Zambia Strikes Back - Day Two

• Pmyers's Profile
• About this blog
• Entry from South Luagwa

  South Luagwa, Zambia
Wednesday, July 4, 2007

First off, you may have read a portion of journal entry number 29 that was highly inappropriate. I apologize for that. It was not meant to be posted.

Second of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA! I wish I could be home for it! I miss all of you! YEAH IT'S THE 4TH OF JULY!

Back to Zambia!

As the day before, Milton's gentle voice woke us up with a calm 'hello'. I must admit this is a pleasant way to rise. The annoying beeps of the cell phone and the blasting radio stations pale in comparison to the 'sweet baby James' voice of Milton.

Toast and tea were again the featured items on the breakfast table. Even though the food selection was poor, breakfast was lovely. Each morning at the table, the sun would rise across the river and cast oranges, reds, purples, and blues into the morning sky; a painter's paradise indeed.

We began our final day drive a bit earlier than before. This allowed us to beat other safaris into the park giving us the first look at things.

Not five kilometers into the park, we came across a pack of wild dogs. They were 5 in total and according to our spotter Adam; wild dog sightings were EXTREMELY rare! In fact, he had NEVER seen wild dogs in the park before! What are the chances?

The dogs were unsightly creatures. Measuring in at roughly the same size as a German shepherd, the wild dogs were quite intimidating. Their markings were sporadic and ugly. The black from their snout bled down the front legs. Past the shoulders, the black faded in to a tan coat accented by erratic black and white patches. White fur covered the beast's mangy tail.

Entrapped by the both the look and movement of these animals, I didn't even notice we had been sitting there for 10 minutes. Eventually, the dogs ran off and out of sight.

According to another safari group, the dogs killed an impala shortly after leaving our sight. That would have been tremendous to see, but it wasn't in the cards.

We had seen many African deer, baboon, and hippos. Consequently, for the rest of the day drive the deer were passed by. Overkill I suppose.

Yesterday we covered the north side of the park so today we spent our time in the south. It's incredible how different landscapes can be just kilometers apart. The north was forested with tons of trees, bushes, and undergrowth. Open, dry, and bare would best describe the south.

The south was home to much less vegetation. Also, there was much less wildlife. Our guides wanted to search this area because it was a commonplace for lions, leopards, and hyenas.

Venturing into a covered area with dry, knee-length grass, we came across two safari vehicles stopped closely together. As we approached the gathering, two lionesses walked directly in front of one of the safari vehicles. Yikes!

The pair was walking very slowly in a calm and relaxed manner. They didn't appear like they were on the hunt. Actually they seemed quite opposite, as if they were looking for the perfect place to nap. They lazily walked by us and off into the brush.

Being the excellent tour guide that he is, Martin decided to drive around to the other side of the brush to gain more exposure. Sure enough, he took us to the exact place where the duo reappeared. They walked onto the trail and then turned up the road away from us. Walking at the same slothful pace, they followed the road for quite a while stopping from time to time to scan. We followed in the Rover in a manner far from stealthy.

For a good five minutes we followed the leaders until they angled off the path to the right. There, not twenty feet from us, they bedded in the short brown grass. The lions just curled up as if we were invincible. Clearly not threatened, the lions went to sleep. How bizarre! Everyone from our safari was snapping away at the stunning twosome. Not only did I catch come wonderful video footage, I even had time to snap a few pictures for myself!

Four-hundred sixty three photos and ten minutes later, we left the lions to slumber in peace. INCREDIBLE!

The lionesses were brilliant! In spite of calm behavior, it was evident that fierceness, carnage, and the killer instinct could be produced instantly. They carried themselves with an unexplainable swagger. Perhaps it was their strut. The self-assured walk that said, "I'm the most ferocious killer on earth, don't mess with me," through body language. Magnificent CREATIONS (sorry Darwin-lovers) they truly are.

The lions were most definitely the highlight of the morning. Much like the latter part of the previous night's drive, the rest of day seemed altogether uneventful. Since everyone was riding the high of the lions, this was of no concern.

Back at camp, we all congregated at to pool and shared impressions and thoughts about the day's drive. The conversation obviously centered on the lions, but there was some talk of the wild dog sightings. To think we were 4/4, with respect to big African animal sightings, was incredible. Touché Martin and Adam. Touché.

Lunch came and disappeared and the afternoon, along with our energy, drowned in the refreshing waters of the pool. It was time for the final night drive.

Shortly after starting, Adam located a spotted hyena off in the distance. It was sleeping. We approached as slowly and quietly as the Rover could and got within 15 feet of the creature. He casually lifted his scruffy head off the ground and looked directly at us. It sat unbothered until the camera flashes began so strike like bolts of lightning, stimulating its pupils and firing a message of danger to its primitive brain.

Even still, it got up leisurely, walked twenty feet in the opposite direction, and sat down to continue its siesta.

Similar to the wild dogs, the spotted hyena was far from easy on the eyes. The animal looked like it had rolled in a mud puddle and used sand to dry itself off. Unlike the lions and the leopard, hyenas are not graceful when they walked. When standing they appear to have a hunchback atop between their two shoulders.

At this point we had seen every 'big' animal there was to see. That being said, anything short of seeing a predator tear into the flesh of its fleeing prey would be ordinary. Well, that's an exaggeration. It would have been nice to see another leopard, lion, or wild dog. Unfortunately, that wasn't in the cards.

The rest of the night drive was anticlimactic due to the earlier highlights. African deer, hippos, elephants, a mongoose, and different birds were among the animals in the spotlight. Nothing was gripping like a large killer cat however.

The night drive melted away and Martin dropped us off back at camp. Exhausted, I ate the chili con carne served for dinner and then scrubbed my dusty body. The shower inspired a second wind and I spent the rest of the night conversing with the other members of the safari. At 1:00 I hit the pillow and almost immediately fell into a deep sleep. Departure for Malawi would come all too quickly.

On a scale from 1-10 I would give this safari excursion a 9. We saw extremely rare animals, we sunned and swam in the pool, and we were IN ZAMBIA! I hope you get the chance to see my pictures. This adventure was well documented photographically. I still can't believe the animals I saw. I'm glad I have proof. Sometimes your eyes play tricks on you, but cameras don't lie.

Breathe it in Phil... This is Zambia!

The journey is still unfolding. More to come.