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Our "base camp" for the eclipse was Shiluvari Lakeside Lodge and the nearby Luonde Lodge. It took an all-day bus ride to reach them, but broke up the ride along the way with stops at a commemorative marker astride the Tropic of Capricorn and the relatively fresh, half-mile-wide impact crater called Tswaing. Unlike Aloe Ridge, which was too close to Pretoria and Johannesburg to have really dark skies, Shiluvari was quite remote. Think dark, really dark. After dinner that first night, I ducked outside for a quick peak and was just agog at everything I could see overhead.
You have to understand
that most amateur astronomers from the U.S. and Europe dream about
getting their first glimpse of the southern stars, and |
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Photo by Steve Mizer |
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for many of us getting a
chance to observe them was a big reason for coming to Africa. I'd seen
them before — but never with such breathtaking clarity. Mighty Orion and
Saturn were high overhead, and the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (mini-galaxies that accompany our own Milky Way through space) were obvious patches of soft glowing light. Some familiar northern-sky celestial landmarks like the Big Dipper and North Star were nowhere to be seen, but who cared!? Out came the telescopes for an impromptu star party!
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Eclipse Chasers
One day before the eclipse, Jay and I, together with our guide Paul Swart and Michel Girardin from Shiluvari, set off to find the perfect viewing site. And we found it: a small village with a clutch of traditional thatched-roof huts surrounding an immense baobab tree. We exchanged pleasantries with village officials before returning to Shiluvari. Little did we realize at the time that we would not see the village again.
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Photo by Shane Vartti |
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A word about Paul Swart. I'm no expert, but my wife tells me this tall, sandy-haired South African native has movie-star-quality good looks. (It turns out that he is something of a movie star, having been featured in a made-for-TV adventure series that has yet to air.) But aside from that, and his soft-spoken personableness, Paul proved to be the best possible guide. He had managed a game preserve in South Africa before moving to Idaho, and his expertise proved invaluable in surmounting the myriad of small problems that every tour encounters. Moreover, it was clear from the stories he shared that he still cares deeply about this country and its people.
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Photo
by Kelly Beatty |
Photo by Kelly Beatty |
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Copyright 2003 TravelQuest
International. All rights
reserved. 800-830-1998
Revised:
October 25, 2005.
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
Other products and companies referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of
their respective companies or trademark holders. |
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