Is it the tse tse flies? the strange meals? the marathon marches? the heat?

For me, it's waking up to 'Suh, Suh, your breakfast is ready'.

There is nothing like sleeping in Africa's cool nights after a long hot tracking/taking of a beautiful animal followed up with a big dinner/feast with your hosts and then to be awoken to: 'Suh, Suh..."

there was not a thing I would have changed about my hunt in Uganda.

Bragger!

Going home

Travel to and from.........

Paying for it.

The only thing I didn't like was the fact with every one I had less and less money for the next one till I ran out. That's ok though cause the money and my health more or less ran out at the same time,so I came out even. I didn't even mind the long trip and rather enjoyed it.

Another vote for the travel. I am against TSA, baggage handlers and airports. The whole mess is worse than it has a right to be. If a Jr. High football coach had designed this mess, he'd be fired after the first flight.

Aww hell, I loved every minute of it beginning to end. The flight from ATL to JHB is probably the only downer. In 2 trips, my son and I have had zero issues with TSA/customs or any of the other beaureacratic BS. What I least like is that I may never get to go again.


Mad Dog

What I like least is #1 landing in a fully loaded Boeing 727 on a runway that is barely long enough for a Piper Cub, in Mfuwe, Zambia, and not being able to see the end of the pavement because it is under the belly of the plane when it turns around at the end.

#2 is the damn tsetse flies

Everything else is great!

In my case the only thing I really didn't like was the guy who went with me. We used to work together, he was the guy who got me to sart seriously looking at going to Africa, and had been over several times. Once we got there he basicly became a first class dick to everyone. He even demanded his entire hunting fee back from the PH because he decided not to pull the trigger on anything.

I'm sure I'll go again, but then it will be with better company or alone. In either case it will improve.

"Dead man's walk" after last breakfast on the last day after your hunt - from lounge to the vehicle that will fetch you to airport...man that sucks!

Jet lag. I hate waking up at 2 am and not being able to fall asleep.

I always hate knowing it is over and time to head home!

I hate the feeling you get as the Safari draws to an end. I hate the settling up at the end and passing out the tips, not because of the $'s but because it drives home the business aspect of the deal when you've been focused on LIVING for the past couple of weeks.

My emphasis on LIVING for me is that any time away from Africa is spent waiting to get back. When I'm there, I live what I am. When away, I live what I do.

Yep, the end of the trip is the part I dislike.

The plane ride back and forth.

Most annoying for me have come after the hunt in the padding of the costs in dealing with the trophies. One PH I hunted with (once!) charged a trophy fee per critter, then an additional 50 dollar fee per trophy, then $150 delivery fee for getting said trophies to the taxidermist after the hunt. Had a South African taxidermist who wasn't cheap to begin with charge $300 for a crate to pack my dried capes and skulls in. I'm certain he didn't have $50 dollars in materials and labor costs into it.

Then customs brokers charging fees for stuff that never happened. Like 'warehouse' tranfer' on a shipment that never left the air cargo facility. I found that Coppersmith had done that to me twice and eventually got a refund.

I always love every minute from the time I get off the plane until I get back on it -- but I do hate that long plane ride!

I've logged a few million miles of air travel in my life, but I can't say I've ever enjoyed many of the flights -- it's just a necessary evil you have to endure to get to the best hunting on the planet.

Like many others what I like least is the travel to and from. Although I think the travel back is worse. The excitement of the upcoming hunt makes the travel to Africa a little bit more bearable.

I don't mind the travel. The flight from ATL to JNB is exciting for me (even after five trips over there), and I usually don't get much sleep, which actually helps me adjust to the time change pretty quickly.

I don't like the costs. But then, I'm cheap.

I don't like packing for the trip, mostly because I always leave it until the last minute. Someday I might learn to start sooner.

I also don't like the anxiety of going through customs knowing that I have some mopane leaves or a baobab seed pod in my suitcase.

But what I like the least is that the days and weeks in Africa seem to go faster than the days here. Must have something to do with the southern hemisphere, just like the water flushing counter-clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

Dale

quote:

Going home

Mike

+1

and knowing it will be years before I can get back.

That it becomes all about the money.

having to go home

Walking in sand.........

subsailor74
RADM, USN(ret)

"What do u like least about your African hunt?"

At first I thought this was a trick question. Sort of like, "What do you like least about looking at a beautiful woman?" Not much to not like, really!

But after doing some thinking, I guess it's the feeling I get the day I have to leave to come home, packing my bag and rifle for the trip home, saying my goodbyes, the drive to the airport - man, that sucks!

Glen

On the way down I don't mind the travel but worry that my rifles won't make it to camp same time as me. And of course...the plane flight home is no good for anyone!!

The thing I like least is that it has not happened yet.

But 2013 is the plan and I like that very much.

While there: Instant coffee and the traveler's shits.

Afterwards: the whole rip off that is getting your trophies back. I am getting to the point anymore where I almost would rather just leave the trophies there than deal with it any longer. Makes you feel like a chunk of meat with sharks all around and they ALL want a chunk of your ass.

Almost everyone in camp got the shits really bad, we think it was from bad water from flooding this year. Mine only lasted a couple days but it made for many stops during the day and long walks longer. Didn't ruin the hunt in anyway, just rolled with it and laughed it off.

Coming home!!!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana1:
Travel to and from.........

+1

The end of any safari. That's worse than the flight back home.

The decline of East Africa that becomes more pronounced every year.

THE AIRPORT BEAURCRATS, TSA ETC. yes I am yelling!!!!!

The first trip was great as it was prior to 9/11.

Nothing... but I treat everything as an adventure... the plane rides, arguing with airport cretins, leaving - everything!!

The last day.

The flight over is rough,, but I am always so buzzed from the excitement I just consider it part of the adventure,,, the trip home is the worst because it signals the end of a dream, and the reality of having to hit the grind again so I can make a return trip and the waits between trips is almost as bad as the flight home...

Getting my shoes, knife and life savers(candy) stolen out of my checked bag at Joberg airport.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike70560:
Going home

Ditto - Packing all my things knowing that it's going to be a long time before I get to come back is the saddest thing in the world to me. At 64, now the question becomes "if" and not "when".

quote:

Originally posted by almostacowboy:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike70560:
Going home

Ditto - Packing all my things knowing that it's going to be a long time before I get to come back is the saddest thing in the world to me. At 64, now the question becomes "if" and not "when".

oh Dave - you havent changed much, still moaning.... man that dry Limpopo river is calling your name.... lol

there is a new bigger and uglier tempered buff that has taken up Dolphins spot. same tactics, Dolphin must of left him his handbook on how to survive.