Monday, 9 May 2016

Travelling in Russia - metal detecting in old war fields | Вахта Памяти май 2016 под Ржевом

#RussiaRzev
#WarMetalDetecting
#MetalDetectingRussia
#РжевВахтаПамяти


We have been fortunate to join search team "Centr" ("Center") in their expedition to Rzev, a smaller town around 2 hours of driving from Moscow, where fighting was especially severe in 1942-1943 when Germany lost around 330 000 soldiers and USSR lost around 800 000 soldiers. The purpose
of this expedition was to dig out and identify fallen Russian and German soldiers. The result of expedition: 20 Russian soldiers have been found, only 1 identified. All will be given proper burial on 22
June 2016 - the day Germans invaded USSR in 1941.

Вахта памяти апреля - мая 2016 недалеко от города Ржева: бойцами отряда "Центр" были подняты останки 20 красноармейцев, только пятеро имели медальоны и пока удалось прочесть данные и идентифицировать 1 бойца. Торжественное захоронение пройдет 22 июня 2016 в городе Ржеве на Мемориальном кладбище.


Игорь Растеряев Георгиевская ленточка

За окнами весенний лес летит
Я еду в ленинградской электричке
Напротив меня девочка сидит
С Георгиевской ленточкой в косичке
Сегодня эту ленточку носить
На сумке можно, можно – в виде брошки
Но я прекрасно помню и без лент
Как бабка не выбрасывала крошки
Как много лишнего мы слышим в дни побед
Но только этой патоке с елеем
Не очень верят те, кто в десять лет
Питался в основном столярным клеем
А время умножает всё на ноль
Меняет поколение поколением
И вот войны подлеченная боль
Приходит лишь весенним обострением
Над этой болью многие кружат
Как вороньё, как чайки… И так рады
Как будто свой кусок урвать хотят
Бетонно-героической блокады
Я еду в поезде, смотрю на всё подряд
В окно, на девочку с прекрасными глазами
А за окном солдатики лежат
И прорастают новыми лесами

———————————————————-
Проезжаю я зловещие места
Там, где человек – главное богатство недр
Где ещё с войны
Бойцы лежат по трое на один квадратный метр
Там везде шаги, там голоса
Чудные огонёчки по болотам
Тени по ночам тебе поют
Как будто просят и хотят чего то:

«Откопай меня, браток, я Вершинин Саня
Пятый миномётный полк, сам я из Рязани
Много ты в кино видал о солдатах версий
Щас послушаешь мою, эх, будет интересней»

И начнут они вещать
На языке стонов недомолвок
Хочешь убежать, но впереди
Они опять мелькают между ёлок

«Откопай меня скорей, умоляю снова
Я Моршанников Сергей, родом из-под Пскова
Адресок мой передай в родную сторонку
Восемнадцатый квадрат, чёрная воронка»

А под утро всё взревёт, полетит куда то
И попрёт на пулемёт в штыковую с матом
И деревья все вверх дном: ввысь растут коренья
В этом славном боевом месте преступления
———————————————————-

Расчудесный уголок, не леса, а сказка
Наступил на бугорок, глядь, а это каска
Чуть копнул – и вот тебе: котелок да ложка
И над этим, надо всем – ягода морошка
Над землёю месяц май молод и прекрасен
Электричка подъезжает к станции «Апраксин»
В небе караван гусей, скоро будет лето
Девочка в своей косе поправляет ленту

Перевод на английский


Ribbon of Saint George
A spring forest is flying-by behind the windows.
I am riding a Leningrad suburban train.
A little girl is sitting across from me.
She has Ribbon of Saint George in her braid.

Today one can wear this ribbon
On one’s handbag, or in the form of a brooch,
But I remember clearly without the ribbons
How my grandma never threw away the breadcrumbs.

We hear a lot of superfluous words on Victory Day,
But this syrupy unctuousness is not very much believed
By those who at the age of ten had to sustain
Themselves mainly on carpenter’s glue.

The passage of time multiplies everything by zero
And replaces one generation by another, so that…
The extenuated pain of the war shows up
Only as a spring exacerbation.

Many circle around this pain
Like crows and seagulls.
As if they want to snatch their very own piece
Of the concrete heroic blockade

I am riding the train and looking at it all:
Through the window, at the little girl with her beautiful eyes,
But behind the window those soldiers lie
And sprout as new forests.

I am passing through the ominous places,
Where a person is the main treasure beneath the soil,
Where soldiers lie since the war
With the density of three per square meter.

Steps and voices are heard there…
And odd lights are seen on the swamps.
Shadows sing to you during the night
As if they ask and want something:

«Dig me out pal. I’m Alexandr Vershinin,
The fifth mortar regiment. I’m from Ryazan.
You’ve seen a lot of versions about soldiers in the movies.
Now you will listen to mine; bet it’ll be more interesting.»

So they start to tell their tales
In the language of moans and unfinished thoughts.
You want to run away, but again they glimmer
Just ahead between pine trees.

«Hurry to dig me out, I beg you again.
I’m Sregey Morshannokov, born near Pskov.
Pass my address to my home village:
It’s the 18th grid square, the black shell hole.»

Then everything will roar and fly somewhere at dawn,
And then push forward on the machine gun, with bayonets and cursing;
And trees are all uprooted down: roots growing upwards…
At this glorious battle place of crime

It is a miraculous place. Forests are like in fairy tales:
Step on a bump, look at it, this is a helmet.
Dig a little deeper and you find a pot and a spoon.
But above all of this cloudberries just grow.

The month of May is in its full bloom and beauty.
The train is approaching the Apraksin Station.
А gaggle of geese is in the sky. Summer will soon come.
The little girl is fixing the ribbon in her braid.

Останки красноармейца в немецкой каске | Russian soldier found wearing German helmet
Бойцы отряда Центр
Смертный медальон
 


Смертный медальон



Трехлинейная винтовка Мосина
 

Данные на бойца поднятого с медальоном
Unexploded ordnance

Unexploded German ordnance

Unexploded ordnance

Смертный медальон

Процесс прочтения записки в медальоне


Unexploded ordnance

Немецкая колючая проволока | German barbwire

Пули противотанкового ружья

"Расчудесный уголок, не леса, а сказка"


Unexploded ordnance

Unexploded Russian ordnance



Unexploded Russian ordnance 152 mm



Unexploded Russian ordnance


Unexploded Russian ordnance

Часть авиабомбы


Стремя
YouTube channel: Exploring Namibia
Aerial photo/video service & other inquiries contact: info@traveltonamibia.com

Friday, 6 May 2016

Travelling in Russia: Victory Day parade rehearsal in Moscow | Репетиция парада в Москве - проход техники

#VictoryDayMoscow
#VictoryDayParadeRehearsal2016
#VictoryDayParadeRehearsal2016Moscow
#РепетицияПарадаВМоскве2016
#ПроходТехникиПарада2016ВМоскве
#TanksInMoscowRussia

Travelled to Moscow, Russia and witnessed a rehearsal of Victory Day Parade on 05 May 2016 - tanks proceeding through city center, Red Presnya district, to Red Square.

Проход техники через Красную Пресню на репетицию Парада Победы 2016 - 05 мая 2016.
Victory Day Parade Rehearsal 2016 Moscow, Russia

Victory Day Parade Rehearsal 2016 Moscow, Russia

Victory Day Parade Rehearsal 2016 Moscow, Russia

Victory Day Parade Rehearsal 2016 Moscow, Russia

Victory Day Parade Rehearsal 2016 Moscow, Russia

Victory Day Parade Rehearsal 2016 Moscow, Russia

Victory Day Parade Rehearsal 2016 Moscow, Russia

Victory Day Parade Rehearsal 2016 Moscow, Russia

Victory Day Parade Rehearsal 2016 Moscow, Russia

Victory Day Parade Rehearsal 2016 Moscow, Russia

Victory Day Parade Rehearsal 2016 Moscow, Russia

Victory Day Parade Rehearsal 2016 Moscow, Russia

Victory Day Parade Rehearsal 2016 Moscow, Russia

Victory Day Parade Rehearsal 2016 Moscow, Russia

Victory Day Parade Rehearsal 2016 Moscow, Russia

Victory Day Parade Rehearsal 2016 Moscow, Russia
© www.traveltonamibia.com

YouTube channel: Exploring Namibia
Aerial photo/video service & other inquiries contact: info@traveltonamibia.com

Thursday, 5 May 2016

South Africa: &Beyond Exeter River Lodge and Leadwood Lodge news

&BeyondExeterLodge
&BeyondLeadwoodLodge

&Beyond Management Handover For Exeter River Lodge And Leadwood Lodge

Exeter River Lodge and Leadwood Lodge in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, which have been managed by &Beyond for a number of years, have been sold by their current owner and as such, &Beyond will conclude its management responsibilities for both lodges on 31 August, 2016. These lodges will thereafter be managed by the lodge operators currently managing Dulini Lodge, situated in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve.

A handover process has been negotiated and &Beyond will manage the properties until this date. The guest experience will not be affected during this transition period. We are also in the process of adding these two lodges to our preferred partner portfolio after the handover is complete.

From Monday, 16 May 2016, all reservations for travel after 01 September 2016 will be handled directly by the Dulini reservations team. Our consultants will be in contact with you during the course of the week of 16 May to confirm the handover of existing bookings to the Dulini reservations team. The rates for confirmed and provisional bookings, post 31 August 2016, will be honoured by the new lodge operator.

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YouTube channel: Exploring Namibia
Aerial photo/video service & other inquiries contact: info@traveltonamibia.com

Namibia: reopening of Aabadi Mountain Camp

#AabadiMountainCamp #AabadiMountainCampNamibia #Face2FaceNamibia

Twylfelfontein

New management

We at Face2Face Group would like to share exciting news as we are gearing up for the upcoming season. Please take note that the Face2Face Group which is responsible for their famous township tours around Windhoek has formally taken over the management and operation of the Aabadi mountain camp.
Currently the site is under minor renovation as we are still improving the camping grounds. Since the restructuring, lights have been put around the camp grounds and we are currently improving the sanitary facilities. More toilets will be added to the grounds and we assure our travelers that all these facilities will be environmentally friendly. We envision this face-lift to be complete in 2 weeks.

The camp is set to be officially open and functional as of 1st May 2016.This email serves as a kind request to re-open the booking and referral relationship that was existent between Aabadi and yourselves.
While working on maintenance, guests are still welcome to come in. yours and guest’s comments on the service improvement will be highly appreciated.

Please be aware that all activities previously available will remain and all are welcome to come and enjoy the natural campsite as they previously did.
The services available will include:
•    7 camping sites with private bathrooms and toilets each
•    9 tented camps with 2 beds and a private bathroom each
•    2 tour guide rooms
•    Restaurant with capacity of 25 people
•    Bar
The activities will including
•    Hiking to nearby attractions.
•    Tour guiding will be available soon

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YouTube channel: Exploring Namibia
Aerial photo/video service & other inquiries contact: info@traveltonamibia.com

Botswana: Mokolodi news

#FriendsOfMokolodi
#MokolodiBotswana

Mother's Day Lunch and FOM Social Cycle 09 May 2016
Join us this Sunday as we celebrate Mother's Day with a lunch featuring a wine sampling session courtesy of Global Holdings.

P150 per adult
P70 per child (4-12 years)
Children under 4 years FREE

Advanced bookings are essential.
Bookings close: 07 May 2016

Friends of Mokolodi members are invited for a casual scheduled ride with a sponsored water stop on route. Cyclists can head off between 7am and 9am. May's water stop is sponsored by FORD GABORONE

© www.traveltonamibia.com
YouTube channel: Exploring Namibia
Aerial photo/video service & other inquiries contact: info@traveltonamibia.com