for us
We asked about your guide. He was promoted to camp manager. They radio him and told him you had documented the trip on the Internet and his picture and story was published for all to see. Our bartender was Paul, he is a very bright young guy.
The Savuti camp has been remodeled. They now have a camp with the bathrooms inside the tent! It is unreal. The bathroom is divided in three independent sections, shower, dressing and toilet. I will send you the pictures you will not believe it. It is all teak. We did not care for that area that much it was not real Africa, additionally it was the dry season and you can see the elephants suffering for water while we were taking luxury showers. We only spend two nights, it was very different. The Savuti camp managers are very nice. They are concern Orient Express wants to build a swimming pool in the resort while the animals outside are without water. It is a very ignorant decision and they are fighting it.
Our favor area was the Kalahari it is so secluded and wild. Second was the Chobe. We saw four lions, very close drinking water while we took the boat trip.
The Falls are beautiful, but we missed the animals.
The trip was a dream. I cried when we left Botswana I did not wanted to leave and we would like to return in about 5 years.
Give our regards to Sigrid,
Liliam and Jim
Mike,
. . .I aspire to your decadence.
Tien Tzuo
ttzuo@oracle.com
Dear Mike & Sigrid
I had the opportunity to view your Africa Tour in its entirety. I was
impressed to say the least. You can see my comments about it in the Bulletins
section of TravNet! International at:
http://www.sky.net/~eric
Eric Forsman
President, TravNet! / Contacts International
President, Sociedad Ecologica Mundial (World Ecological Society)
I enjoyed the read, and it sounds as if you had a great time.
I think its an excellent reference for anyone wishing to undertake these
safaris and we shall be making use of it. . . As a smug Capetonian I found
your comparisons with San Francisco particularly interesting, especially after
visiting there and Napa in December. The thing I like about your site is
the emphasis on content as opposed to fancy graphic design.
Ralph Pina
African Alternatives
PO Box 6281
Stellenbosch 7612 South Africa
Tel & Fax: +27 21 8870588
http://www.africa.com/~venture/
afralt@aztec.co.za
Dear Mike:
We are specialists in travel to Southern Africa, and in fact, work with Afro Ventures, though we try to avoid UTC. I very much enjoyed reading your experience - excellent pictures.
I think you should be kinder to poor poor Billy Boy though. He has enough problems of his own right now, what with the Feds trying to keep him from single handedly preserving U.S. industrial might, truth, justice and the American Way.
An excellent site, and I have linked to it.
Best regards,
Kirk Levedahl Cape to Cairo: African Business and Adventure Travel Washington, DC http://www.capecairo.com CAPE TO CAIRO African Business and Adventure Travel 2735 Unicorn Lane NW Washington DC 20015 tel: (202)244-5954 fax: (202)244-5993 email capcairo@erols.com website http://www.capecairo.com
Harlan Wallach
Traditional Computer Artist
wallach@nwu.edu
Hi Mike,
Loved your journal entries about our beautiful city. I would very much
like to link to these (Cape Town) pages from our main tourism page. . . Isn't
the Internet wonderful. I don't know how philosophical you are, but I never
stop being amazed by how my life is being enriched. Just think, before cyberspace
you and I would never have "met", let alone creating cross links the way
we did know. A true global village.
Cheers
Gert
Gert Blij ITST (Pty) Ltd
22 Sluysken Road, Hout Bay, 7800, South Africa
+27/(0)21/ work & fax: 790 2724 h: 790 3342
http://www.aztec.co.za/itst
Dear Sigrid and Mike
I was just 'surfing the net' today and I decided to search on my name - Sigrid. Imagine my surprise when I came across your site. Imagine my further surprise when I find out that you have been to Africa (My favourite place) and that your partners (?) name is Mike - my husband's name. Mike and I visited Africa in 1995 for three weeks which wasn't nearly enough and are always planning to go back again.I haven't read all of Mike's journal but I got the impression from some of it that Mike was into computers. My Mike runs his own computer consultancy company here in Sydney Australia. ..
There seems to be too many coincidences happening here.
A love the photos and what a great idea to put them up on the web - I'm looking forward to reading more of Mike's journal.
Sigrid Mulherin
Regards,
Kimberly Kline
***********************************************************
Kimberly S. Kline * Marketing Representative
Silicon Graphics * Los Angeles, CA
***********************************************************
... Looking forward to finding the time for reading your entire tour. So far I am at the bungee jump. I am enjoying the tour, but wonder if trying to send this stuff while you were traveling didn't spoil the magic a bit ... This afternoon I will buy Green Hills of Africa.
Maggie2222@aol.com
Your site is one of a select few, to be chosen as a link, on the award - winning site - "Shannon’s Bookmarks". Shannon’s Bookmarks, maintained by Shannon , webmistress of Alchemy of Africa and World Wide Marketeers.
Love, Peace & Positive Energy
Shannon
Mike and Sigrid:
What a wonderful experience. And you've done a great job of showcasing it all on the Internet.
Hope you were able to make this all available in print form. It would make a great tabletop book. Sigrid's images. Mike's words.Please advise if that is the case.
I have been back and forth to southern Africa numerous times. I'm a journalist and a photographer. Have written (and been published) extensively in the U.S. and Canada. But the sights I saw eren't as grand as yours. The pictures from the safari are simply spectacular. I really liked the two sunset shots, especially the zebra one.
Would love to be in touch. Please e-mail me here. Also, we have a special project going called Umzi Wabantu. If you want more info, check out our site at: http://iquest.com/~umzi
Hope to hear from you soon. I enjoy exchanging tales of Mother Africa with kindred souls.
All the best. And, Sala kahle.
Ben Johnson
Umzi Wabantu
Best regards, Linda Sirola
Linda Sirola, Travelers' Tales/O'Reilly & Associates
Web page URL: http://www.ora.com/ttales
Very interesting story. I'm surprised the video captures came
out so well. You didn't ask for criticism but here's some anyway...
I think you could use some more detailed stories. Here's what I sent to
folks who ask. . . [EDITOR'S NOTE: Several paragraphs of detailed
criticism deleted in the interest of space - MW]
Philip Greenspun
Web Travel Review
philg@mit.edu
There is one cable car up table mountain - unless your referring
to trams.
Great idea! Enjoyed the read. - SJG
bev
rosebuds@iafrica.com
excellent photo's. I did not succeed as well as you did, on my traveling trough namibia and botswana. Which telelens (how strong) did you use, and did you use a statief in most of the cases? I hope to visit zimbabwe and botswana soon and try again,
diederk
I'm from brasil .. I really liked this photos.
I was wondering what I could do with them at my Plotter ... I could do sensacional posters ... That would be really amazing.
I really admire what you all do for a living. Taking photos every day in those espectacular sites. You are incrdibly talentous. Congratulations, and keep the excelent job ...
see ya,
Rodrigo Rodrigues
Thoroughly enjoyed reading your account. I am from South Africa and return as often as possible, including a memorable trip virtually the same as yours in reverse. Pity you spoiled it by including the much detested Ernest Hemingway!
Jill Winter <jmwinter@sabcar.unr.edu>
Your work is very impressive, I'm jealous of your abilities to take such great shots. I'm going to South Africa, maybe, I'll drop you a line when I return. Always, In Buffalo.
carol theis <ctheis@buffalo.k12.mn.us> Organization: District 877
Hey, those pictures were awesome! My friend sarah and I have always dreames of going to Africa. She is pre-vet right now at university, and she loves elephants more than anything! She is going to change things for the elephants in Africa. If you could maybe email her and tell her about Africa,or send her some pics, it would totally make her day! I would consider it a huge favor and be very grateful. Thank you so much. Her address is smay@oboe.calpoly.edu
thanks again,
Robert Beeson
Dear Sigrid,
I was just playing around when I stumbled on your stuff from my very favorite place on earth, Africa!!! I have had a delightful time looking at your photos and am anxious to read Mike's journal. I LOVED the pics! I am an amateur photographer and videographer myself, so it's even more fun to see someone else's stuff. I have been a total of seven times if you include Egypt and Morocco. Just was there this summer on a mission in affiliation with World Vision. It was my second trip with them and a very meaningful way to see Africa. Although we were only in Kenya visiting some of the projects there. Thanks for sharing your story and photos with the world!
Yours very truly, Susan S. Ten Eyck
sigrid's sunset on lake kariba is great. was thinking of putting it on my desktop to sooth my nerves after dealing with the clowns at [CENSORED]. the rhino is more reflective of what I'd like to do to [CENSORED]. hey noticed you even got the magellan 3 star..cool -glenn
Glenn P. Lim Email: gplim@us.oracle.com
Congatulations for your very nice pictures of African fauna.
Gilberto Valente Canali " Superintendent of the Environment Itaipu Binacional Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
Loved your account of your safari. The pictures were fantastic! My husband and I will leave shortly on our seventh African safari, and the time I spent this morning reading of your trip brought back fond memories of our own safaris as well as valuable insights into some places in Zimbabwe where we will be visiting on this trip. Wish you had gone to Zambia--we are going there this time and would like to know more about it in advance.
Again, I appreciate the time and effort you put into this account. Thanks!
LHorn60974@aol.com
Dear Sigrid:
my name is Kelly Mitchell and I too have been to Africa several times and was feeling very much like returning and then I stumbled on to your photos . . . you are a great photographer . . . I so enjoyed them . ..I printed your favorite elephant shot and showed some friends.
Its funny because I am a diamond dealer who works out of South Africa and who used to date a professional hunter who showed me Africa and wondered if maybe you had met him or the company he works with. his name is Peter Holbrow. and he works with Jeff Rann of Rann African Safaris. They have moved their main office to Kasane but always have maintained a presence in Maun.
Anyway because all my clients that I work with always go to Africa and I am always speaking of it . . .its now funny to be in this mood of missing it and wishing to be back in front of the animals . . .I also loved the lion stretch photo!!!
Do you attend any safari shows . . .such as Safari Club International??? My company REDE DIAMOND CORP. shows there and has met most of my friends from Africa through there.
Well, again I appreciate very much your beautiful photos being on the net!!!!
Sincerely,
Kelly J. Mitchell
Hi Sigrid and Mike,
First of all, I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed your web site. I have only spent a short amount of time at your site tonight. However, I'll be back. I can not wait to read your entire journal.
Secondly, Sigrid, your pictures are great.
In late June and early July of 1994, I had the priveledge to spend two weeks on a photo safari in Tanzania. I visited four parks: Arusha National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area (technically not a park), Serengeti National Park and Lake Manyara National Park. . .
Africa gets into your blood. I hope to return to Africa in either 1997 or 1998. I am hoping to go to Zimbabwe and Botswana. Any advice as to which parks to visit and what to see? Also, what made you choose Nature Encounters, Ltd.?
Thank you for reading my e-mail. And, again, thank you for a wonderful web site.
Best regards,
Gary Flotron St. Louis, Missouri
I love your itinerary, journal and especially the pix! They are wonderful. We are hopefully going to S Africa next Christmas and have read up on Kruger Park and Victoria Falls. Now we are so confused on what we should try to squeeze in to just 2 weeks, any tips?
Michael and Tim
Hi Sigrid,
I must congratulate you guys on a most beautifully composed (and I use the ultimate artistic compliment on purpose) web site cum autobiography cum gallery cum fun place to be that I have ever seen.
It has encouraged me to create a category for great travel journals to link to because I would most certainly like my readers to find out about you. In fact, I would be willing to exchange a reciprocal banner link from our respective pages (my home, your tour), if you would like to go that far with this proposed love affair between our sites.
Sorry, maybe I'm taking it too far, but I am truly bowled over by what you have done.
We have so much exciting stuff in the pipeline for next year. Official sites for National Parks Board and provincial conservation authorities, Anthony Bannister Photolibary (via which I'm sure you could sell some pics), Birdlife South Africa, Zoological Magazine, MalaMala, Iain Douglas Hamilton Elephant site, Save the Rhino Fund-Raising walk, Conservation Corporation? and lots more.
Bye for now,
Andrew<wildnet@cis.co.za>
Organization: WildNet Africa
Mike,
I just spent several hours following you and Sigrid through Africa. Damn fine web page.
Cheers,
Rick (aka Benedict Arnold)
Rick_O'Rourke@PeopleSoft.com
I loved your pictures of Zim & Botswana. I'm a Zimbabwean doctor studying in the UK and have just had 3 weeks at home. . . I'm busy building a web page for Zimbabwe Medical Graduates Worldwide, so that we can all keep in touch and wanted to include some photos of Zim as a cure for homesickness. . . Hope you enjoyed the Zimbabwean hospitality.
Best wishes,
Tristan Martin (TJMartin@btinternet.com)
Dear Mike & Sigrid:
I have just spent the most wonderful 3 hours (my bum is sore) enjoying your African Tour. Your blend of humourous and photographic journalism was excellent. . . Your humourous accolades had me laughing my head off! Sarcasm is the creator of an honest soul, it is also the lowest form of communication known to the uninitiated! I roared (like a Lion) at your descriptions of Bill Gates, or should it be Shona Gaye? I am still smiling as I am writing this to you, your pages have had a good effect on me.
. . . a very good friend of mine has businesses in Zimbabwe. He is a Brit from England living in Canada. Apon the discovery of our high speed terrestial Internet capabilities, he immediately got on the phone (at great expense) to Zimbabwe.
To cut an otherwise long and weary 18 month story down into a few lines.... my company is going to Zimbabwe this year to install several satellite uplink sites to drastically improve Internet connection! I am so excited I can hardly wait. The telephone system in Zimbabwe is a lot to be desired. We have implemented plans to circumvent this problem by re-transmitting the signals via microwave to ajacent office buildings.... neat huh? In fact, it is entirely feasible for us to offer service up to 2.048 Mbps without a phone line in sight! We estimate a realistic range of 16 miles in diameter (line of sight) from our office tower. We will be starting in Harare and we plan on invading Bulawayo within 3 months of the first site opening.
I chuckled (sarcastically of course) at your communication problems in Africa. Maybe if you go there again one day....things will be different.
it looks like I will have to be living there for a couple of years till we get the whole project completed. Our goal is 8 uplink sites. We already have aroused interest from adjacent countries..... stay tuned!
Write soon, thanks again.
Martin J.Galloway
Director Communications
CSL Systems Inc. "Internet from the Sky"
http://www.worldchat.com/commercial/csl
Aile-eau!
I enjoyed exploring your site. merci. Found it while searching for meanings of snake symbols. I have a necklace that has two snake heads on each side to close it off and i need to write about it. Also i was wondering why eudora shows a snake when one has received email....
One question about computer art...computer being just a tool to create a form of content ok... I'm curious to know what You think are the specificities of computer art or rather Internet art if any? What is art? (u don't have to answer that last one;)
A bientot,
Eleonore Ailee O'nOr (eleonore@imaginet.fr )
www.imaginet.fr/ecafe/
www.cicv.fr/tohubahut/
We have made in the same periode september 1995 a simular tour, nameley zimbabwe (9/7/95 9/15/), botswana (9/15/95 - 9/20/95) and namibi (9/20/95 - 9/30/95). we have taken about 900 slides.
So when i see your pictures, they are great. The feeling to start a new tour is very strong.
Philippe Dessauvage
Pretty cool page, I especially enjoyed Segrid's Gallery!
Regards, Michael James Poplack Senior Corporate Counsel (MPOPLACK.US.ORACLE.COM)
Really enjoyed your diary. We are off to Zimbabwe following your tracks with 5 children in tow! Will look out for Iona. Regards and thanks for your diary.
James Harboro@aol.com