And, before we knew it, it was time to board the helicopter and head back to the Beira airport…..
We were quickly skimming along the runway and heading over the forest…..
When we left here back in 2023, I wrote the following. I changed the names to represent this current trip but the sentiments are the same……
There is something about C11 that gets under your skin!! Even with finding scorpions on my bedspread, collecting a leach on the floodplain and showering with brown water, I would return in a heartbeat
Seeing the animals roaming freely and living their lives in an area where no animals used to exist gives credence to Mark Haldanes vision. And the vision continues with lions, cheetahs and now even pangolins.
But the true heart of C11 are the people. Mark’s irascible personality infects everyone in camp and you are immediately considered part of the family!!
As I said goodbye to the camp managers it was with a very heavy heart but I know that they will continue to bring joy to many others who come after me
I am thankful for those camp helpers who took care of our every need, from bringing a pot of tea each morning to returning our washed clothes each evening.
Ben, Tasco and Jorge (our guide and trackers) were amazing, always on the lookout for animals but equally attentive to our personal needs
I am writing this as we fly back to Beira and civilization and honestly I am tearing up as I think about all of these lovely people.
So….thank you Mark Haldane and everybody at Coutada 11….you guys are the very best!!!
After a night in Johannesburg and an easy trip back to Atlanta, I can say that our 2026 African adventure is over.
But don’t worry… There are more adventures in 2027, including a trip to the Arctic Ocean (living in an Inuit village) and 10 days in Spain, fulfilling my lifelong dream of visiting Barcelona.
Thanks for joining me!!
Michael and I love to travel and see new parts of the world and then I love to take those memories and turn them into quilts!!! I hope that you enjoy traveling along with us!!
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I love your travelogues (sp?). I follow you as a quilter, but your adventures are a real treat!
I truly love our adventures too Susan. We often stand in some amazing place and wonder how two kids from West Texas ever ended up here!!!
What were the animals running in the field in the video? I couldn’t tell . . .
It is hard to tell, but I think there were Wart Hogs and Reedbuck