In 2018 Renedian Adventures and TELUS Ride for Dad (RFD) collaborated to offer a free trip to Africa with Renedian. We spoke with winner Leah Verishine and talked about her expectations. Now that she’s just back from the Waterfalls and Wildlife tour, she talked about how the trip went.
Leah Verishine had her choice of Renedian trips in Africa and chose Waterfalls and Wildlife so she could see as many animals as possible, including walking with the lions. She was also interested in getting to know the African people, culture, and music.
Leah’s Wanderlust
“Had I been on a different kind of tour through Africa it may not have had the same impact. We were passed by many busses filled with people. Some were sleeping and others looked totally bored. Being on motorcycles, we had to be engaged and it was that much more special.
“Animal sightings began as we were driving to the hotel from the airport. Over the next two weeks we saw baboons, warthogs, oryx, springbok, eland, kudu, elephants and more. The only one we didn’t see up close was a rhino. That one we saw from a distance on the salt pan.”
Their first “sundowner” (watching the sunset) was at a cheetah rescue place. At the Okavango Delta they saw a leopard, elephants, and zebras. Ostriches raced alongside them on the road.
Leah, a confirmed “cat-person”, enjoyed the extraordinary experience of walking with the lions.
“They’re there as part of a rescue. Some cubs are groomed to deal with people until they’re two years of age before entering the breeding program. Others have no human contact and are raised as naturally as possible before being reintroduced to the wild.”
The Namibian climate was drier than anything she’d experienced and the wind on the long stretches back to Windhoek challenging at times.
“I’d read about it so rented a similar bike in Victoria to learn to deal with the wind.
Leah’s perspective on appreciation
“The people were a bit of a surprise. Most of the village people in Namibia and Botswana are so poor and live in what we would consider squalor, but they seem happy. Everyone smiles and waves as you ride by. Our first inclination as a first world person is to want to fix things for them but they don’t want to be fixed.
“It was intriguing to see a woman in her traditional wrap-around with a baby on her back, toting another, while talking on a cell phone.
There was also a poignant side to the trip. Leah’s husband Al, who was instrumental with her in running the Yukon HOG chapter and organizing the RFD for more than a decade, passed away in December 2016. This was her first trip on her own.
“I had no vacation plans. It was hard to imagine going somewhere by myself for the first time but it was great to be part of a group of like-minded and supportive others. It would have been fun to have someone to discuss the day with but I have eight new friends. We ate together and spend evenings recapping the day, telling stories, and listening to night sounds.
“My husband’s wishes were to have his ashes scattered in the Nahanni river. It’s a hugely expensive and complex undertaking, so I brought a vial of his ashes with me. If we can’t get to the Nahanni River right now, we’ll put them in the Zambezi.
“Some of him went over Victoria Falls, some went into the Zambezi River upstream from the Falls, others went into the Chobe River on the sunset cruise. He loved the alligators in Florida so I put some of him in the Chobe River near the crocodiles.
“Sunrises were our favourite time of day so he went into the Okavango River early in the morning. He never learned to swim and said he couldn’t even float. Every other place, he went into a current but here I was on shore. Sure enough, his ashes sank and I had to stir up the sand to get him moving.
“EVERYTHING about the trip was amazing. I’m so grateful for this gift.”
Photo credits: Leah Verishine
