Safari Notes

Stephen Kiprotich When John Akii-Bua won the gold medal at the 1972 Olympic Games in the 400m hurdles in Munich , at the same time setting a world record, Uganda celebrated and rejoiced. As a little boy, I remember seeing him driving around in his Peugeot 604 - then, the only 604 in Uganda. Akii-Bua was pampered and cheered wherever he went. Idi Amin , the then President of Uganda, multinational and international companies, and people showered him with gifts. In 1978, Amin was deposed and Akii-Bua's life slowly started disintegrating. In 1997, he died, at only 47.

Sudan Wildlife Had it known peace and stability, the Sudan - where some of the greatest animal concentrations are in and some of the greatest animal migrations take place - could have been one of the most sought after tourist destinations in the world. Many say the greatest animal migrations on Earth take place in South Sudan. Researchers, who only recently could be able to study South Sudan's wildlife, are still very surprised and at times astonished that so many animals still survive in the wild.

Ever thought of how comforting it would be to know of any diseases or their outbreak out there? Especially when you are traveling? Well, there is a very useful and detailed free online site that just does that.

Ecotact Ever heard of Ecotact ? Few companies or projects have captured my imagination as this Kenyan company. A company that is so ingenuous and creative that it has won world wide recognition and several international awards. Incredibly, very few Kenyans know or have ever heard of it. As they state on their site:

Sanganeb - Google Map The first national park  gazetted in the Sudan way back in 1990, Sanganeb is an atoll shaped coral reef on the Red Sea. It, and Dongonab, are said to contain some of the best and most unspoiled coral reefs in the world; both, especially Dongonab, are relatively remote and rarely visited. For the most part, tourism consists of international diving holidays, with visitors flying to Port Sudan and residing on large hotel boats, which travel to anchor at the various diving sites for a few days at a time.

Radom National Park - Google Maps Radom National Park (RNP) is in Southern Darfur, Sudan; extending a little bit into the Central African Republic. After Dinder National Park (DNP), Radom ( Al Radom. In Arabic: محمية الردوم ) - which covers an area of 11,344 sq. km. (7,050 sq. mi.) - is the second most important wildlife area in Northern Sudan. Within the park, there are a few hills lying between its two main, permanent rivers: the Adda and the Umbelasha. These two rivers constitute a watershed separating the Nile and Congo river systems. Radom is mainly covered with shrub-land and woodland; and a few forests. Several rivers, streams and swamps crisscross the park. On the Sudanese side, due to wars and instability in the area, the park is poorly managed and poaching is rampant.

Philips LED Light Bulb  With ice caps on mountains and in both poles melting fast; with fish stocks depleting at such an alarming rate that the jack mackerel fish will soon completely be wiped out; with forests disappearing at a rate that nothing less than a miracle will save many of these precious resource; we have to act. Every one of us. As for the jack mackerel fish, if nothing is done very urgently now and concrete steps taken to protect the little of what remains of this fish, which is a staple in Africa - they will soon be decimated. If/when the mackerel disappears from our oceans, what will stop the collapse of other fish stocks in all oceans? From Technica : To commemorate Earth Day 2012, Earthday.org is asking people all over the world to commit to a single, simple “Act of Green.” A small, environmentally conscious choice everyone can make that will have a positive impact on the planet. If everyone commits to even the smallest things, like riding a bike to work, taking