It rained. Then we discovered that the tents they supplied us weren’t really waterproof (are they ever?) and the laundry didn’t dry for three days ‘cos there is no such thing as a tumble drier in this part of the world.
We said goodbye to Victoria Falls and drove out of Zimbabwe back into Botswana with only tiny delays at the border. Then we re-entered the Chobe National Park for another game drive and overnight bush camp.
Lions, elephants, kudus, baboons, mongooses, impala, eagles, vultures, buffaloes, giraffes, etc all presented themselves to us once again. Click click click. It was nice to get back out into the wild scrub away from towns and internet and noise. The night time dunny runs got a little easier to cope with the idea of being watched by hyenas and big cats. You just get used to that stuff.
Then it was on to Zambia, crossing the mighty Zambezi River upstream from Vic Falls. The current there is powerful and the ferry struggled along sideways (almost) with its enormous diesel outboards roaring away like billy-o.
The Zambia border crossing took ages, but we finally made it and settled in to a rather green and lush campsite on the northern side of the Zambezi, not too far upstream from the falls. Luckily the Sun came out and we were able to strew our clothes over branches and get them almost dry There was always the danger that the rather game and cheeky vervet monkeys would pinch some items, but it was worth the risk to get some clean clothes again.
(Click to enlarge)(Click to enlarge)(Click to enlarge)(Click to enlarge)(Click to enlarge)(Click to enlarge)(Click to enlarge) Beautifully camouflaged leaf-tail gecko(Click to enlarge) Streaked tenrec(Click to enlarge)(Click to enlarge) Golden bamboo lemur(Click to enlarge)(Click to enlarge)
(Click to enlarge) Kori bustard(Click to enlarge) Male oryx(Click to enlarge) Male impala(Click to enlarge) Pale throated goshawk(Click to enlarge) Ground squirrel(Click to enlarge) Wildebeest (Gnu)(Click to enlarge) Heffalump(Click to enlarge) Plains zebra(Click to enlarge) Black backed jackal(Click to enlarge) Lovely lioness(Click to enlarge) Lion cubs(Click to enlarge) Southern African giraffe
It took quite a while to pass over the border into Zimbabwe, listening to indignant Americans who couldn’t believe that their multi-visas would not be accepted and they had to pay another $30.
Everything here in Zim is done in US$ because the local currency is no longer usable due to inflation. Street Hawkers sell Zim Ten Trillion dollar notes as curiosities to tourists. They are worth practically nothing, so even the ATMs dispense US$ – that is, if you can find an ATM that actually has money in it, because we couldn’t!
But the economy in Victoria Falls is strong and vigorous, just like the fabulous falls themselves. Tourism is thriving here, and they even have ‘Tourism Police’ that stop hawkers from pestering visitors too much.
The town of Vic Falls is lovely, full of wonderful arts and crafts, green and shady gardens, cafes, supermarkets and everything you might need. Everything that is aimed at tourists is very expensive though, unlike the other parts of Africa we have passed through which had very cheap prices, the costs in Vic Falls are on a par with Australia. But the wages are good and the standard of living is better than other places. We did end up giving a packet of biscuits to one hawker who was hungry and unable to sell us anything. Other hawkers offered to trade my sandals for their goods. So not everyone benefits from tourism.
The falls are every bit as wonderful as you may have heard. Because we arrived just after the extraordinarily big rains it was thundering even more than normal. Even wearing a raincoat at the lookouts on the opposite side of the gorge we became soaked to the skin from the drenching spray that comes pelting at you from different directions. Umbrellas were totally unusable. A waterproof camera is needed to take photos in most places.
The energy and force that thunders up out of that very dramatic and steep chasm is not only deafening but emotionally overwhelming. Great white plumes of spray roar upwards to about 100 metres into the sky above you and then tumble down in heavy showers that run off the totally sodden rocks and herbage, and back down to the tumultuous and foaming river hidden way below.
After walking along the precipices to absorb the views we then took a helicopter ride the next day up over this very dramatic natural wonder. It was amazing, fabulous, terrific, wonderful, brilliant, etc, etc, etc. Victoria Falls is our new favourite place in the world.
(Click to enlarge)(Click to enlarge)(Click to enlarge)(Click to enlarge) View from the air
We were delayed a little by the crew searching for parts to replace the front bumper bar on the truck after hitting a cow. Needless to say the closest town, Maun, was still recovering from the Easter celebrations and there was no parts or mechanics to be seen anywhere. So we pressed on regardless.
The part of the Kalahari we drove through was wet and very green from the big rains. Unfortunately this meant that the long grass made it hard to spot big cats like leopards and lions, but the wildflowers were quite spectacular. It also meant that the big game didn’t gather at the waterholes like usual because there was just so much water lying around.
Our next stop was a place called Elephant Sands where we were fed stories of 70 elephants at a time drinking from the waterhole next to the bar. But, of course, we didn’t see a single one. However through the night we did hear lions roaring nearby, and they gradually came closer until they were roaring and rumbling just behind the area where we were camped. It sure made late night toilet runs interesting!
Next morning a few of us went on a game drive and we did see zebras, kudus, impalas, lots of colourful and interesting birds, a giraffe drinking from a waterhole, a steenbok, water buffalos and springboks. We also saw fresh leopard tracks and were even able to pinpoint where something (possibly the leopard) had made a kill by the scavenger birds hovering above it, but we were unable to approach the site.
Alongside the main road out of there we saw plenty of elephants and giraffes, and at Kasane on the Chobe River we even spotted a hippo in the water next to the supermarket, plus warthogs and baboons running around the town.
The next morning we did a game drive into the Chobe National Park. What a blast! We saw huge herds of impala, a massive herd of buffalo, seven lions including a male and several cubs, a vervet monkey, a mob of baboons with little babies, a slender mongoose, two black backed jackals, a pod of hippos, some kudu, a big water monitor lizard, a giraffe, some warthogs, vultures, eagles and lots of other lovely birds. Sigh!
Following that we did a river cruise in the incredibly swollen Chobe River. Heaps of hippos and crocs presented themselves for our wonderment and amusement, but perhaps the highlight of this rather relaxing and pleasant cruise was watching three young heffalumps frolicking together in the water. Firstly they wandered down for just a drink and then one backed teasingly into the deep water (right next to a rather indolent crocodile relaxing in the shallows) before the others followed the first in and they began wrasseling together in a really juvenile manner. Every human who was fortunate enough to observe this had huge grins plastered across their faces, and Georgie actually said “My life is now complete!”
And if this wasn’t enough for one day we then had another game drive into a camp site deep in the Chobe National Park. On this rather splendid drive we came across so much big game (huge herds of elephants and large family groups of banded mongooses) that we were positively bursting with pleasure. But to top off an almost perfect day we had an amazing encounter with a gorgeous and very rare leopard that walked past within metres of us. Fabulous!
Then, through the night as I was guarding Georgie whilst she went to the rather makeshift loo and as I scanned the surrounding bushland for the red eye reflections of big cats, she tripped and upended the whole shebang and ended up sprawled on the ground, with canvas, poles and the toilet pedestal on top of her. Much giggling and chortling ensued.
(Click to enlarge) Yellow Billed Hornbills(Click to enlarge) Big Male Kudu(Click to enlarge) An Elegant Lady(Click to enlarge) Lovely Lioness(Click to enlarge) Young Male Lion(Click to enlarge) A Very Close Heffalump(Click to enlarge) Three Frolicking Hufflebumps(Click to enlarge) Hungry Hippo on the Chobe River(Click to enlarge) Pumba (Warthog) and Springboks(Click to enlarge) A very Rarely Seen Leopard
Because we finally have enough band width on the wifi here near the Okavango – only because I got up at 1:00 am when everyone else has gone to bed – we decided to post some pics from previous travels.
This is a small collection from Madagascar which we visited so long ago now:
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Flying over the Okavango Delta in a light aircraft was an unforgettable experience. It’s a huge expanse of wetlands stretching to the horizon, dotted with lily-filled pools, reedy channels, clumps of fan palms with thick bushes and tall trees, wide grasslands and lots of mega-fauna. We saw a huge herd of heffalumps, countless giraffes, a multitude of hooved ‘antelopean-type’ creatures and even a hippo. It was a blast!
Then we canoed in through the channels in mokoros poled by locals who knew their way through the maze of waterways to our remote campsite. There we watched in awe a small group of four elephants feeding just across the channel on the next island. They are such impressive beasts, big and powerful but so gentle and casual.
The water lilies all around us were in full bloom and we were graced by visions of lilac, pink, white and yellow flowers abuzz with dragonflies and butterflies.
That night, around a blazing campfire, the polers entertained us with traditional songs, and we all participated in a game of elimination, amid raucous laughter. It was beautiful to be spoilt rotten with traditional rhythms and harmonies whilst the lions, hippos and frogs gave a background chorus.
This was meant to be a real ‘bush camping’ experience – we thought we would be roughing it, but we were treated to ready set up tents, with ‘en-suites’ – private enclosures with a hole in the ground pedestal toilet and a tripod shower.
The next morning a herd of seven heffalumps sauntered past in their relaxed and majestic manner.
The Okavango is our new favourite place in the world!
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Our first game drive of the African safari – and what a day! We set out at 5.45 am following an even earlier breakfast (hard to believe that Georgie even knew that time existed!) The morning involved many kilometres of driving to see a variety of animals, including giraffe, springbok, zebra, wildebeest, warthog, steenbock, jackal and ostrich – as well as a lone lion, which was very exciting.
After a break for the hot part of the afternoon, we started anew. Again, a variety of animals presented themselves to us, but it wasn’t until the last few minutes that the piece de resistance occurred: finally, an elephant! Georgie was in tears and we were all gobsmacked. Then five giraffes walked past. Oh my goodness gracious me!
Another game drive began early with four giraffes presenting themselves straight off. Then we had two lionesses come and drink from a pool right alongside the truck. Most exciting! On another drive we saw three cute lion cubs waiting for their mum to return. Gorgeous! Finally, on our last drive we saw a rhino. Yay!
There were so many animals presenting themselves to us over the five different game drives we did. They included: big mobs of springbok, plenty of black faced impala, lots of oryx, kudu, steenbok, warthogs, lions, lots of kori bustards, groups of ostriches, quite a few pale chanting goshawks, giraffes, duiker, a few lilac breasted rollers, some plains zebras, brown eagles, big mobs of wildebeest (gnu), blue cranes, black backed jackals, ground squirrels, hyenas, cattle egrets, southern korhaans, franklin or spur fowls, blacksmith lapwings, white tailed mongoose, red hartebeest, an elephant, grey hornbills, widow birds, secretary birds, a honey badger, huge millipedes, and a variety of small birds. Phew!
The next game park we will visit is Chobe, where people have been telling us they need to carefully avoid the elephants because there are just so many of them. Golly! Georgie is almost sick with anticipation!
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We drove further north into the stark wilds of Namibia, past folded sand dunes and vast sprawling deserts, some areas glittering in the sunlight with sparkling minerals. Eventually some dramatic mountains jutted sharply up high from the flat plains. I was madly photographing these distant sharply shadowed monoliths from the bus window until Johnny said that we were going there next. I eased off a bit with the clicking.
Before we arrived at these fabulous mountains, known as Spitzkoppe, the bus stopped at a small gem market on the side of the road. The poor desert people gather these semi-precious stones and flog them off to the travellers for a pittance. The rocks were beautiful, and yes we bought some, but my main fascination were the giant crickets that were strolling around everywhere. Gorgeous!
Only too soon we re-boarded the bus and closed in on the distant rocky mountains.
As we approached the rocky monoliths they appeared to rise higher and higher out of the desert. One major dagger-like piece reared higher than the other more rounded mountains. They were obviously ancient granite that had been exposed by erosion from the surrounding very-different geology which harbored those glittering gems. The local people had multiple wobbly timber roadside stalls selling beautiful rocks to the passers-by.
Another set of bush timber stalls we stopped at was run by a tribe who were covered in ochre and had the most amazing hair dos on the women. Georgie bought a bracelet and took multiple photos of the gorgeous children. At this place were the incredible huge crickets as well.
Once we arrived at the mountains some of us went with a local guide to see the San (or Bushmen) paintings. We wandered around this almost mystical environment for a while, clicking madly at this fantastically photogenic scenery. The huge smooth granite tors contrasted so much with the surrounding varied and undulating desert floor.
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Straight after breakfast I took off on a quad bike tour of the white sand dunes of Swakopmund in search of any wildlife the guide could find. Georgie decided to stay in comfort and relish the more than adequate bathroom facilities for hair washing and general girly stuff.
I was fortunate to be the only tourist on the tour, so as soon as the young fella guide found out I was a bit of a hoon he took the initiative and did some hooning of his own. Tearing up enormous steep dunes, motor roaring and sand spraying, then sweeping down into deep valleys to swoop up the other side. Adrenaline junkie stuff, heh heh! The sharp eyed guide managed to spot a few spider burrows and traces of a couple of different geckoes, he managed to unearth the geckoes but the spiders eluded him. We saw sidewinder snake tracks but were unable to locate that particular beastie, most unfortunately.
But it was a couple of hours of fun in a stunningly beautiful setting. Namibia is fabulous.
Later we went into town and had wonderful massages for less than a third of what we’d pay in Australia. Cool.
We visited a crystal gallery that had a wonderful collection of all sorts of fabulous and colourful rocks, minerals and crystals. The quartz crystals were second to none, including enormous clusters of giant crystals that were almost unbelievable. The pietersite (only found in Namibia) was very impressive.
