Zambia
Trip Start
May 13, 2004
1
2
4
Trip End
Jun 06, 2004
South Luangwa National Park,
Zambia
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
It was something of a mission to finally send this. The Lusaka hotel e-mail system was out last night and I had trouble with my reservations in Livingstone. Some clown had decided that I was due here on June 3rd, not May 27th. Grrrr More later !!
Firstly, for those sceptics who assumed that I had completed wearing my boots in by using them on the "little madam", the slander suit is in the mail. I finished off the "wearing in" of my boots by jogging around an arena leading her pony!!!!
I am sitting in my "hut" with my computer on the window sill looking at the hippos playing in the Luangwa River and trying to work out how the hell to do this place justice.
I'll start at the beginning of my trip into the camp and hope that inspiration strikes as I type.
First a travel pointer. I have finally succeeded in packing my electric toothbrush in such a way that it does not turn itself on "en route", scour the inside of my toilet bag, run the battery down and wear the brush out .... However this time I brought Tea Tree Oil lotion as a catch all for bug bites, stings etc. Unless you desperately love the taste of Tea Tree Oil, it is best not to pack it in the same bag as your toothbrush. The taste lasts for days!!!
Set off yesterday morning to the airport dressed like something from a Hemingway book..... androgynous khaki shirt (long sleeved), khaki trousers and sturdy walking boots. The only thing missing was my Akubra which I debated about bringing as it is such a hassle on planes, am now very sorry that I didn't.
The taxi driver joined the long list of people apparently fascinated by my bone and paua koru... but no one asks me about it..... hope I'm not breaking some local taboo!!!
Although I am not sorry to leave the city, it has given me an insight into how very poor Zambia is, and what lengths people will go to to earn money, thereby maintaining their self esteem...... guys sell oranges, newspapers and sunglasses at every intersection all year round, rain hail or shine, a car wash at a service station has been turned into a rug (as in floor) wash and a small army of people were scrubbing away at peoples rugs... Although very poor Lusaka is cleaner than most cities I have seen, again armies of people wielding household brooms sweep the streets. Every school child (black or white) I saw was scrubbed to within an inch of their life and wearing a spotless uniform. Poor in financial terms only it seems, pride is still alive and well.
Lusaka airport is fairly basic, no check in counters... you go to the relevant airline office to get your boarding pass and then go through the security X-ray (one for baggage, one for people). I am on a charter flight so no baggage tags but I assume that you get those from the airport office as well for commercial flights. The X-ray machine usage is somewhat erratic..... a cleaner came through carrying his vacuum cleaner which set off all the alarms of course, but had to put his mop and bucket through the baggage X-ray!!
Our plane is a brand new (125 hours) Cessna 206. Piloted by a guy called Rob who comes from Mkushi, a farming area in North Zambia. This job is an interim measure to hone his flying and business skills before marrying and returning to the family farm.
Would I like to sit in the front (co pilots seat)?... Hell Yes!!
Rob tells me we are going via Royal Zambezi, a lodge with a dirt strip in the Lower Zambezi valley, to pick up 2 passengers. No problem, a chance to see more of Africa. The safety briefing mentions a First Aid Kit, a Fire Extinguisher and an axe for use if I don't like his flying!!!! Like I have a choice!! The flight from Lusaka is initially over farm land then an area called the escarpment, all bush and scrub with no wild life as it is close to Lusaka and people are poor and hungry, so it has all been poached out. The border between farmland and bush is distinguished by means of a huge fire break which has Power Pylons marching down it. From 10,000 ft it looks rather like a giant strode across the country pushing his lawnmower.
A very bumpy ride as it is a hot day, which doesn't bother me (to Robs delight) and apparently makes most passengers turn green. We flew over the strip to make sure there are no animals on it then turned for our approach. The Zambezi is huge and crawling with hippo's.... Rob says they are cute for a few days then lose their attraction when they wander through camp, grazing, snuffling and snorting during the night. Also saw a small heard of elephant drinking at the mouth of a stream. 2 adults and 2 babies... wonderful.
Had a fairly hair raising landing at Royal Zambezi courtesy of a sneaky updraft about 10 feet off the ground. Even Rob let out a muffled yelp, so I was excused for grabbing the arm rest!! Evidence that animals, large ones, do cross the strip is easily visible once you are on the ground!! Picked up 2 German tourists and set off for Mfuwe. Rob is a gizmo freak from way back and the new plane has lots of toys like GPS, Autopilot and an on board computer that shows you a map and your ground speed etc. Spent most of the next 2 hours playing with that, and learning a bit about the region.
South Luangwa National Park (and most others, I'm told) has a Game Management Area (GMA) surrounding it. This area acts as a buffer for the park and contains any game hunting concessions that are leased out. Hunters are responsible for managing all game in their area and keeping poachers out of both the GMA and the park. Even then, there are no rhinos in South Luangwa because of poaching.
Most of the farms in the outer areas are owned by the local king, who allocates you some land on which to grow crops. You then pay him in Maize, Sorghum or whatever crop you grow. Everything is done by hand!!
No land is Zambia is owned, everything is leasehold for 99 years, but you can sell your lease.
We landed at Mfuwe International Airport at about 4 p.m.
Mfuwe township has about 10 buildings, but the Airport in international as the Great White Hunters fly in direct from wherever in their private planes. Hunter is something of a misnomer, shooter would be amore apt term, as they pay up front for their selected target (About US$10,000 for a leopard, which goes straight to the game department), then sit in a hide next to a tree that has a nice "ripe" bait sitting in it and wait. So where's the hunting ... No challenge, no danger, no pitting of man against nature... That is a hell of a lot of money to pay for a "fait accompli".
Am greeted by Bertram from Robin Pope safaris, who ferries me and my bags to an air-conditioned van and we set sail for camp. Oh happy days everyone calls everyone by their first name here!!! The main road is dotted with little brick huts branded with Bendala Investments or Luangwa Fund. These are the property names and the huts are shops where employees can buy their food, beer etc.
Bertram enquires whether I would like to join a game drive this evening before going to camp. Oh yes!!! So he radios the camp and arranges for a vehicle to meet us at the gates to the park. "What is my choice in Sundowners?", "Huh", "What do you want to drink on the game drive?" "Oh Mosi please" produces delighted giggles all round, it seems that most guests don't drink the local beer.
We are met at the park entrance by Paul (a game guide) driving a land cruiser that has 3 rows of elevated seats behind the driver. Grab my binos, anti bug stuff and my fleece as it is getting cold, and we are off. The drive comes with a quiz from the driver, to check you are awake and taking interest I assume... the first game we saw were two types of antelope, Puku and Impala... "What are the differences Margot?" is my first (and as it turns out, only) test... managed to rustle up about 4 and apparently scored top marks so wasn't asked again. Lucky there were no more tests as I spent most of the rest of the drive with my mouth hanging open in awe, a very hazardous pose as bugs fly in!!
Everything here seems to live in harmony, by which I mean that Puku eat only grass and Impala can eat grass or leaves, so they live together until grass is in short supply then the impala leaves the puku to it, and goes off to find other foods.........
The main roads in the park are red gravel and are graded regularly; the smaller side roads that we follow to find the animals are another story all together. Some are still closed from the wet season and are being graded and reopened as they dry out. I would recommend that any woman considering a safari adopts some form of chest binding or a sports bar that is several sizes too small, for fear of emerging after a week of game drives looking like Grandma from Playboy, only from the neck down hopefully. The guides are excellent and very careful drivers, but some of the ruts and potholes are enormous...
Saw lots of birds and stopped by waterhole to have our Sundowner. To my delight a huge male giraffe came walking past, heading for a group of females on the other side of the pan..... Massive, with very dark markings and very elegant. Well I suppose you would have to be with that sort of build!!! Giraffe move both legs on the same side when walking giving them a lovely stately gait. They are not at all shy, and look down their noses at you when you stop a game car to view them. I got the distinct impression that this was not only because of their height. The variety in the park are Thorneycroft's, a sub species of your standard variety giraffe and their markings are very clear and much closer together than other types.
After our sundowner, with the sun down we got the spotlight out and went in search of some nocturnal game.
Saw Civets (which are not cats but part of the mongoose family), mongoose, genet, more of the same antelope and a lot of birds. The African night sky is like no other, Blue Black and chock full of stars...
I had thought that we were meeting up with others from the camp but it seems that this drive was just for me!!!
On our way back to camp, outside the park, we stopped to let a small herd of elephant cross the road. 3 adults and one baby..... to see these animals on TV or in photos does not give you any clue as to the power and majesty they exude. They take great care to ensure that their young are in the centre of the group at the first sign of any danger. There ain't nothin like the real thing !!!!
The ellies trundle out of the park at dusk or just after to raid the village banana and mango trees and sometimes their grain stores, then waddle back in before dawn. No wonder they aren't popular with the locals. Everyone drives slowly as there are far greater things on the road than you and meeting them could be hazardous to your health... they also use their indicators in the game park. You are on your own miles from any other vehicle and every single guide uses their indicators when turning a corner... wouldn't that be nice in Auckland, Wellington, Brisbane.......
Nkwali is one of three RPS camps, the others being further North in the same park. Couldn't see much of the camp when we arrived but was shown to my "chalet" (horrid term) / hut by Emily, a young Englishwoman who is the camp caterer / hostess. The hut is made of thatch, roof and all, with the inside of the walls lined with some sort of plaster which is whitewashed / painted. It is totally open. There is a door and the front window opening has an animal proof grille which is removed during the day but no glass, everything else is al fresco to some degree. The "en suite" consists of a totally open air shower, with walls up to a smidge above eye level, a hand basin and a neat little thatched hut, with a very low roof at the entrance, containing a loo, and a wee table with new copies of African geographic and loo paper on it. No door !!
Unfortunately for me the loo seat is black, so my every visit is accomplished with the strains of "there was a red back on the toilet seat" floating through my head.
The bed is in the middle of the room and is totally enclosed by a mosquito net, that is rolled up during the day. Oh, and don't leave anything outside in the bathroom or the monkeys will swipe it... but as long as the bathroom curtain is closed animals see it as a wall and won't enter. A true African experience?
Wake up drum is at 0530, breakfast at 0545 and game drives leave at 0600!! Had a quick slightly nervous shower (these things take a little getting used to.... given that showering with vervet monkeys or baboon watching is not common in NZ), and joined everyone in the bar before dinner. A nice English couple, an American couple that I didn't take to immediately but have since grown to like, and another American woman who leaves early tomorrow.
Most signals are done by drum, wake up, breakfast, lunch and so on.... unless someone leaves the drum out at night and a hyena steals the drum skin which is made of leather. Every drummer has their own style, all are very rhythmic. The dinner table is set beside the waterhole behind the camp and surrounded by kerosene lamps (there is power here but electric lights haven't been put all around the camp yet). Silver Service yet, bone handled knives, silver forks and two waiters, seems somewhat incongruous!!! Especially when combined with a very good Thai meal..... Did the usual where are you from stuff..... If I have to explain one more time why I don't have a camera!!!!
Adjourned to the bar for a nightcap only to have a power cut, elephants push trees down and they fall across the power lines, not often.... Only twice a month!! Everyone is escorted around camp by a staff member, for safety mostly as animals move freely around the camp..... Seems the elephants love the swimming pool!!
Did the night time pre bed rituals by kerosene lamp, which somehow seemed more fitting and fell asleep to the sound of hippos calling, right next to my bed it seemed but actually quite a way away... noise travels a long way and very clearly at night!!.
There ends Day 1 on Safari.... I heard hippos on and off all night, a Lion (which got the heart started nicely at 0230) and what I now know was a Leopard. Of for a game drive early tomorrow ....... will report back afterward. Signed, Yours ecstatically ................. M
Part 6
A couple of things I forgot to mention;
My hut / room is about 30 yds from the bar... how did they know?? A sausage tree forms one corner post, so named because it has a huge sausage shaped fruit that baboon and hippo love, hence the evening noises.......
They do a daily laundry service where your clothes are picked up from the laundry basket in your room early in the morning and returned washed and "ironed" that evening!!!
But they don't do "ladies" underwear so you have to wash your smalls by hand. No problem!! Emily tells me that until 4 days ago the staff used coal irons which produced stunning results on cotton and linen but was a little harsh on the lighter, newer synthetic clothing. The staff are delighted with them, but the jury is still out on how long they will last....
The camp is set out along the river bank, which is currently eroding at a rate of about 2 metres a year so major construction work could be in order shortly. There are three "huts" either side of an L shaped bar / deck area that is also thatched and has the branches of an ebony tree worked into the construction. The "bar" area is used for dining occasionally, afternoon tea, relaxing and reading the extensive library of books on African Flora and fauna, viewing the antics of hippos, huge crocs and other game through a powerful telescope..... Oh and drinking, of course... The bar itself is a huge lump of native timber which has been planed off and oiled. Next to the bar is an area that usually has an open fire going and is the setting for breakfast watching the amazing Zambian sunrise... The dining room is behind the bar next to a seasonal waterhole which often has game visiting... nothing like having your dinner watching a bushbuck who has come for a drink......
Set off at 0600, after a very restless night, (new bed restlessness is standard but with extras like Hippo, Lion and Leopard calls... yes well), in full bush regalia with bug spray added just to round things out. I don't care what I look like, or smell like for that matter (the bug stuff ain't YSL), as I have seen the size of some of the mozzie and tsetse fly bites that the others have as they ignored the dress warnings..... Long Sleeves, Collars and so on. The tsetse fly is not so prominent just now as it is "cold" but it has a needle like nose which it uses, very painfully I'm told, through thin clothing and has a real penchant for tender skin, like the back of your neck or behind your ears. The guides refer to it as the unpaid game ranger as it ensures that the park contains only wild animals... cows and horses cannot survive in tsetse areas.
Our "car" contains myself, and Andrew and Debbie (the English couple), with Jacob, a guide, driving. He is born and bred in the area and has not felt the need to travel outside Zambia yet..... a huge guy whose voice comes from somewhere near his boots, and he has the most wicked laugh I have ever heard.... he is very passionate about his job, as are all the guides, and his knowledge about even the smallest butterfly is extensive. Most of the guides like a joke especially at the expense of the guests, but I presume that they choose their victims very carefully.....
Saw antelope and baboon plus some Ground Hornbills, huge blue black birds with lovely red horn shaped beaks, before we even got to the park.
Jacob says guests are not to be trusted as game spotters and I must say it is easy, when you are so keen to see animals, to claim that a distant bush which is approximately the right shape, is an elephant, giraffe or lion. Crocolog, Giraffe Tree and Baboo-lion sightings are fairly common.
It is cold at this time so most animals are out, trying to eat as much as possible before resting during the heat of the day. After entering the park we saw more Antelope (Impala and Puku are a dime a dozen), and some stunning birds. Several Fish Eagles (the Zambian national bird), francolin and guinea fowl (which are about as smart as pukeko, although far more edible I'm told), one called a lilac breasted roller which is blue, purple, red and fawn all of which is iridescent in the morning sunlight and does the most amazing aerobatics to attract a mate, Heron of all shapes sizes and colours, storks, geese, crested crane, swifts, Dikkop ...the list is endless. Zebra a quite common and not at all shy so they pass quite close to the car.
A lot of the waterholes are completely covered in Nile Cabbage which is native but also a huge pest. It is distributed by hippos. When they use the waterholes they go under the cabbage which has roots that float, they then carry it on their back to the next waterhole, river etc. One hippo played hide and seek with us, with only his ears and eyes showing through a crown of Nile cabbage... he looked very comical!!
Stopped for tea and cake at 0930, with elephants on one side and giraffe on the other. Three elephant moved to within about 40 feet of us... close enough to give you a perspective on their size when you are on the ground, and make me a little nervous. The others were more blasé as this is their fourth safari. The matriarch used her tusks to dig in a patch of ground that was rich in salt, calcium and other minerals, then they all munched on the results.
We stayed with them for about 30 minutes; I could have stayed for hours..... Everything that the matriarch does contains a lesson for the young, preparing them for later life.
There are a growing number of tuskless elephants here, a combination of a recessive gene which precludes tusk growing and the fact that they are not desirable to poachers, so less of them are killed.
Drove around for the rest of the morning looking for cats and wild dogs for Andrew and Debbie, but no luck.
Lots of game that we had already seen, which is still wonderful to me, plus warthogs who are shy and run away looking very indignant when we approach, tails in the air as a follow me signal and occasionally stopping to give you a filthy look. I don't care what game we see as long as it is wild!!
Emily had arranged lunch in the park, on the river banks, above a huge family of hippo, with a few ever hopeful crocs lurking nearby. Silver treatment again, beef kebabs, salads, freshly baked rolls and a local, very tasty, mango chutney that is guaranteed to blow your lights out even in miniscule quantities. The guides eat it by the spoonful. All this accompanied by Wine, beer, Pimms, water..... This is definitely my idea of a good time!!
The others chose to take the boat back across river to the camp and I opted for more driving. Most game is lying in shade digesting the fruits of the morning by that time, but we did see a greater kudu, not a common occurrence as they are very shy and stunningly beautiful!! I feel very privileged.......
Between about 1230 and 1530 guests can do as they like, swim (not in the river), have a siesta or in my case bring their journals up to date... gazing across the river at the hippos, and stopping occasionally to peer through my binos at something interesting that is moving on the other side ... Life really is a struggle !!!
Another drive this afternoon, a similar program to yesterday I guess....... I won't be getting bored with this in a hurry.....
Peter is our afternoon guide, he is completely the opposite of Jacob, slight with beautiful skin that looks almost polished, and a higher "sing song" voice, he is very serious and less ready for a joke than Jacob who tells the most wonderful "African" stories, but is every bit as passionate and knowledgeable about his chosen profession. He has a special sundowner spot selected for us......
Instead of driving around to the park we take the boat across the river to a "jetty". Sandbags are stacked out past the edge of the water, then thatching grass is placed over the mud to the car. There are a few cheeky comments about Emily's parking of the boat, she has a great line in whipped puppy looks to garner some sympathy but none was forthcoming this time. The grass is very slippery and the guys tell us to walk with our legs apart to help with stability, you look like you've wet yourself but it does work. There is a huge croc basking on the rivers edge, they are known locally as flat dogs and there is a safari camp and bar nearby named in their honour.
Peter takes us on a short drive to see a Hyena den..... there are 3 younger hyenas lying outside in the sun, while mum sleeps after a nights hunting and scavenging. When dusk comes she will stash them inside for safety before going hunting again, regurgitating food for them when she gets home. The guides are very knowledgeable ... they don't only show you the animals; they explain their habits and impact on the environment and food chain.
Hyena provide a very necessary service, by cleaning up the neighbourhood and providing calcium to others like porcupine either through leaving parts of their preys bones for them, or processing the calcium... nuff said !!!!
Peters chosen sundowner spot is on a ridge near the Chichele lodge where the president of Zambia stays if he feels the need to return to nature. To our delight there is a pack of Wild Dogs hunting nearby. They are hard to find and not often seen by guests. Wonderful!! Mike and Lorena got some really good video footage, then we sat and had our drinks watching the sun sink over the escarpment. Set off for home at a fair pace as we had travelled further than usual for the sunset, but worth it!! Saw more greater kudu including young on the way home, plus a large herd of ellies with young. They too were digging for minerals and eating the soil!! The matriarch put up with us for a while then got cranky, lots of ear flapping, grumbling and snorting, so we left.
Dinner is a BBQ or braai with lots of goodies, plus yummy salads!!! Everyone is more relaxed and very jealous of our wild dog sighting!!!
Have opted for a drive & walk tomorrow morning, to learn a little more about the interdependence of the animals on each other. Jacob refers to it as reading the parks morning newspaper.
There was a hippo in the camp when we returned and he was hell bent on sitting on the bench seat outside my room, or so it looked. He kept us all amused for a while but is actually quite dangerous. Keyala (the camp manager) chased him off and he ran for a few paces then hurled himself off the river bank from a height of about 8 feet.
Crashed at about 9.30, and didn't hear a single animal all night. Commented in this at breakfast this morning as was told rather grumpily by the others that they had been more noisy than usual.... must have been the fresh air and good food, or perhaps the wine!!
Who would have thought that I'd be up before the morning drum showered and champing at the bit to go for a walk?
We got the boat across to the car which Peter had driven round into the park at 0400. He was dressed in a beanie, ski jacket worthy of Everest and mittens, doing jumping jacks on the sand bags that extend out into the river from the bank..... We all laughed as we thought he was joking around but he was shivering with the cold... the mornings feel really cold, especially as the days are about 30 degrees Celsius.
A very educational experience, walked about 10 k's (which feels like the equivalent of 30 on pavement) in about 3.5 hours. About 50% easy stuff through scrub, the balance over ground filled with elephant, hippo, buffalo and giraffe hoofprints which are set deep into the mud. Guaranteed sprained something if you don't watch your step. Every walking safari is accompanied by an armed scout who is responsible, along with the guide, for keeping you away from large game and "handling" the situation if you come across something unexpectedly. Our scout is Peyela, who works for the Game Department and does 6 months for the camps, then 6 months for the anti poaching unit. Mostly catching people who are poaching for food... which is somehow more palatable than poaching for ivory or some supposed aphrodisiac!! Those who get caught generally go to court and get fined, but recidivists can be jailed. Peyala barely says 2 words when we are moving as he relies on all his senses to do his job, and seems very tuned to the environment.
Jacob had us examining manure of all sorts, shapes sizes and textures... don't panic that's all the detail you are getting, but it was very interesting from a food chain point of view, and trying to work out which hoofprint or track belonged to whom !! Not as easy as you may think, aside of the ellies... and he had us all bamboozled by long sweeping marks in the sand which were not joined together and had no accompanying footprints. We studied them and took random and sometimes ludicrous guesses until he was finally overwhelmed with laughter and showed us how the breeze blew the grass back and forth causing the "tracks".
We saw huge millipedes, spectacular butterflies, shells of snails which are large and whelk shaped, middens containing the leftover carapaces of millipedes eaten by either genet or civet (can't remember who, forgot to put it in my notes), trees, my favourite of which is the Umbrella thorn, termite mounds where baboons had left manure on the top containing the seeds of two different trees which still grow side by side some tens of years later.... all stuff you would never see from the game cars and extremely interesting... Had morning tea on the far side of the ridge where we saw the dogs last night, next to a marsh full of water birds, then walked back to the car, for a quick drive to try and find buffalo, but they had all gone to a meeting somewhere and we weren't invited.
Saw more ellies, a huge heard of about 19, with tiny babies...... each day the drives seem to get a bit faster. Initially the guides stop for every bird, animal, track or plant, but as days go by they seem to bypass the common stuff (except ellies, everyone stops to see them) in search of larger or rarer game, or to try and catch something hunting. I haven't seen leopard, lion or buffalo yet so they try and find them for me!!! But I will only see them if nature determines that it shall be so. There is no rigging of sightings or baiting, and rightly so!!
They seem to offer very good food to you every time you turn around, bouncing round in the back of a game car and walking over game footprints sunk into the mud is very good exercise and I am genuinely hungry at each meal. The trousers are decidedly less snug than when I arrived so it must be good for me!!! I ain't complainin that's for sure.
I have spotted sticks poked into the road to the camp in "structured" patterns several times and had wondered what they were. Locals tender for the road mending contract and their staff walk from Mfuwe (about 10 kms) with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows to work on the roads. The sticks mark the days requirement and once it is completed they walk home again ... and they do it with a smile ... the supervisors appear to be the guys with the green hard hats and jandals, most others are barefoot.
The two couples left just after lunch, and a whole bunch of new people arrive on the inbound plane!!! It doesn't stop for 9 months of every year, after which everyone has a well deserved break!!! Enough!!! Otherwise this chapter will be the size of War and Peace .............. M
Part 7
Although seeing these animals every day has not become boring for me, I am conscious that it will for you so I'll just try to describe the highlights in the animal department, funny or interesting incidents, and personalities of the other guests and staff!!!
Spent night 2 awake to the sound of elephant munching on the trees and shrubs in camp. I wasn't sure if they were as close as they sounded, so poked my nose round the curtain to the bathroom and sure enough..... There they were!! As long as you stay still they don't see you, so I watched for a while then left them to it.
Breakfast is taken around an open fire, and there are all sorts of goodies on offer, including a three legged iron pot of porridge, either oatmeal or local mealie porridge which is very good when mixed with Zambian brown sugar. The local sugar is fairly coarse and provides some texture to porridge that looks suspiciously like baby food.
Emily is in charge of toast..... A job she guards very jealously, largely due to the fact that when toasting you have your own personal fire, and only relinquishes the tongs if she is offered a chance to drive the boat. I gather that she will happily leap out of her chair to allow others to cook once it is the same temperature at night as it is in the morning. Funny how fires lose their attraction then. You know you are flavour of the month if you are officially handed the toast tongs, which also give you rights to the toasting chair!! The bread is made daily in the camp, and is toasted over a wee pot of coals with a grate on it. Toast colour and speed are regulated by means of adding more coals from the fire to the pot.
The quality of the toast cooked by each individual is a source of great competition and if you compliment one on the quality of their toast the others look very crest fallen.
Letting a queue for toast to form is a cardinal sin. However once seated Emily rarely vacates her chair for fear that one of the others will jump in and take over!! A small thing but it provides a lot of morning laughs........
Jason, a guide who works at another camp which is still closed, stays here meantime and arrives at the fire each morning exactly 1 minute after the coffee does, every time!! Irrespective of the wind direction, the coffee smell seems to waft to his house and lead him to us. He is a real character, who has a vast range of interests it seems, and delights in giving Emily a hard time, a task which I have assisted with on occasions.
The staff would need to be close and get on well as they are together 24 hours a day for 9 months, apart from 4 or 6 days off per month according to your seniority.
It has taken me a while to tune my ear to the African voice. A matter of tone and cadence really, as they all speak excellent English. Oh and a small issue of L's and R's. Our scouts name is spelt Payela and pronounced Pee - era !!!!
Our night drive last night found us both honey badger and serval, both are rarely seen. The honey badger is a nasty wee beast apparently and very aggressive even if not provoked. Also porcupine!! That makes two of each now..... I am very lucky.
We have learned a lot about animal behaviour, most of which follows the law of the jungle. Surprise Surprise!! The male impala keep very fit by having to endlessly chase off young bucks who see themselves with an instant harem. Young male elephant (and some other species) get turfed out of home at about puberty to go and learn to be boys. This serves to keep inbreeding to a minimum and make sure everyone gets the education that they need to survive and behave correctly either within a herd or as a visitor during breeding season.
Saw some Vervet monkeys close up, just inside the park; the males for reasons known only to nature have bright blue testicles which they aren't shy about displaying. Perhaps the brighter the hue to more attractive you are. All other males have to be stronger, faster, better at flying or dancing, or have a more desirable territory to attract the girls, why should vervets be different.
Also saw my first buffalo. One group of three older males who have left the herd or been superceded by a stronger version and a group of about 30 who were running hell for leather from something scary. We never discovered what!!! They are impressive in their size and breath of horns (about 4 feet was the largest I saw) but when you look into their eyes there is no one home, and they fight dirty. Hiding in bushes until you go past then coming at you from behind!
Graham (a Scotsman who arrived yesterday) says in the good old days a buffalo was a "good" one if their horns were wider than the bumper of a landrover. That I do not want to see!! I preferred the one I saw in the only gallery that I visited in Lusaka which was about 3/4 size and made of pieces of iron..... but he won't fit in my pack, or my bank balance...
We saw a hyena and trees full of vultures at a recent kill, but not the predator, and a beautiful male giraffe who stood about 10 feet from the car and preened himself.
Because there were only we two in the car I got a chance to find out a little more about life here and Peter asked about NZ. His wife has just completed teacher training and will work at Mfuwe School. Working married women are a fairly new thing here, encouraged by both the government and their husbands it seems, but must have entailed a major adjustment for all concerned. He asked about education, health care and unemployment levels in NZ and is still chewing over the concept of the government giving money to people who don't have to work for it..........
Having made progress on the work front... women outnumber men here by about 4 to 1 and it is literally a buyers market as the men still pay a bride price or Lobola for their chosen woman. The price varies according to the status of the man (game guides are at the top of the heap so they pay a lot of money), and you pay more if you choose someone from another tribe. Men tend to have "girlfriends" for a time to see if they are compatible, if they fall pregnant then they may or may not marry them, if they don't get pregnant they can trade them in for a more fertile model, but some don't. Quite a high percentage of women marry for money... where have I heard that before!! The divorce rate is very low.........
As you can imagine this caused a considerable amount on tongue chewing on my part to keep quiet, but on reflection, and after asking some of the women about it, everyone here is happy with the arrangement so why fix it if it ain't broken??? This is not my country and the world desire to impose supposedly "superior" cultural values on others has already caused more trouble than it was worth!!!!
The new guests are Leslie, an Aussie who lives and works in London, Jim and Sandra also Aussies, Graham and Helen (Scots) and Soren and Hannah from Denmark. Graham is a very passionate and knowledgeable bird watcher (and fairly handy drinker), Jim and Sandra are first time safari bods like me, Leslie is a 2nd safari girl with a great talent for photography and the camera to go with it... don't know much about the Danes as they have been in separate cars from us.
Leslie and I went on an all day picnic with Jacob yesterday. Having discovered that we were not averse to a joke or two he had us in fits all day. He tells the biggest stories with a completely straight face and then kills himself laughing when you sit there not knowing whether to nod knowingly or look sceptical. A wonderful day. Leslie got some stunning photos of birds on a branch and in flight showing full colours. They posed for her, showing one profile then the other before taking flight.
We had morning tea at the edge of a grassy flood plain full of impala, puku, zebra, baboon and crowned cranes, lunch and a siesta on bush beds created by Jacob at the edge of another that was alive with birds, monitors (large lizards) and antelope and our sundowners at a bend in the river watching hippo, huge crocs and birds readying themselves for bed. A paradise indeed.
We had a short walk, accompanied again by Peyala who was very wary of a small group of ellies that seemed to be following us, then more driving ......... saw two bushbuck which are right up with Wild Dogs in the rarity stakes, hippo eating the fruit of the sausage tree, bachelor groups of young males from several species learning about fighting and life as a man, and on the way back with Peyala working the spot light, joy of joys, a stunning female leopard. She let us stay with her for about 6 or 7 minutes. Lying still or moving they are Sleek, Sinuous and very Sexy. Nothing on this earth could look as good in a leopard skin coat as a leopard. They are breathtaking!!!
Just outside the park we saw 3 bush baby, another rare sighting... Seems I have a knack for them.... Oh darn!!
Emily and I scoured the visitors' books yesterday.......... I am the third Kiwi ever at this camp and Leslie, Jim and Sandra are numbers 29, 30 & 31 for the Aussies.
Another walking safari this morning, Jacobs last as he heads to Nsefu camp this afternoon. It was the Anzac group in our car and we had a lot of fun. Jacob tells us that according to African legend, all animals were handed one species of tree to plant. The hyena got the baobab tree and not being the brightest, got the planting instructions wrong putting it into the ground upside down. My tree, the Umbrella Thorn was handed to the Leopard and the Giraffe..... Couldn't have asked for better!!!!
There is a wedding here this weekend and some sort of diamond and bow tie party. Emily has no diamonds and was wondering at breakfast what she could use instead. We spotted a whole pile of quartz on our walk so sorted out the shiniest piece (which happened to be the largest, about the size of my fist) and brought it back for her. You would have thought it was the real thing!!! She hasn't let it out of her sight since... she is going to ask Jason, who does some rock hounding, to break a small piece off for her to wear to the do, the rest is destined to be a paperweight I think.
On our walk Jacob broke open the seed pod of a "Lucky Bean" tree (a type of Mahogany), the seeds are beautiful, black and dark orange ... whoever has one is guaranteed good luck, we were each given one. Not sure if I can get it home but will declare it at MAF and see what happens.
There are two fishermen on the river, one in a mokoro (dugout canoe) and one walking. They are dragging a net and seem oblivious to the danger of hippos, who are very territorial, and crocs. The guys say that there are a lot of "retired" fishermen here who are minus an arm or a leg, and some who have never returned from a fishing trip. Hunger is a great incentive!!!
Our driver this afternoon is Obi, who is new to me........ Let's hope the luck continues.
Signed, In Love with Africa .............. M
Part 8
Frogs are everywhere in camp, and are very keen on the bathrooms. I have a small green and brown speckled one living under the hand towel and a speckled brown one in the loo. The Hand towel one moved to my bath towel yesterday without leaving a note and got a hell of a surprise when I yanked the towel off the rack to have a shower this morning. He spun on the rail like a wee gymnast with his eyes rolling independently. I placed him back under the hand towel to recover and haven't used it since. Will check before having the temerity to move my towels in future!!! Checked later ...... he'd done a runner, probably in search of kinder company, unfair treatment and all that!!!
We saw lots of Zebra today. They have the strangest pattern on them, almost like someone started painting from the ground up then decided that horizontal stripes were not a good look and changed to vertical ones, finishing off the detail with a few sweeps of the brush around their backside. (I have to give Leslie credit for that very fitting description)
Also saw 2 lion, my first. Both male about 4 years old, and just starting to get their manes. Having recently been kicked out of home they haven't quite got their hunting act together yet, and were very lean. To see them lying or sitting around they have little impact.... but when they move, oh boy!! All that power in one package!! I was sceptical when the guys said that lion would take a buffalo down, but now I can see how. These guys have yet to grow into their paws which look about the size of dinner plates. When they reach maturity, they will probably form a pride together. While they will kill the cubs of any male whose pride they take over they will protect each others.
It is Sorens birthday so a large chocolate cake appeared at afternoon tea time and a special drive has been arranged for he and Hannah, complete with champagne. He has brought a bottle of Calvados into camp to "help" with the celebrations, so it could be a late night.
This afternoon we saw birds galore. Tiny bee-eaters in bright rainbow coloured suits, wee finch of varying kinds, a red bishop with bright red and black plumage that you have to be very quick to spot as he zooms around at a million miles an hour. More cranes, egrets and heron, and heaps of rollers who I am very partial to.
We are not allowed off the "roads" in the park, but the place is covered in game trails. The guys can tell which trail belongs to what animal, and sometimes the sex of the animal, by the width of it. A Hippo trail is surprisingly narrow given the overall size of the beast, but their legs are right under their body not at the 4 corners and the trail width is determined by the width of their muzzle, and often shows wispy marks where their whiskers brush the ground when they walk. Antelope trails are very narrow and dotted with dainty hoof prints, like sheep trails they seem to meander across a plain with no obvious reason for varying from a straight line.
Hippos are abundant and there are lots of babies around just now. They look so cute, and tiny, floating next to mum and peaking out from behind her to look at this big harsh world they have entered.
Some hippo trails have been used for 100's of years and have created a V shaped ditch that lion and leopard also use to creep up on their prey. How such an ungainly looking animal can get up the steep paths they have created in the river banks is a mystery to me but they manage, moving out of the water every night to graze. The grasslands are 20 feet above the river in some places.
Sandra is dying to see a Giraffe and we were the only car not to spot one yesterday. Others saw groups of up to 9. We all took our lucky beans with us this morning to try and improve the odds and Emily and Keyala did an excellent giraffe dance on the bar last night, but to no avail. Amazing that such a large animal can hide so effectively.
They are off to stay at Kawaza village tonight to see how life works. Jacob is their driver as he is also heading to Nsefu camp and we all gave him instructions to show Sandra a Giraffe.... PLEASE!! It worked; Jacob radioed back to camp and said they saw several in the GMA. Jim and Sandra loved the village so much they didn't want to leave.
They were apprehensive, especially about the food, which they had tried before and weren't partial to, but they have received instructions from the camp staff on how to eat it and make sure that the accompanying relish or stew stays attached to the ball of sadza ... By digging a hole in it with your thumb!!
I was tempted to go.... but game is what I came to Africa for and as I have absolutely no doubt that I'll be back, I can go to the village then.
South Luangwa NP is mostly bush land, dotted with barren plains where Elephant have decimated the Mopane trees. Without them there would not be as many antelope and giraffe here as they use the open plains at night to sleep leaving plenty of escape routes. The only antelope we have regularly seen amongst the trees are kudu and bushbuck.....
Neither in very great numbers!!! Everything the animals do seems to have a valid reason
The bush makes game spotting a little more difficult until the "dry" really kicks in as there are lots of waterholes and the game is spread out, but having to really search for game is part of the fun from where I stand !!! Grass comes up to my shoulder when I am seated in the back of the car in some places and this is only one years growth. Roads that are being brought back into use as they dry out are barely discernable. I have seen very few straight tall trees that would be desirable for their timber; perhaps they twist and turn their trucks and branches for that very reason.
Firewood is in short supply and the Zambians build very good fires with only 6 or 7 long pieces of wood set out in a star pattern. The Fire is laid in the centre and throws out a huge amount of heat. As it burns down the ends of the wood are pushed closer to the embers. Like all males the guys here have to continuously tune the fire........ To a chorus of disparaging remarks from we women.
A great night last night. Soren was very generous with his bottle of excellent Calvados and there was much laughing and joking. I may finally be getting the plot here as I gave up before having the FFD (final, fatal drink), knowing that I still want to be up for the morning drive. I could sleep in and be pampered in camp for the morning, but I can sleep when I get home... there is too much to see and do here!!
The pontoon is now ready to be used. They have to wait for the river to fall to a certain level before putting it back into use each year. It cuts the trip back to camp by about 30 minutes.
The GMA side of the pontoon has a ramp cut into the bank, at the rivers edge it is about 20 ft below the bank and extends back about 30 yards, not sure what the gradient is, and all dug by hand. Sand bags and grass (for grip) are placed at the rivers edge to ensure "smooth" driving on and off the barge. On the park side you drive for about 30 yards through about 2 feet of water to sandbags, set on the river bottom between timber posts to keep them stable, the bags are stacked to bring you up to the level of the barge deck.
The barge takes one game vehicle and its passengers at a time and is pulled manually across the river. The crew make a wooden club type instrument, that looks like a softball bat with a round ball on the end, from hard wood and then carve a deep notch into the ball bit. This notch fits over the barge cable... leaning back makes the ball grip the cable to move the barge forward, leaning forward releases the grip to allow you to slide it forward to grip again.... Sort of a rowing action. It requires split second timing..... Apparently some guests have tried it, didn't release the "grip" in time and either got nasty headaches from being whacked with the "club" or went swimming when it swept them off the barge. Neither being much fun, but swimming in the river is infinity more dangerous!!
The guys who operate the pontoon live in huts in a grass fenced enclosure on the GMA side of the river. They have an armed game scout with them who sees off any opportunist lions!! There have been several close calls I am told!!!
Spotlighting at night sounds unfair to the animals, but the guides know the animals well and know whose night vision is impacted by the light. They don't shine the spot directly on any animal as it may change the balance of nature by temporarily blinding an impala who then can't see the lion or leopard. When I asked some of them if was tempting to intervene if an animal was about to become lunch, they said Yes but tempting was as far as it went.
The only action they take in terms of "interference" is to only follow a predator for a short time to allow them time to go off and hunt, or to move quickly out of the way if they accidentally separate a mother from her young.
It doesn't seem hot here, even though the temperature gauge is over 30 at midday. Others are struggling a bit but I think a combination of my light long sleeved shirts and the open game car "air-conditioning" has kept me from frying. The trails and roads are very dusty though and frequent cleaning of my glasses is a must along with application of lip salve.
The native Zambian people do not correct you if you call them the wrong name, they don't even correct each other... Obi, our guide, introduced us to our new spotter the other night as George. Hello George we all said. He did look slightly surprised when I shook his hand and said "Hi George I'm Margot", but I didn't think anything of it. We spent the whole night calling him George and asking him questions... When we got back to camp and said Thanks Obi, Thanks George, Emily said but that's Mostad. No it isn't we said, it's George, Obi told us... Seems George was down on the blackboard to work with Obi but the plans were changed at the last minute and he didn't notice. Obi may never live it down!!! Word spread through camp like wildfire and the staff were still laughing about it at breakfast.... We got a second opinion on our spotters name from other staff for the next couple of days just to make sure......
Sunrises and sunsets are stunning. A huge molten orange ball pokes its nose over the horizon at about 0600 and turns into liquid silver by 0830, when it starts to warm you up. The same happens in reverse at night except you get an extra bonus with it setting over the escarpment!!!
It is sort of now you see it now you don't arrangement. From turning orange to gone is about 10 minutes. For reasons no one has been able to explain the moon lies on its back before setting in a blaze of glory here. None of the guests had ever seen it before and none of the staff knew why, earth's alignment at this latitude perhaps...... great viewing through the scope in the bar......
There is a phenomenon here called an LBJ........ Little or Large Brown Job covers anything the guides can't identify, which isn't much!!!
The River breaches its banks in the wet and dries out enough to drive back to camp in the dry. Erosion is a huge issue and the hippo channels, that they use to go to and fro, don't help.
You can see the impact at every river bend where logs and trees fill the river and those close to the edge cling on for grim old life. At some points it is about 250 yards from bank to bank now, with only about 40 yds taken up with water.... how wide does it need to be?
If anyone had told me I'd watch the Super 12 final in the middle of the Zambian bush I'd have said they were nuts....... but there I was watching avidly with Simon, the RPS Operations Manager, beer in hand and lunch provided, pondering a quick death in the river after the first 18 minutes.
Also met Kim, who I corresponded with via email to make my bookings and find out all the details about clothing, bugs, flights etc. She deserves a medal for her speedy and informative responses. Another Englishwoman, who has been here 3 seasons (I think), and is part of the all year round team based at Nkwali, which is the head office for RPS.
The dinner table is moved to a new location almost every night. Emily plans the menus in advance, according to what is in stock and what the garden provides (it is fenced like a prison and electrified to boot but the animals still pillage it). A refrigerated truck comes in once a week from Lusaka, a 750 km drive that takes 16 hours because of the state of the roads. It brings meats, fish, cheeses, staples (flour, sugar etc) and some vegetables. She creates very imaginative and tasty menus every lunchtime and evening, which are cooked by two chefs. She says she does have to keep and eye on them or every dish would contain lots of chilli.
Dinner each night is fun, better as the group get to know each other..... nice to have stimulating conversation on varying subjects.
You don't get to see the effort that goes on behind the scenes but the pontoon certainly gives you an appreciation.
Game cars have to be maintained, bookings made, tracks cleared, plumbing and electricity kept in order, bush boilers fed with wood (they heat the water), and a mountain of other tasks accomplished to make the camp run as smoothly as it does.
Game viewing is surprisingly tiring. You spend hours peering into each and every bush hoping to spot something of interest....... and before the guides do. I'm sure they miss some stuff on purpose to make you feel better, but I have actually managed to get a couple of genuine "Spots". You get congratulated and feel inordinately proud of yourself, before staring eagle eyed once more at your surroundings. I decided about night 3 not to follow the spotlight at night as it is really hard on your eyes, but you can't avoid it, it's like a metronome swinging back and forth..... Almost hypnotic but without making you sleepy........
Each car normally does its own thing for sundowners but tonight we got called from all points of the park to Chichele Ridge for communal sundowners with bubbly, samosas and pate snacks.
It was a public holiday here yesterday, Africa Freedom day, and the game all took part. The day wasn't so bad but our score from nearly 2 hours of spotlighting was 3 hippos, 2 Elephants and a mouse (well it was actually an Elephant Shrew, so called because of its nose, but it is the size of a mouse and made a better story).
Mosi beer, my sundowner tipple, is named after Victoria Falls.. Mosi oa tunya is the original name...... The smoke that thunders..... not sure if the Mosi bit is the smoke or the thunder, if you drink enough of it, probably either........
One last item for this chapter..... When you greet Jacob in the morning and enquire after his health he responds "I am strong", that would have to be the best response I have ever heard. After I told him that he enquired whether I was strong each morning!! Answer Yes, and getting stronger in this wonderful place!! Gotta go, Mosi is calling M
Part 9
Am sitting in my room at the Zambezi Sun Hotel in Livingstone typing this, and the steam has only just stopped coming out of my ears....... more later
The elephant in the park have just started crossing the river for their evening raids. Babies are sent across further up river than the herd so if the current gets them they float into Aunty or Mum and are safe for the rest of the trip. All except babies are sporting tide marks when you see them in the park next day.
The other guests are heading to Nsefu today as Nkwali has a wedding here this weekend and there are lots of things to be done. As a result I get to do whatever I want on the drive. Have requested that we park the car by a waterhole and just watch whoever comes to drink and play. You see so much on the regular drives but it is mostly walling or feeding activity........ Ahhhh the best laid plans.
The lucky beans are working overtime today........ saw lots of waterbuck... they look like they sat on a toilet seat that was freshly painted in white and the inside of their ears are white with a dark leaf vein pattern, lots of ellies including babies in fact almost everyone trotted their babies out for me..... Bushbuck, giraffe, buffalo, impala, puku, zebra, hippo, waterbuck, crowned plover who do deep knee bends in agitation when they see the car, crocs, and birds. A lovely end to a wonderful week!!!
Should probably fess up to a major faux pas, was talking with the others at the dinner table and had finished my wine, normally the glasses are refilled by the waiters so I asked for a refill, the waiter Justin promptly picked up the bottle which he had placed about 6 inches from my left elbow and poured more wine for me. I simply hadn't seen it with all the talking..... felt about 2 inches tall and got a much deserved bagging from the others!!!
Had a group farewell from the camp which I am very sad to leave!!!
The flight back to Lusaka was uneventful, unless you count my blonde moment..... we were on approach and Rob was setting flaps etc when I looked at the altimeter and had a quiet fit as we were at 5000 ft. Forgot that we started at 4000 didn't I. Fortunately I figured it out before opening my mouth!!
Rob offered me a lift to the hotel which I gratefully accepted, only problem was we ran out of gas about 5 kms from the airport with no gas station for miles. Seems the staff carpark at the airport has magnificent gates worthy of any prison, but no fence on either side. Siphoning of gas is common. There was much frantic ringing for taxis for me and sending one of the airwaves guys who was with us off for fuel. The taxi failed to materialise despite several promises of "Just 5 more minutes"... Fuel arrived first and we set sail again with Rob looking very embarrassed!!!!
Must be the day for it... the email system at the hotel wasn't working and the lift wasn't either!! Ho Hum...
Leaded fuel is cheaper here than unleaded, possibly because of the average age of the cars..... Slightly less than US$1 a litre for leaded and about 15% more for unleaded.
Zambia is producing more educated people than it has jobs for, so the focus is going off schooling your children. A great shame!!!
Political corruption is alive and well I gather. There are three main parties, the ruling one of which has been in power for some time. You can only serve for 2 terms as president, a total of 10 years. The recent elections highlighted a few issues for a lot of people, when electorates or regions were counted as 2000 votes for the incumbents when the total voters numbered 25, the entire family and staff from a farm....
Catholicism is the dominant religion; however the Muslims are gaining ground rapidly as a result of their investment in the community. They have opened schools, clinics and colleges and provide financial assistance for community projects. Rob says the "structured" nature of the religion also appeals to the Zambian people.
The flight to Victoria Falls via Zambian Airways was fairly standard aside of the loop that they flew over the falls so both sides could see, to make up for being slightly late taking off. Whew.... someone went mad with an apple corer. They cut about 8 adjoining holes to make the falls several hundred yards wide, then cut only one allow the water to escape from the bottom.
Back to the steaming ears........
Arrived at the hotel via the only Zambian taxi that I had seen driven by a woman. According to the hotel my booking was for arrival June 3rd and departure June 4th. They will try and find me a room but no guarantees..... I pointed out that both my itinerary and my prepaid hotel voucher stated that my booking was for today to the 30th, but they weren't having any....... Was told to sit and wait, like I was a major hassle that they didn't need on this very busy day!!
I definitely prefer the rural Zambian people!! Waited for about 30 minutes before the steam started coming out of my ears, a phenomenon that they obviously spotted as they decided that they didn't want me throwing a tantrum in their lobby.
According to them they finally contacted the agent in NZ.... yeah sure it's currently midnight there.... and gave me a room for 2 nights only, they will confirm the 3rd one later provided that Adventure World travel confirm it.
Don't know whose cock up it is but someone is going to pay as I now can't do the activities I have booked and paid for (Elephant Safari, Jet Boating on the Zambezi, Helicopter Flight and Sunset Cruise) in Zambia as they are booked out for the days I am here. I can however go to Zimbabwe and do three of them in one day, losing the fourth... Which produces something of a moral problem.... I had specifically told my travel agent that I did not want to go to Zimbabwe, and when I booked the activities I checked that they were in Zambia NOT Zimbabwe... so what do I do now??? Not go on principle, or go and see whether it is as bad as it is painted!! Hmmm, much thought required but I only have 20 minutes to do it before the office closes...... Oh and the activates are all booked out in Zimbabwe on Friday so tomorrow is it!!!
I hope that the rest of my pre paid and booked accommodation and activities don't follow this pattern. If I can not go hot air ballooning on my birthday as planned I will be in a right state by the time I get home!!! Got thinking to do .................. TTFN ............ M
