El Camino de Santiago - French Route

My daughter was currently walking the Camino de Santiago, Spain and after finding some cheap flights, I decided to join her towards the end of my walk. Arriving into Barcelona was a fantastic start and after wandering around the city, admiring Gaudi architecture, I caught a train to Astorga to begin my journey. Generally the French route of Le Camino starts at St Jean-Pied-de-Port and crosses the Pyrenees, ending in Santiago de Compostela, a walk of around 800km. As I was only able to travel for around 2 1/2 weeks, after flights, a few nights in Barcelona, planning 2 nights in Santiago at the end and a night in Madrid before flying home to Australia, I figured I had 11 days of walking available to me. Astorga to Santiago is a distance of around 265 kilometres (approximately 165 miles) and the terrain is mountainous in places, along winding streams, through forests, past farms, quaint villages and towns. I would make the time I had enough and make each day, each moment count.

Accommodation is your choice :

Very cheap Municipal dormitory hostels which you cannot book, often open around 1pm to long queues and cost around Euro 5.00 per night. Rooms have bunk beds and could hold around 50 people at times !! Snoring can be heard throughout the night so a good pair of earplugs is essential. Your passport is required and due to the daily usage of beds, a muslin disposable sheet and pillowcase is handed out for hygene. Sometimes a blanket is available but generally you will have your own sleeping bag or inner liner.

Private hostels are the next level up, generally smaller, nicer décor, less bunk beds per room and can be booked/ secured before arrival. The cost is around Euro 10.00 per night and generally serve a Pilgrim meal in the evening for Euro 10.00 which includes a starter, main, desert and wine. Great price and very social as walkers/pilgrims come together to enjoy discussing their day, life and a variety of topics.

For people looking for more comfort and privacy, small boutique hotels can be found along the way, or some of the Private Hostels have Single/ Double rooms available.

I arrived into Astorga around 6pm after an 8 hour train journey. Winding my way through the beautiful old town was enjoyable and I quickly found interesting architecture to photograph, a passion of mine ! I had booked into a small hotel in the towns main square so I could find the starting point to my walk easily the next day. I had found an old backpack at home, added a sleeping bag, some clothes and first aid kit, plus a few books, sandals and of course etc, etc, etc. Realising my bag was too heavy, I set out to find a cheap, light sleeping bag and some walking sticks. The local sports shop had exactly what I needed, so I went through all my gear that evening, discarded all that was not essential, and headed to the post office when it opened 8.30am next morning. I had been told you can post items forward to Santiago post office, a fantastic tip and I was happy to reduce my weight by around 3kgs. I was now walking with about 8kgs, still a little too heavy, but ok.

Uncertain as to how safe I would be on my own, I strapped my passport, money and credit card to my calf, to be discarded later in the day after meeting other pilgrims along the route. That feeling of freedom when I found the first Camino signpost (a scallop shell which is used as a symbol of direction along the route) was wonderful and I felt happy and ready for whatever lay ahead. I walked alone for a while, seeing a few groups in the distance, and stopped at a café for my first coffee. Introducing myself to other walkers, I started to get into the groove. I was told that people were booking accommodation ahead due to how busy the track was, however although that was not my intention, was a little worried on the first day whether all accommodation would be full. Arriving into Rabanal, a quaint village in the mountains, I dashed to find a bed, found something easily and settled down to my first cold beer.

I had already made friends with Daniella from Brazil, living in USA, then met Lee from Canada who was outside enjoying a beer, and Pablo from Argentina joined us. Daniella and I planned to meet early in the morning and walk together. We enjoyed each others company for a while, before we split up after a coffee stop and I carried on with Lee. Our conversation included the Cruz de Fierro (Iron Cross) on the highest point along the route where people place stones and other mementos for blessings/ religious reasons/letting go deeply held pain, doubt, insecurities, etc. This intrigued me and while contemplating all this, I glanced down and saw a stone shaped like a triangle (like a hard climb to the top of a mountain and the view from the top) I chose this as my stone, gave it a kiss, said a prayer and placed it at the bottom of the cross among thousands of others.  Later in the day we met up with Daniella again who was enjoying Sangria with her Brazilian friend in the sun. How could we not join them, ordering another round, laughing and chatting.

I loved meeting so many different nationalities and noticed many people were walking on their own, all ages and genders. How wonderful to all have a common goal, with various reasons for committing to and completing this amazing walk. Some people walk for religious reasons, others spiritual and some for the beauty and endurance of such a great distance. To walk on your own opens you up to spending time with other people, sometimes for a short period, maybe a drink, coffee or dinner, sometimes for a day of walking. Discussions are always interesting and enjoyable. Pablo recommended I send my backpack forward to the next hostel as I was a little untrained and was planning long walking days over mountains with rocky paths. I didn’t realise this was possible so another excellent tip. The Private hotels (and other places I’d imagine) have envelopes available to add payment inside (could be between Euro 4.00 to 6.00) depending where you are. You then write you name and next accommodation on the front and leave your backpack at reception in the morning. Your bag magically appears later in the day at your chosen hostel, yippee !! I took this advice for a few days as my walks were planned according to ‘A Pilgrims Guide to Camino de Santiago’ (Camino Frances) by John Brierley - 23km, 29km, 29km. Quite a distance when your body and feet are unaccustomed to this, so I was grateful for Pablo’s insight.

I had never used walking sticks before so it took me a few kilometres to get into this new walking rhythm. Once adjusted, it essentially gave me four walking limbs and took a lot of pressure off my joints. This section of the Camino is very beautiful, the countryside is full of stunning wildflowers and shrubs, the views from the mountains breathtaking and the paths wind through, showing nature at its finest. Although I often walked with wonderful new friends, stopped for coffee, croissants and snacks along the way, I also enjoyed time walking on my own with no-one in sight. Occasionally I wondered if I’d taken the wrong turn, but suddenly a camino shell would appear, either on a signpost, or embedded into the path, or a yellow arrow on a wall, to assure me all was ok.

Unfortunately after 3 days of undulating hills and long kilometres, I developed tendonitis at the top of my ankle. My foot was very swollen and I limped slowly along to reach my chosen destination where I had sent my backpack. The weather had been very hot and after a wonderful stop in a forest, where someone had set up an old caravan next to a stream, selling fruit drinks and offering lovely leather chairs and couches to rest and chat, I walked on with my German friend Solveig. It was late in the day and I still had 7km to walk, feeling sore and slow, Solvieg had walked ahead. Suddenly I saw this lovely yellow building on the side of the road, offering pilgrims a quiet place to rest and recharge. I was drawn to stop for a while, enjoying the beautiful décor and tranquil surroundings. The young French volunteer, Antwan, offered me herbal tea and a sandwich. Suddenly Solvieg appeared and said she had found us a hostel to spend the night. This hostel felt like a yoga retreat, somewhere you felt embarrassed to ask if there was Wi-Fi, a very natural place with friendly owners. I said I had no gear and they kindly loaned me a sleeping bag and towel, all I really needed. After I had showered, washed undies and put on pre-worn clothes, I wandered off to find my new companions for the evening. I had torn up my map in the ‘yellow room’ , shed a few tears as was tired and injured, and said from now on I would let the Camino unfold for me, get out of my own way, and not make plans ahead. The evening was very pleasant with a delicious dinner and I made friends with a lovely German couple, Julia and Manuel. They had started the Camino from their front door in Germany and had been walking since mid February, it was now early June ! What an achievement !! Roul from the Netherlands was also staying at this hostel and he was going to be volunteering at another hostel. He carried his guitar and played us beautiful Spanish music.

The next morning, Solveig and I walked the 7km into Villafranca, through beautiful countryside, passing vineyards with stunning red roses at the end of many rows. My camera was busy capturing this lovely environment and I was happy and relaxed. After I had made the decision to go with the flow, things seemed to unfold for me and I’d meet people to assist me along the way. The hostel where my bag had been sent was closed and only due to re-open around lunch time, so Solveig decided to go on her way. Roul just happened to be having breakfast next to the hostel and he said why don’t I join him on the bus to the top of the mountain as that is where he would be volunteering. With my injury, I decided that would be a good idea and we walked together to find bus tickets (discovered the tobacco shops sell bus tickets - who would have known) While waiting for the bus, we met a young Italian man who had a bad knee injury so was also bussing forward to the top of the mountain. We joined a huge queue at the small town of O’Cebreiro who were waiting to book into the hostel and while there, the Italian chap suggested we cycle ahead. Great idea, lets do it !! A lady with very broken English, but way better than my Spanish, was hiring bikes and we decide to cycle 2 stages forward, a distance of around 50km. Once the frustrations of understanding each other was out of the way, we had 2 good mountain bikes at our disposal for the next day. I did feel a little lonely that evening when I went for dinner and was too foucsed on social media. When my dinner arrived, I was still mesmerised with my phone and from across the room, I heard a loud voice from the restaurant owner, a delightful woman '‘ Hey you lady, eat your food while it’s hot !!' “ hahaha I felt quite cared for and put my phone away :)

After a sleepless night in a room with 50 other people, I went to breakfast to wait for the Italian chap. He turned up and declared he was going ahead on the main road. After a moments hesitation, I decided to ride along the Camino track and we parted company. A very good decision… the path was good most of the way, easy riding on the flats and downhills, however did a lot of pushing my bike up the steep inclines. As I love cycling and regularly ride my road bike in Australia, it was wonderful getting on a bike again. Numerous people ride the length of the Camino and only move off the tracks where necessary. I thoroughly enjoyed passing pilgrims saying Buen Camino and waving as I passed, a very social day :) My second bike stage to Sarria was along a winding narrow river through the forest, very beautiful and I often jumped off my bike to take photos. One stretch was pretty grueling with a steep rocky incline where I had to push my bike, often wondering if I was on the wrong path as no-one was around. Around 4.00pm I arrived into Sarria, tired but happy and relaxed, delivered my bike to the hostel and relaxed for the evening. Travelling alone tends to open you to meeting new people and my evening around the hostel dinner table was entertaining, with interesting nationalities from South Korea, England, Germany and Spain. We laughed a lot, drank the local liqueur, and I tried to have a conversation with the Spanish lady sitting next to me, eventually using Google translate with funny translations.

In the morning, my main focus was to find a Pharmacy to supply arnica cream for my tendinitis and some ankle strapping. Once this was achieved, I wandered out of the city, stopping into a bookshop to look for a little book of sayings related to the Camino which I had seen in another hostel (never did find it) While there I met Lynelle from Canada who became my irregular walking buddy for a few days. We wandered through old quaint villages, stopping for coffee and croissants, then one of us would leave to walk alone, only to bump into one another again somewhere along the track. This happened for a number of days and we often ended up staying at the same hostel, or restaurant for dinner. I met and had wonderful conversations with Christine from Germany and Danielle, a French Canadian lady. As I had biked a few stages forward, I could comfortably walk around 22km/day, taking it slowly and stopping regularly to take photos and admire the beauty around me. The old villages had interesting old wooden doors in various colours and state of disrepair. They made for wonderful photographs with their wooden grain and heavy lintels above.

I had been keeping in touch with Taryn, my daughter, along the way. She had met a lovely group of young people and we agreed for her to carry on to the coast, then come back to meet me for the last day into Santiago. I arrived into O Pedrouzo late afternoon and met Taryn at our hostel, celebrating our meeting with lots of hugs, yummy dinner and some red wine. The next morning, before sunrise, we set off to walk together into Santiago for the end of my walk. How special to walk together, chatting non-stop about our various adventures, enjoying each others company and making unforgettable memories along the magical Camino de Santiago. Early afternoon we arrived into Santiago and wandered through the streets until we arrived at the Cathedral, viewing this beautiful old building from the large square, surrounded by other pilgrims celebrating their journey. We hugged and enjoyed this special moment together, my feet sore and legs weary, but heart full and knew the memories of this walk would remain with me always. I was happy to bump into many of the wonderful people I had met along the walk over the next few days and am grateful for their kindness and generosity of spirit. Although my time with Taz was short and I was to return to Australia in a few days, I am so pleased we could share some experiences in Spain. I hope to return one day and until then, Buen Camino

Botswana mobile safari from Maun to Chobe National Park, Botswana

To me, one of the best ways to experience the African bush is on a mobile safari. You are with the same guide and camp staff throughout the safari and really get to know each other. The tents are moved every 2 or 3 days to a new location as you journey through the various national parks, staying in private sites to ensure a quiet, personal experience, close to nature.  Wholesome meals are cooked on an open fire and conversations flow around the dinner table. Below is a summary of our amazing mobile safari in northern Botswana, exploring the Okavango Delta, Khwai River, Savuti and Chobe River.

We leave Maun by road, excited about what is ahead on our 12 day safari and guess which animal we will see first. The bush welcomes us with bird calls and a certain relaxation that comes when you are in nature. The first sighting is always special and we stop to take photos, taking our time to enjoy each moment. Impala, zebra, giraffe, baboon and elephant are periodically seen close to the road, not concerned about our vehicle driving slowly by. We have keen eyes on board, always on the lookout for what unfolds ahead of us. After a number of hours we arrive in camp, relaxed and happy from our first day in the bush, have a bucket shower and enjoy a yummy 3 course meal.

Early next morning, after coffee and porridge, we leave camp at 6.00am and discover an African wild dog kill. The pack has almost finished devouring their breakfast when a lioness and cub, who are wandering down the road, suddenly realize the pack are close. She is instantly alert and dashes in to claim the remains for her cub. Suddenly it is all action and a hyena appears, nervously hanging back in the bush, hoping for scraps. An exciting start to our day!! Next morning that same pack of wild dog run past us chasing an impala while we are eating breakfast and again our adrenaline is pumping… there is always something happening in the bush and we are excited to be camping, surrounded by incredible wildlife and birdlife.

Our journey continues as we boat along the channels in the Okavango Delta, drive around the Moremi Game Reserve, noting the beautiful, large water birds and smaller species, plus many varieties of wildlife. Hippo and crocodile bask in the sun, enjoying the waterways, while elephant are in large numbers. Relaxed bulls greet each other and breeding herds come to drink when it is cooler, protecting their calves before slipping away into the bush.

We like to spend a few nights camping along Khwai River as there is excellent wildlife in the area. This is a community trust area and we are able to night drive which gives us the opportunity to search for nocturnal animals. One afternoon, we park our vehicle near the river and watch many bull elephants come to drink. As the weather is pretty hot, once they can smell the water they literally run down, stopping to draw water to drink and spray themselves. The younger bulls swim and play for hours, I imagine feeling light in the water, submerging themselves with trunks only showing, putting their front legs onto another’s back and greeting each other with trunks entwined. A joy to watch them interact, such intelligent, caring animals with strong family bonds. We also see a pride of lion in the setting sun, wandering into the bush on a hunt and a leopard crossing the road, quiet and moving with stealth before disappearing into the long grass, like a shadow in the night.

Driving to Savuti is on a dirt road, crossing a heavy sand ridge and the terrain changes along the way. Savuti has open grass plains and this year the Savuti Channel is not flowing so waterholes are filled by solar pumps. The wildlife gather around these waterholes to drink, with the elephant dominating during the day. It is interesting watching the elephants who stand around for ages, seemingly greeting each other, trunks up to touch and smell. Some like to put their trunks directly over the water spout to get the freshest water, such a joy watching all this. While in Savuti we come across two male lions, both beautiful specimens in prime condition. They walk slowly across the grass plain, confident in their size and strength. We have also been searching for cheetah and are thrilled to come across two under a tree. Not forgetting the birdlife, we are happy to see a male ostrich doing a mating dance and a stern looking secretary bird. The lilac-breasted roller is very beautiful with amazing colours and is even more spectacular in flight. We are determined to get a photo of one flying but they are notoriously difficult to capture at the right moment, causing us to make up a song about them with much merriment.

Our final stretch in Botswana is a drive to the Chobe River and we are happy to arrive at our destination in the early afternoon. After travelling through dry countryside, we are greeted with green floodplains along the river teaming with wildlife. Zebra, impala, kudu, warthog and elephant are scattered along the length of the river and we are in awe of this sight. We see more lion relaxing under a tree and in the early evening a leopard hunting, tummy almost on the ground as she stalks her pray, quietly focused. On our second day, with gin and tonic in hand, we watch herds of elephant and buffalo come down to drink, creating a dusty atmosphere in the late afternoon sun.

Each year this mobile safari with The Elephant Trails Safari Co. has been amazing with incredible sightings, lots of laughs, interesting conversations and I feel honoured to meet such wonderful people, from guests to guides and staff. This safari is truly back to nature, without Wi-Fi and it makes you feel connected to wildlife and the natural world.

Fund Raising Dinner for Zimbabwean Charities

Our friends Lucy and Clive opened their home in Western Australia to organize a Fund Raising 3 course dinner in November for 100 people. The Zimbabwe charities chosen were ZANE (Zimbabwe a National Emergency) and COSMOS HEALTH, both charities providing much needed assistance for people in the rural areas, plus support for pensioners who have been left penniless due to the economic failure of the country. With lots of background work plus help from friends the evening was a huge success and around $13,300.00 was raised. The decor was African themed with beautiful fabrics made into table cloths and waitress aprons. 

Guest speaker was Australian author Tony Park who writes adventurous, gripping novels based in Africa. He kept us entertained with stories and his new release is called "The Cull" . Tony and his wife Nicola divide their time between Sydney and Africa, allowing valuable research opportunities. 

Lucy organised various items for auction and I was happy to donate two of my elephant images I'd had printed onto stretched canvas, one being my 'Waterline' image. I was asked to give an impromptu speech discussing the print and was very pleased both were sold, raising additional funds for the charities.

Zimbabwe has a 90% unemployment rate and a collapsed economy. Medical facilities in the rural areas are poor and Cosmos Health Organisation started assisting in Zimbabwe in 2009. "Based in Perth, Western Australia, our organisation works closely with strategic partners to provide a range of primary health, health education and community development services for disadvantaged rural communities in Zimbabwe."  Dr Darryn Rennie showed slides while discussing how Cosmos assisted in the rural areas around Bulawayo in October 2017. For further information on Cosmos, to donate or volunteer please visit their website  www.cosmoshealth.org  

The other charity ZANE (Zimbabwe A National Emergency) 'enables donors to help forgotten people in Zimbabwe and seeks to relieve invisible and visible suffering.'

'ZANE provides aid, comfort and support to 1,800 impoverished pensioners with nowhere else to turn. Only those genuinely in need of assistance receive it.  Donors are able to choose which aspect of ZANE's mission they plan to support. ZANE runs education programmes in the high-density areas assisting women and children living in extreme poverty. ZANE funded the first clubfoot correction programme in Zimbabwe. Eleven treatment centres have been established and over 2,600 children have received treatment to date. ZANE funds the provision of prosthetic limbs for victims of landmine explosions and treatment for people with hearing loss.'

For additional information on how to join in or donate please visit their website www.zane-zimbabweanationalemergency.com , thanks

Painted Dog Conservation Incorporated Fundraising Event Perth

It is always a special sighting to come across a pack of African wild dog (or painted dog) while on safari. They are very efficient hunters, have incredible speed and work as a pack - something I have been fortunate to witness once. Their beautiful individual markings and strong family bonds are very noticeable. However they are highly endangered carnivores with man representing their greatest threat, often with road kills, traps and snares. 

I recently booked tickets to a very interesting and informative fund raising event in Perth hosted by John and Angela Lemon who established Painted Dog Conservation Incorporated in 2003. This is a non-profit organisation who provide support for projects in Africa (Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia) actively conserving the African wild dog. Please have a look at their website  www.painteddogconservation.iinet.net.au  which has lots of information and any donations or memberships can by made directly there.

The guest speaker for the evening was Kevin Richardson (fondly known as The Lion Whisperer) from South Africa who discussed his life with lions and the distressing canned lion hunting situation. For further information please view his website  www.lionwhisperer.co.za  

Following a delicious dinner, many framed paintings and photographs, plus various artifacts were auctioned to raise much needed funds. I am very happy with my wire elephant made from snares found in the bush.

An added bonus for me was catching up with my friend Simon Reeve (MC for the evening) who lived in Maun, Botswana for a few years with his lovely family.

Remembering Elephants

Remembering Elephants was the initiative of wildlife photographer Margot Raggett who started this project with the aim of raising funds to use in various anti-poaching operations in Africa, managed by the Born Free Foundation.  The Remembering Elephants coffee table book has stunning elephant images donated by 55 professional wildlife photographers, plus an additional 10 images selected in a competition. I was honoured to have my 'Waterline' image selected and traveled to London in September for the launch of the book. All the images were framed, exhibited in a gallery and sold to raise additional funds. The VIP exhibition evening, followed by the book launch evening, had interesting and informative guest speakers. Both events were exceptional and I met many dedicated photographers and conservationists. With sales of the book/prints/auctions/donations, etc, around £115,000.00 has been raised at present. Well done to all involved and for further information please visit www.rememberingelephants.com and www.bornfree.org.uk

It is estimated that an elephant is poached every 15 minutes, absolutely horrifying for these intelligent, caring animals who have strong family units and are very social. There were around 10 million elephants in Africa 100 years ago and these numbers have dropped to around 400,000, with an average of 30,000 poached every year for their ivory.