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  #21  
Old January 10th, 2004, 10:25 AM
Pat Anderson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Big Cat Diary

In message , Liz
writes
In message
Pat Anderson wrote:


I met Oria briefly in Nairobi whilst I was with a friend. I send Saba
an email now and again and she has me on a mailing list to inform me
when something she`s involved with is going to be on TV.
Glad you liked the website and I`ve noted about Kingdom of the
Elephants.



I'm sure I read that Iain and Oria take visitors on one of the these
fantasic-looking but out of my budget homestays? Or was that a while back?

I'll see if I can find the book I read it in.

Liz

Liz,
Go to google.com and do a search for Olerai House, Naivasha. There is
so much info. and lovely photos of the house etc, that you can see
different aspects on different sites. Looking at that idyllic place
today makes me wish I was there!
There is also a company in Kenya called Bush Homes of East Africa.
www.bush-homes.co.ke
Didn`t you stay at a house in Naivasha once, Loldio? As you say,
Olerai would be very expensive.
Pat

--
Pat Anderson
  #22  
Old January 10th, 2004, 12:13 PM
Ned Abell
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Default Big Cat Diary

In article ,
Hans-Georg Michna wrote:

Can't see the series, unfortunately, but it will probably be
shown in Germany at some later time.


Hans-Georg,
BBC radio and TV programmes are now broadcast in the clear (no
card needed) from the Astra digital satellites at 28.2 degrees
east. I get them in Western France.

If you have an existing digital satellite receiver you are
probably getting all the German channels from Astra1 at 19
degrees east.
All you need is an "H to H" mount (horizon to horizon) that sits
behind your satellite dish and moves it to look at other
satellites.
The beauty of this system is you get all the free channels that
your dish can pick up from many satellites. I use my system to
try to learn languages.

If you haven't got digital satellite there are some very
inexpensive systems available via a "Google" as well as
comprehensive listings of all the available programmes at
www.satmania.com

I'm sitting here in the UK listening to Jazz Radio from Berlin...
:-)

HTH

--
besters..
Ned
===
  #23  
Old January 10th, 2004, 12:54 PM
Liz
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Big Cat Diary

In message
Pat Anderson wrote:

Liz,
Go to google.com and do a search for Olerai House, Naivasha. There is
so much info. and lovely photos of the house etc, that you can see
different aspects on different sites. Looking at that idyllic place
today makes me wish I was there!
There is also a company in Kenya called Bush Homes of East Africa.
www.bush-homes.co.ke
Didn`t you stay at a house in Naivasha once, Loldio? As you say,
Olerai would be very expensive.


I found the book and saw that it was Olerai.
Compared to other places in the book, like Borana, it seemed slightly less
expensive.

Yes, we stayed at Loldia on our last trip because we'd left it too late to
get into Lake Naivasha Country Club. It's a really fantastic place to stay;
the staff were great. This year's nightly rate for Loldia is "from £187 pppn
fully inclusive based on 2 sharing" (whch is 'silly money') according to the
Rainbow Tours brochure, then you've got your guide's expenses over and
above. Peter, the host, said something about Governor's having 'discounts' for
returners, but I don't have any details of this.

I'm starting to look at something for this year.
Looks as if D. will be broke again.
I can't believe it's so difficult to get what I want, and may end up with a
general safari, e.g. from Kuoni.
I've got a pile of brochures here and either the single supplement is
enormous (because they are really sample tailor-mades for two) or they're
the one-night; two-night rush rush routine, or they're specialist photo
safaris with some highly-expensive big name showing you where to put your
tripod feet. The thing is that there are lots of companies in the same two
markets and not much else.... Then there are the camping safaris, but that's
right out of the question (for me), and self-drive, which would be unwise as
I have no car maintenance skills. I )like most other 'women of a certain
age') also don't like the restaurant 'ordeal by staring'). I've seen some
interesting looking small group tours in Ethiopia and Madagascar, but not in
my inflexible travelling time. Well, I've got some time yet, and maybe D.
will get some money...

If only India/Nepal didn't have monsoon in July - D. could afford that!

Sister and I were thinking of Vermont in Oct, but all this business of
having to go down to London or over to Belfast to get our eyes scanned:
well, it isn't going to happen!

Slainte

Liz

--
Virtual Liz at http://www.v-liz.co.uk
Kenya; Tanzania; India; Seychelles; Namibia
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"
  #24  
Old January 10th, 2004, 05:17 PM
Hans-Georg Michna
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Default Big Cat Diary

Liz wrote:

In message
Hans-Georg Michna wrote:


Liz wrote:


Tonight's cliffhanger:
The pride found the two tiny cubs without the mother and are sniffing them out.
Their fate is in the balance...


unless their mother is a member of the same pride, their chances
of not being killed are very low.


They said that she was of the same pride, but had been 'exiled' (I don't
think that was the exact work they used) because her cubs were so much
smaller than the others. I was quite surprised at that.


Liz,

well, that's a truly peculiar explanation. Perhaps it is exactly
the other way round---the lioness left the pride because her
smaller (younger?) cubs would be in danger or at least
disadvantaged.

In that case their chance of survival is better, but still not
very good. Two forces are pulling. On the one hand the lionesses
could be related, like sisters, so the cubs of one would still
be closely related to the other, which would raise the interest
of keeping them alive. On the other hand other cubs are
competing with a lioness's own cubs and may compete throughout
their lives, so killing them would be an advantage.

Usually lionesses think it wiser to be there and protect their
cubs, but they have to go hunt, of course, so they try to hide
the cubs. It all makes sense most of the time.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.
  #25  
Old January 10th, 2004, 05:17 PM
Hans-Georg Michna
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Big Cat Diary

Ned,

thanks a lot for the good info! I don't have a satellite
receiver or cable TV though. We watch only very, very little TV
here. (I don't actually believe it's a good thing to do, most of
the time.)

I'm observing the digital TV and HDTV development with interest
though. Perhaps I'll change my mind one day.

I can watch terrestrial (antenna) TV on my home cinema's 2.50 m
wide screen if I like, and I occasionally do that. But more
often DVD is the source.

On the other hand, a satellite receiver would be a one-time
investment.

Hans-Georg


Ned Abell wrote:

In article ,
Hans-Georg Michna wrote:

Can't see the series, unfortunately, but it will probably be
shown in Germany at some later time.


Hans-Georg,
BBC radio and TV programmes are now broadcast in the clear (no
card needed) from the Astra digital satellites at 28.2 degrees
east. I get them in Western France.

If you have an existing digital satellite receiver you are
probably getting all the German channels from Astra1 at 19
degrees east.
All you need is an "H to H" mount (horizon to horizon) that sits
behind your satellite dish and moves it to look at other
satellites.
The beauty of this system is you get all the free channels that
your dish can pick up from many satellites. I use my system to
try to learn languages.

If you haven't got digital satellite there are some very
inexpensive systems available via a "Google" as well as
comprehensive listings of all the available programmes at
www.satmania.com

I'm sitting here in the UK listening to Jazz Radio from Berlin...
:-)

HTH


--
No mail, please.
  #26  
Old January 10th, 2004, 07:14 PM
Liz
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Big Cat Diary

In message
Hans-Georg Michna wrote:



well, that's a truly peculiar explanation. Perhaps it is exactly
the other way round---the lioness left the pride because her
smaller (younger?) cubs would be in danger or at least
disadvantaged.

In that case their chance of survival is better, but still not
very good.


I won't spoil things by telling you what happened!

Liz

--
Virtual Liz at http://www.v-liz.co.uk
Kenya; Tanzania; India; Seychelles; Namibia
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"
  #27  
Old January 11th, 2004, 01:55 PM
Hans-Georg Michna
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Big Cat Diary

Liz wrote:

In message
Hans-Georg Michna wrote:


well, that's a truly peculiar explanation. Perhaps it is exactly
the other way round---the lioness left the pride because her
smaller (younger?) cubs would be in danger or at least
disadvantaged.

In that case their chance of survival is better, but still not
very good.


I won't spoil things by telling you what happened!


Liz,

it could take a year until I find out. So if you like to change
your mind ...

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.
  #28  
Old January 11th, 2004, 10:25 PM
Liz
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Big Cat Diary

In message
Hans-Georg Michna wrote:

Liz wrote:

In message
Hans-Georg Michna wrote:


well, that's a truly peculiar explanation. Perhaps it is exactly
the other way round---the lioness left the pride because her
smaller (younger?) cubs would be in danger or at least
disadvantaged.

In that case their chance of survival is better, but still not
very good.


I won't spoil things by telling you what happened!


Liz,

it could take a year until I find out. So if you like to change
your mind ...


[Spoiler space]


..













..













..






















..
























..














..












Hope no one who cares has got higher resolution...


The next day the two cubs had survived, and eventually were reunited with
their mother, who had inexplicably left them for a long time apparently out
in the open.

Simon was giving a warm fuzzy ending by saying they had survived this crisis
and he felt confident that they would survive now. Given that they were
still pretty tiny, I think he's going soft in his middle age!

Mind you, I'm getting as bad.
The pride is now really big (high twenties) but there is only one male lion,
who while they were filming was already being challenged by two young
pretenders. I did have this anthropomorphic thought that if he got beaten
and cast out of the pride, he might take up with Bibi, and protect the cubs,
who are apparently his anyway. That's pretty 'warm & fuzzy' too.

Anyway, there's to be some sort of follow-up programme on IIRC 27th Jan.

Slainte

Liz

--
Virtual Liz at http://www.v-liz.co.uk
Kenya; Tanzania; India; Seychelles; Namibia
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"
  #29  
Old January 12th, 2004, 09:17 AM
Hans-Georg Michna
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Posts: n/a
Default Big Cat Diary

Liz,

thanks for telling the story!

Can't wait to watch the whole series.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.
 




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