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| Lekhubu Island Pilgrimage |
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________________________________ Openmind Training by personal invitation only
Photo: Rick Wallace Botswana 9 to 22 July 2008 So what is this all about? It is generally accepted among locals in Only hand picked candidates have been invited to join us. Every participant on this experience will have already joined us in the Kalahari at least once and/or is well known to us. This is crucial as we want a cohesive and like-minded group who can bond together and make the most of what promises to be one of the most remarkable expeditions ever undertaken to the San people. Is it safe? Depending on the number of pilgrims that join us we will either run with two Land Cruisers in convoy or we will hire a Mercedes Unimog (the Mog), arguably the worlds most capable off-road vehicle. The Mog is a four ton 4x4 with a unique flexible chassis that can do things off road that no other vehicle could think of. The entire trip will be run to a tight itinerary with regular reporting to back-up and emergency recovery check points. Finally we will have the use of a satellite phone so if all else fails we can simply phone home! Highlights within theHighlights within the experience include: A pilgrimage to the North-East wilderness of
Third among the highlights is the huge Central Kalahari Game Reserve, the focus of the controversy between Survival International and the Botswana Government. On the outskirts of the reserve we will visit Grasslands Safaris, a remote camp actively promoting cultural tourism where we can gain an insight into the ethics of involving the San in non-specific “cultural” tourism. We then visit the New Xade, the controversial settlement to which they were relocated after being evicted from the reserve, before entering the reserve to Xade camp, their traditional home where we spend another night. From Xade we will travel north across the reserve through an area so remote that one can expect to see only two vehicles a month on average. We will camp at The final highlight will be full moon at Your guides
Greg is an internationally renowned environmentalist and writer specializing in southern African culture, adventure and story-telling. He is graduate of the intensive One Year Training in Classical Shamanism as taught by The Sacred Trust. He runs his own successful training company in the
Raised by rural Zulu, Anne has a deep connection to African shamans, being called to the Zulu Sangoma from a young age and has since trained in core shamanism through The Sacred Trust. Anne has a profound empathy with
Itinerary The experience includes thirteen nights in 8 July 2008 Fly out of 9 July 2008 Fly out of
Leave early for the long drive to Drotsky’s Caves. We travel west on tar to Sehithwa then north for a short distance on the Shakawe road then left onto a sand track for 140km to the caves where we camp for the night. 11 July 2008 In the morning we explore the caves and then set off for Xai Xai village, then past the Aha Hills and onto the famous Dobe community where Richard Katz did his research into “boiling energy” among the Ju|’hoansi (!Kung) San. We overnight with the community, hopefully entice them into a healing dance. 12 July 2008 We spend the day with the Dobe people, hopefully doing some tracking. It will also be good to talk to the local Herero cattle herders and get a sense from them on the plight of the San. 13 July 2008 We leave early again for a 340km drive to Dqae Qare farm to visit old friends and to engage in healing dances in the evening. 14 July 2008 The day will be spent with the Nharo and activities agreed by group consensus. We can visit D’Kar and the homes of our hosts, visit the local schools, clinics etc. Or we could spend the day at the farm, tracking and generally relaxing. 15 July 2008 We set off for a short drive to Grasslands Safaris on the edge of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR). We will camp here but also engage the management and the local San on their tourism activities. This is one of the better known destinations in 16 July 2008 Travel to the CKGR but then veer a short distance west at the gate to visit the New Xade settlement to which the San were evicted by the 17 July 2008 We spend the day traveling through some of the most remote wilderness in 18 July 2008 Leaving the CKGR we join the tar road again at Rakops and then head south east to Orapa, by-passing the mines (the richest gemstone mines in the world). We cut off north and enter the vast expanses of the Magadigadi. Tracking with GPS we head north and then east for about 90km across the pans to 19 July 2008 Spend the day at Lekhubu exploring the island and engaging in our own shamanic ceremonies on this sacred site. 20 July 2008 We leave Lekhubu, track directly across the vast Ntewtwe Pan to rejoin the Natal/Maun tar road but then turn off this again after a short distance to Baines Baobabs, an exceptional outcrop of Baobabs made famous through the paiting by Thomas Baines and also the infamous site where Greg and Anne nearly came unglued in 2007! We spend the night here. 21 July 2008 We face a leisurely drive from Baines to Maun where we spend our last night together at Okavango River Lodge. 22 July 2008 Fly out of Maun to Participants strictly limited to 15 places The total inclusive cost of the pilgrimage is £1,800 per person. We can accept all major credit/debit cards, cheques or cash. Suggested payment schedule is then as follows: £250 deposit by 30 November 2007 at the latest please. A cleared deposit will secure your place on the pilgrimage on a first come, first served basis. £450 payable by 31 March 2008 £1,100 final payment by 31 June 2008 Included in the fee: Flight from Not included in the fee: The flight from Please notify us as soon as possible of your intention to join us. Phone: 01794 399979 Address: Openmind Training, Barn House,
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From Dobe we will migrate south to our old friends the Nharo of D’Kar. Our plan is to get behind the scenes here and to engage with them and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges that face them their livelihoods in the D’Kar camp, education of the children and the impact of modernization and western religion on their belief systems. Of course the evenings will be filled by healing dances under the Kalahari night sky.
Greg and 
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