Walking in the Dragon Mountains – In Winter

South Africa is a country of enormous variety and beauty. This winter we took a trip to the Northern Drakensberg. Below is a roadside vista. Africa never fails to take my breath away.

The Underberg with the Drakensberg under snow in the distance

On Safari with the Big Five

I learned an interesting bit of history from David, the game ranger at Monwana Lodge in the Thornybush Game Reserve in the South African Lowvelt, on the origins of the phrase ‘Big Five’ and the word ‘Game’ in the context of wild African animals. The Big Five, David told us, refered to the five most dangerous animals hunted in Africa, and Game referred to the sport of hunting them.

This week end we took our cameras and went to admire, and wonder at them. Pictures of the safari are in my Images of Africa. Thanks to David, Celebration and Kelly for a wonderful holiday.

A sisterhood start their day with playful greetings

The Gates of Hell is available in Print

I have to Blog this, because it really exciting to me … excuse my indulgence …

http://tiny.cc/bqm2l

E Readers and e books : My BeBook Neo

Converting from tree books to e books is a journey. I started it in 2008 with the purchase of a Cybook, and much trepidation. Well, my Cybook finally died this month and I am such a complete convert that I’ve purchased BeBooks new baby on the block – the BeBook Neo: complete with YiFi, touch screen, multi format functionality, image formats so you can read newspapers (like the Daily Maverick) online; a ‘write facility’ to take notes with an e-pencil if I need to  – and rated – in my opinion – number one on the e-reader list. This last month, while waiting for my Neo to arrive, I’ve had to resort to tree books temporarily … and I can’t wait to get an e-reader back. It fits in my handbag, is comfortable to hold while I read in front of the fire, (or in bed before I go to sleep; or at the beach when I’m on holiday …). If I finish a good book late at night, I can log onto an e-store, and select a title of one of my favourite authors – and within a few minutes (for a much lesser cost) have my new story available to me. For anyone ready to take the first step, take a look at this … it is stunning technology. http://mybebook.com/index.html?ref=198

Blazing Trailers Interview

Very exciting day. My interview with Blazing Trailers is out!

http://blazingtrailers.blogspot.com/2010/01/meet-caroline-addenbrooke.html

The different faces of Africa

The Christmas holidays this year took us to a part of Africa that is well known to the world, but is not so well known to me - Hermanus, and Walker Bay, where  the Southern Right Whales come to breed. Hermanus is a small, and not so sleepy coastal town about an hour and a half”s drive from Cape Town. It is the only place I have ever heard of that has a railway station in the centre of town, which has no railway leading to it.

If you want to know more about Hermanus, and the Southern Right Whales, visit http://www.hermanus.co.za/whales.asp 

Photos of my holiday in the Western Cape are collected on ”Images of Africa.”

Another Exciting Event – The Gates of Hell on Blazing Trailers

The wonder of the Web never ceases to amaze me. Attached is The Gates of Hell on Blazing Trailers.

Thank you, Blazing Trailers for hosting my novel.

http://www.blazingtrailers.com/show.php?title=776

The First Review for The Gates of Hell

This is really an exciting moment for me: the first review of The Gates of Hell by a person I don’t know, and therefore one who is likely to tell me the truth.

Thank you eBook Guru!

http://www.ebookguru.org/2009/12/review-the-gates-of-hell-by-caroline-addenbrooke/

My first Online Interview for the Gates of Hell

My first interview is with The Dark Phantom. Thank you, Dark Phantom, for the opportunity of sharing! It was quite cathartic to revisit the writing of The Gates of Hell.

http://thedarkphantom.wordpress.com/2009/11/14/interview-with-caroline-addenbrooke-author-of-the-gates-of-hell/

Overland to Moremi, Savuti, and Chobe

After we left the Magadigadi Pans, on our way to Zambia, we continued on,  through Moremi, Savuti and Chobe – all wildlife preserves in Botswana.

Chobe covers over ten thousand square kilometers, and is well known for its large populations of elephant. Within an hour of entering the Park, we encountered a mixed herd of about a hundred and fifty animals.  As we sat in our vehicle, and watched them, they came across the open sand towards us, walking around the vehicle, until we were almost a part of the herd. Then they moved on, to gather by the waterhole.

More pictures of this section of the trip are in Images of Africa.

Elephants before a storm