Safari Notes

For the last few days I have been, as many around the world, transfixed by the plight of the mother-calf duo whales who had become lost in the Sacramento river. I wanted to post some thing before about their ordeal, but I was so pained and worried about them, I couldn't write any thing. But, now, at last - they are free. Bruised and exhausted but FREE!!! All the world is a theater, and the two whales stuck on an international stage for the past several weeks had a happy ending. The mother-calf duo captured international attention as they became lost dozens of miles up the Sacramento River. Scientists, whale enthusiasts — and soon, anyone watching the evening news — were captivated by the whales’ inability to right themselves, and concerned by their inability to heal their wounds in the freshwater. Tuesday night, without fanfare or direct observation, the whales are believed to have slipped back into the Pacific. The episode shows that the natural world can provide lasting entertain...

Time: 1968. Place: Lira, Uganda, near the golf course and air strip. The then President of Uganda - Apolo Obote was visiting Lira. I was then about ten and studying at Lira Primary school; my school choir, had been one of the schools chosen to sing for the President. By 2.00 PM, I and the rest of my fellow choir members, were already near the residence where Obote was to be entertained. Around 3.00 PM, plates of local cuisine of various kinds, were laid on a long stretch of tables covered with white cloth. At around 4.00 PM, Obote and his wife Miriam, several other people in his entourage and a few soldiers, appeared. I had seen Obote many times before at close range, during his visits around Lira and Lango; but as always - I was very interested in seeing him again and was, as always, awed by the protocol and merry that accompanied him. A small crowd of people had gathered, and who, like me, wanted to have a glimpse of the President. I and the rest of my school mates, were close to wh...

"Salif Keita, born in 1949 in Djoliba, is sometimes called the Golden Voice of Africa. He is a direct descendent of Sundiata Keita, the Mandinka warrior king who founded the Malian empire in the 13th century. Born an albino - a sign of bad luck - Keita was shunned and ostracized by his family and community alike. His poor eyesight also contributed to his personal sense of alienation. In 1967 he moved to Bamako where he began playing in nightclubs with one of his brothers. Two years later he joined the 16 member, government sponsored Rail Band that played at the Bamako railway station's Buffet Hotel de la Gare - a very choice gig at the time. In 1973 he left the Rail Band along with Kante Manfila (guitarist, composer, and leader of the band) to join Les Ambassadeurs." African Music Encyclopeadia More On Keita: Official Site , Albums , last.fm Wikipedia Image: Flickr

Africa, the World's poorest continent and the one least able to cope with the impact of climate change - doesn't seem to be getting the massage. Africa is in danger; maybe: the greatest danger it has ever faced in its modern history. Danger from: desertification, heat waves, falling food production and scarcity of water. Instead of Africans depending on foreign assistance most, in reversing climate change - African leaders should take the lead. They should lead by passing laws and enforcing policies that help in reversing the effects of Global Warming. Any African leaders listening? Any of them listening to Prof. Wangari Maathai's caution to them against destroying forests for short term economic gains . ? "While trees and the environment can thrive without human beings, we cannot do without trees. So protect our environment especially forests," Prof. Wangari Maathai Very wise words of advice from the greatest environmentalist in Africa. At the same time, it is ...

"By the time Ernesto Guevara, known to us as Che, was murdered in the jungles of Bolivia in October 1967, he was already a legend to my generation, not only in Latin America but also around the world. Like so many epics, the story of the obscure Argentine doctor who abandoned his profession and his native land to pursue the emancipation of the poor of the earth began with a voyage. In 1956, along with Fidel Castro and a handful of others, he had crossed the Caribbean in the rickety yacht Granma on the mad mission of invading Cuba and overthrowing the dictator Fulgencio Batista. Landing in a hostile swamp, losing most of their contingent, the survivors fought their way to the Sierra Maestra. A bit over two years later, after a guerrilla campaign in which Guevara displayed such outrageous bravery and skill that he was named comandante, the insurgents entered Havana and launched what was to become the first and only victorious socialist revolution in the Americas. The images were th...

Yes, it still is! I love Nairobi . It is my most favorite city. Next to Al Mukalla . It's not only Nairobi's amazingly beautiful scenery; the all year round, very pleasant climate (ranging between 11°C to 25°); the large wildlife sanctuary on the city's outskirts; and it being my home, too - it is more than that. From the first instance I saw Nairobi, way back in 1972, when I was just a little boy and though I don't have much liking for cities and crowded places, I was captivated by the place. Even then, it seemed very crowded to me. But, the Nairobi that was then is a far cry from what the city has now become . Then : Nairobi had very neat, clean streets, many large parks around, an efficient infrastructure, efficient institutions and was comparatively very safe. And it had a much smaller population. And now? Years of mismanagement, neglect and corruption has turned Nairobi in to a city with one of the highest crime rates in Africa: violent armed robberies, burglarie...

I hate mosquitoes. Utterly hate them. And rats. Of all animals, the only ones I hate and loathe - are: these! Mosquitoes, tiny as they are, are undoubtedly now, our most dangerous foe. Each year, they kill millions. And make millions sick and miserable. We spend an enormous amount of resources and time, combating the insects. And so far, we haven't won. In fact, they seem to be winning. But, it's the rodents that I hate and loathe most. And they terrify me. Wild rats. All kinds of rats, but mostly those that invade our homes. As much as I adore all kinds of animals and creatures, rats, I have failed to find any attraction or consideration for. I can stand even cockroaches. But not rats. Yes, way back in 1981, when I was then young and a bachelor, I did make friends with this tiny rat. It started appearing in my bedroom, on a table that I kept butter and some bread, on. I began feeding it with crumbs of buttered bread, and within a short time, it wasn't scared of me at all a...

Africa is a treasure house for birding. The continent has over 2,050 bird species recorded, two thirds of which are found nowhere else. East Africa, in particular, has an amazing variety of birds, perhaps due to a mild climate devoid of extremes. The region has 4 of the Top Ten Birding Sites in Africa as rated by the African Bird Club (www.africanbirdclub.org) -an international organisation devoted to the study of Africa's birds. These sites are: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (Uganda), Bale Mountains (Ethiopia), the Rift Valley Lakes (Kenya) and Murchison Falls Park (Uganda). africapoint Bird watching is an activity that can be done wherever one is, on almost any part of the globe. It is fun, educational and doesn't require much, except a pair of good eyes; at most, a pair of binoculars. No matter where one lives, there are always birds around. Africa offers a large number and a variety of bird species; Eastern Africa has the largest number, especially Kenya and Tanzania. And East...

“Peacekeepers and preventive diplomacy remain essential tools in our efforts to silence guns and implement ceasefires, but by themselves they are not enough to counter humanity’s worst instincts.......Instead, the search for a durable and enduring peace demands action at a deeper, more profound level.........It requires the spread of values, attitudes and behaviours that reject violence and embrace tolerance, justice and respect for human rights. In short, it requires a culture of peace.” “Make no mistake; there are signs of progress in Africa. The progress is gradual, it is sometimes agonisingly slow but the signs are there.” "I carry with me a strong feeling of triumph, having seen the efforts of the National Assembly and its president in promoting reconciliation and dialogue in a bid for unity and to strengthen democracy in the DRC." Further Information: Asha-Rose Migiro.com , Asharosemigiro.org , Wikipedia