• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Humiliatingly small and eclipsed by the derision of millions.

Baby steps, because the Republican Party is full of angry babies.

The words do not have to be perfect.

“A king is only a king if we bow down.” – Rev. William Barber

All hail the time of the bunny!

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” was supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

The unpunished coup was a training exercise.

If you voted for Trump, you don’t get to speak about ethics, morals, or rule of law.

Trump should be leading, not lying.

I really should read my own blog.

Stamping your little feets and demanding that they see how important you are? Not working anymore.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

Sometimes the world just tells you your cat is here.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.

’Where will you hide, Roberts, the laws all being flat?’

Well, whatever it is, it’s better than being a Republican.

… gradually, and then suddenly.

People are weird.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

“When somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re gonna use it.”

Mobile Menu

  • Seattle Meet-up Post
  • 2025 Activism
  • Targeted Political Fundraising
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • COVID-19
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • 2025 Activism
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • Targeted Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Photo Blogging / On The Road / On the Road and In Your Backyard

On the Road and In Your Backyard

by Alain Chamot (1971-2020)|  January 1, 20195:00 am| 17 Comments

This post is in: On The Road, Open Threads, Readership Capture, Serengeti

FacebookTweetEmail

On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.

From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.

Submit Your Photos

Good Morning All,

On The Road and In Your Backyard is a weekday feature spotlighting reader submissions. From the exotic to the familiar, please share your part of the world, whether you’re traveling or just in your locality. Share some photos and a narrative, let us see through your pictures and words. We’re so lucky each and every day to see and appreciate the world around us!

Submissions from commenters are welcome at tools.balloon-juice.com

Happy New Year to all!

We’re starting things out right, with more from Le Comte’s travels in Africa. Today, just a peek, but we’ll pick up steam on Thursday with a big dump.

 

Have a great day, everyone!

Today, pictures from valued commenter Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes.

This segment was a continuation of our adventure in the Kalahari, completely off-grid and without AC. As I described in the previous entry, things are super dry here, with daytime temps at 115 degrees. Nights are delicious, high 50s, low 60s. Our accommodation was a luxury raised tent, with shower and toilet; gas lamps were used until recently, but those have given way to a low power lighting system that utilizes solar collectors.

There was an omnipresent wind while we were there, sometimes quite strong.

Taken on 2018-10-21 00:00:00

Kalahari, Botswana

The Kalahari/Okavango Delta route is the second largest animal migration, after the Serengeti. It had been decimated by cattle fences during the first half of the 20th century, but the government of Botswana made it a policy point to remove the fences; biologists have surmised that for the zebras and wildebeests, there was genetic memory of the migration route.

This is how it looks at the water holes.

Taken on 2018-10-21 00:00:00

Game drives in Botswana started at about 6:20 am. We rode 6 pax per vehicle; unlike those we’d ridden earlier, the trucks in the Kalahari had a top rack for people who wanted to climb up to get scorched and nauseous.

The Countess and I passed on that experience and opted to stay below.

The tour we were on was great in that it didn’t cram guests three across – we had plenty of room to stretch our legs and to be comfortable.

Makgadakgadi Pans, Kalahari

This is the Makgadakgadi Salt Pans. During the rainy season, this low area fills and becomes an oasis of life – krill and birds abound.

During the dry season, it is inhospitable to life, with zero humidity and an arid nature that cuts right through you. To get caught out in this space without resources is to die. Our tour included a significant amount of time on quad cycles to dinner and camp.

Makgadakgadi Pans

It was a dusty afternoon

Makgadakgadi Pans

So this is where we slept – it was fantastic. About 2 in the morning, the wind was beating that green cover into my face and woke me up. As I opened my eyes, it was clear that the moon had finally set as the band of the Milky Way was brilliant across the sky.

I had the awkward task of collecting our clothes the next morning, as they’d blown away – thankfully, there was some distance between us and other people’s beds.

 

Thank you so much Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes, do send us more when you can.

 

Travel safely everybody, and do share some stories in the comments, even if you’re joining the conversation late. Many folks confide that they go back and read old threads, one reason these are available on the Quick Links menu.

 

One again, to submit pictures: Use the Form or Send an Email

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « Tuesday Morning Open Thread: To Begin Again
Next Post: A NEW New Year’s Tale (Open Thread) »

Reader Interactions

17Comments

  1. 1.

    Mary G

    January 1, 2019 at 6:06 am

    Wow, such a desolate area, but what an adventure! Thank you for sharing the experience with us. So great to hear that the migration routes have been restored.

  2. 2.

    JPL

    January 1, 2019 at 7:09 am

    What Mary said!

  3. 3.

    eclare

    January 1, 2019 at 7:14 am

    Interesting hotel room! What an adventure, I’m sure the sky was gorgeous at night, crowded with stars.

  4. 4.

    waratah

    January 1, 2019 at 7:33 am

    Thank you for sharing this experience. I was surprised how cool the nights were in desert type places.
    If you are still in Sydney the Balmain bugs are my first to go for seafood. Not sure if there is a season for them but Doyle’s at Watson Bay is where I go for them.

  5. 5.

    debbie

    January 1, 2019 at 7:58 am

    Great photos! The bedside rugs are a nice touch.

  6. 6.

    arrieve

    January 1, 2019 at 8:42 am

    Wow wow wow. I want to sleep in that bed under the stars.

  7. 7.

    stinger

    January 1, 2019 at 11:13 am

    Amazing adventure! Wish I could have seen that night sky. Thanks for sharing!

  8. 8.

    Lit3Bolt

    January 1, 2019 at 11:15 am

    Hello, self-affirming (ex) alcoholic assholes! Happy 2019!

    I hate you too. Go torture your pets.

  9. 9.

    Citizen Scientist

    January 1, 2019 at 11:16 am

    Great stuff! Thanks Le Comte!

  10. 10.

    J R in WV

    January 1, 2019 at 11:42 am

    Deserts can be both beautiful and deadly at the same time~!!~ Well photographed desert scenes! Thanx.

  11. 11.

    Amir Khalid

    January 1, 2019 at 11:46 am

    The view of the night sky from that outdoor bed must be awesome. Will we get to see pictures thereof?

    After a week or so of fiddling, I do believe I’ve got Big Mofo the 100-watt Fender guitar amp just about dialed in. He’s quite a different animal from his 20-watt baby brother, and more complicated. I’m still open to name suggestions for my Yamaha acoustic.

  12. 12.

    satby

    January 1, 2019 at 12:40 pm

    Sounds like it was a phenomenal adventure! Sleeping under the stars like that is amazing! No bugs, I take it?

  13. 13.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    January 1, 2019 at 1:42 pm

    What and adventure! Amazingly beautiful. Restoration of the migration routes is wonderful policy.

    Happy New Year jackals, one and all.

  14. 14.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    January 1, 2019 at 5:34 pm

    @satby:

    None at all

  15. 15.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    January 1, 2019 at 5:36 pm

    @Amir Khalid:

    Sadly, I was too sleep-addled and hung over to operate the good night camera, so they didn’t come out at all…

  16. 16.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    January 1, 2019 at 5:39 pm

    @waratah:

    Departing, unfortunately – am at the QANTAS lounge now. Had a couple of good pub meals, an outstanding experience of high end Vietnamese cooking for our anniversary at the Red Lantern on Riley (next to Hyde Park), and are last night at Manta on the Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo.

    Great meals all over this city.

  17. 17.

    TaMara (HFG)

    January 1, 2019 at 5:41 pm

    wow. Life goals. What a great adventure.

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

On The Road - way2blue - SINALEI, SAMOA—RESPITE EDITION—FEBRUARY 2025.  (second of five) 7
Image by way2blue (7/31/25)

World Central Kitchen

Donate

Recent Comments

  • Emily68 on Government-Sanctioned Manslaughter by the Trump Crime Cartel (Jul 13, 2025 @ 3:36pm)
  • Geminid on Late Night Open Thread: America’s Fascists Love Alligators (Jul 13, 2025 @ 3:35pm)
  • Another Scott on Government-Sanctioned Manslaughter by the Trump Crime Cartel (Jul 13, 2025 @ 3:34pm)
  • Matt McIrvin on Government-Sanctioned Manslaughter by the Trump Crime Cartel (Jul 13, 2025 @ 3:33pm)
  • Percysowner on Darkness Has a Hunger That’s Insatiable and Lightness Has a Call That’s Hard To Hear (Jul 13, 2025 @ 3:33pm)

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
No Kings Protests June 14 2025

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)
Fix Nyms with Apostrophes

Social Media

Balloon Juice
WaterGirl
TaMara
John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
David Anderson
Major Major Major Major
DougJ NYT Pitchbot
mistermix

Keeping Track

Legal Challenges (Lawfare)
Republicans Fleeing Town Halls (TPM)
21 Letters (to Borrow or Steal)
Search Donations from a Brand

Feeling Defeated?  If We Give Up, It's Game Over

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!