A Far Away Place

Yesterday, August 27,  we were in 3 different African countries! We left our   
pretty hotel in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and traveled 1-1/2 hours by bus to Botswana. At the border crossing we were stamped out and our visa reviewed by the Zimbabwe crossing guards. Continuing on, we road approx 300 years to be stamped in by the friendly Botswana immigration authorities. We explained that we were only transiting through on our way to Namibia. Back on another jeep we traveled 45 minutes to the border crossing and were checked out once again. Finally, we walked a short distance up a dirt hill to the Namibia customs area and they stamped us in. Whew! It wasn't over yet. We transferred to a 25 ft river power boat for a ride through a meandering channel that connects the Chobe and the Zambezi Rivers and then down the Zambezi to our final destination, a lodge on the Impalila Island, a slender eastern arm of Namibia. Impalila means the far away place.

Sunset on the Zambezi River

The lodge appeared suddenly in a bend of the river. Kaza Safari Lodge is very pretty and we have our own private little African hut that is gorgeous with a large king-size bed with a deck overlooking the winding river. After checking in, the group went for a sunset cruise. We spotted hippos, crocodiles and unusual birds e.g., the Goliath and black herons, African skimmers, yellow bul-buls and even a monitor lizard. After a lovely dinner under the bright stars, we called it a night.

African Skimmers

The next day began with a 3 mile walk through four of the local villages to learn about how the people live. There are 2,000 people on this small island who work as fishermen, cattle farmers and in other assorted trades. As in Zimbabwe, they live in small villages in huts that they build with termite mounds or with stones and mortar. Most use candles at night; a few are lucky enough to afford solar panels or generators. It made us feel so grateful for everything we have. It is like looking back to a time that just doesn't exist in the U.S. The people seem happy. Little children came out to greet us and wanted to be picked up or hugged. As the guide explained, they don't know anything else. People barter for goods. Since this country has more money than Zimbabwe, they do have free schools for the children and a clinic staffed by 3 nurses.

It's Sunday today and the guide pointed out a small Catholic church. He said most of the people are Christian. It seems like everything slows down here on Sunday. We have another boat ride planned for this afternoon. Tomorrow they will take us fishing and if we are lucky, we will snag their local delicacy, a tiger fish. They promise to cook it for us if we land one! 

View From Our Deck

Rooms on Bank of a Zambezi River Channel

Birds Fly As We Approach

Big Crocodile

Another Crocodile, Moves Very Fast!

African Fish Eagle

African Fish Eagle in Flight

Local Fishermen

Village Home

Village

Local Bar

School

Island Clinic

Yellow Birds Hoping to Snatch a Free Meal 

Victoria Falls 2

Riding Masume, our elephant

An early morning elephant ride was followed by a helicopter flight over Victoria Falls. Check out pictures below...

Our Shadow

Elephants Behind Us

Elephants Ahead of Us

Joanne Feeds Masune

Richard Feeds Masune

Our Copter



Victoria Falls from the air- flight of angels!

Victoria Falls

August 24 - This afternoon we walked about two kilometers along Victoria Falls. 

Even a photographer with wide angle lens couldn't capture the whole Falls in one

photograph from the ground. We stopped at all fifteen view points to take photos.

A gorgeous rainbow greeted us – just breathtaking!  Two college girls from 

Namibia stopped me so that their friends could take their picture with me! 

I should have asked them to take a picture with my camera for proof that 

although I may be older, I still have what it takes!




August 25 – After breakfast at the hotel, we stopped at a grocery store so that

our guide, Thompson, could buy groceries for a subsistence farm family that we 

would soon visit.  The Overseas Adventure Tour Company gives their travelers 

the experience of meeting the locals in their homes.  Our guide told us that over

60% of the people still live on their farms.  They barter for their goods and grow

their own crops.  Having cows is essential to their existence for the milk they 

bring - and the cows are also insurance because when times are hard, they

can sell a cow for its meat.  Most have a vegetarian diet with white corn pollenta 

(corn meal) as the staple.  We also stopped a Farmer's Market.  Everyone in our

group purchased a food item as a gift for the family. Joanne and I bought 

Chambula (kale) for a dollar. At the farm, we learned:

 

An extended family of fourteen live on not more than a few acres in huts. 

One hut houses a kitchen, another sleeping quarters for the husband and wife

and small children, another sleeping quarters for the girls of the family, and yet

another hut for the family's boys.


Due to a drought, the last five years have been hard.


They do not have running water or electricity.


The women walk two kilometers to a well and carry the water back in jugs

balanced on the top of their heads.


They build their huts themselves. The walls are clay and the roofs thatch.


The huts are round because a snake will not stay in a round hut. It just follows 

the wall around looking for a corner  - and finding none, goes back out. 


The prevailing wind blows from the West, therefore, doors are open on the East so

that wind won't blow cinders from the fire up into the roof.

Elephants are a big problem; they come at night to eat their crops. Their dogs

bark when the elephants come. They drive the elephants away by lighting fires

and making at a lot of noise. They don't have guns.

Lions are also a problem;they eat their cows. Again they light fires to scare off

the lions. 


Children go to the primary school for free but high school requires uniforms, 

books and transportation that they cannot afford.  Consequently, not many

continue their education.  They stay on the farms. 

Non-Government Organizations have built an outhouse for them and provided technical advice for farming.

The families take the name of an animal as the family name. Our family's name is Baboon in English. They are forbidden to eat an animal of their family name. Therefore, if man has a family name of Chicken marries a girl with a family name of Cow, the family cannot eat chickens or beef. They say that is their way of preserving nature.

Next, we visited Jabulani Primary School. Emmaculabe, a Grade 7 student escorted me around the school. Nomsa, age 13, escorted Joanne. The founder principal talked about the origins of the school and how much the Grand Circle Foundation (Overseas Adventure Tours) have helped them. Each of us also brought school supplies for the students.

Rondavel

Preparing Polenta on a Wood Fire 

Family Name - Baboon

School Girls

Joanne with Nomsa

Victoria Falls Arrival

August 24, Wednesday

Sable Antelope

Land Cruisers, the same vehicles we used in Hwange for the game drives, made the run from the Sable Sands Lodge. Along the way, a wildebeest galloped off to our left. Two male Sable Antelopes galloped by us when we stopped to watch a jackal resting under a tree. Seems like we always see something every time we go out – one just never knows when or where.

Backing up a bit, I am going to detail our trip from Buffalo Camp in Kruger National Park to the Sable Sands Lodge. Shortly after our Land Rovers turned off the bumpy, twisty and rutted road Buffalo Camp road unto the main park

Elephant Road Block

road, we abruptly halted. Elephants were nonchalantly chewing the bark of a tree they had ripped up as they stood in the road. As far as they were concerned we could wait all day! Our driver moved a forward ten feet or so but the elephants ignored us. We waited. Finally, our, driver inched forward and the elephant retreated. At the park gate we switched to a van for an 1+ hour ride to the airport.

About the airports – We have been through three: Johannesburg, Nelson and Victoria Falls. All three are ultra modern and very clean. Food and water are reasonably priced, not the rip-off price gouging we find in the United States. The luggage carts are free. They are equipped with brakes so that they can go up escalators. Finally, everyone is friendly.

We flew back to Johannesburg to transfer to another flight to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Passport control was efficient; we asked for a double entry visa and parted with $45 each. The officer did not smile. We boarded a van as the sun descended arriving at the Sable Sands Lodge well after dark. A very good pan grilled fillet awaited us.

As in Buffalo Camp, we were not allowed to walk to our dwelling after dark due to the possibility of animals being present. An elephant favored us our first night in Buffalo Camp munching trees just outside our tent. On our last night at Sable Sands, elephants ambled in to drink from the “swimming pool.”

Our hut with its thatched roof was warm at night and cool in the afternoon without air conditioning or heating.

Due to the dry season at Kruger and Hwange we never saw a mosquito. Our hotel room here in Victoria Falls is loaded with them; Joanne is busy trying to squash them. We will see how we fare.

Hwange National Park Part 2

August 23

Pride of Lions Resting Under Tree

Cold tourists in the Morning

Today, our all day game drive started early with folks wrapped up to stay warm - but the day heated up quickly. At the park, our two Land Cruisers separated as we scouted along the roads looking for animals. Sometime later our partner vehicle radioed that they had spotted a pride of lions. Although we hightailed to their position, a bunch of safari vehicles and private cars were already converging on the site. The lions were sensibly retreating.

Suddenly, we caught glimpse of a lion moving away and one watching us from the bush.

Lion Glimpse 

Lion Watching

Joanne with Kennedy, Our Guide

After waiting a while, we left to check out the waterhole where yesterday so many animals congregated. Nobody was home. 

Lion Warning (Teeth Showing)

Driving deep into the park to a picnic spot, our partner vehicle again radioed to say that they were parked next to a pride of lions resting under a tree in clear view. We hightailed over to the spot! They didn't mention that they had driven off the road and got stuck in the sand right beside the lions.  Note that these Toyota Land Cruisers are open vehicles! When we showed up, the lions decided to move away, so I had only a few seconds to snap photos. We backed down the road and Kennedy got out to carefully engage four wheel drive which must be done at each of the front wheels. Our partner had neglected to engage four wheel drive before he drove off the road. Bad move! No way could he get out of the vehicle with the lions present. Our solution - We gave him a few good bumps to get him going.  After freeing them, we had our picnic before the long drive back to the lodge.

Magpie in Flight

Baboon with Baby on her back

Go Away Bird

Lilac Breasted Roller

Giraffe at a Water Hole

Giraffe at a Water Hole

Tons of Elephants at Water Hole

Elephants having fun at a Water Hole

Secretary Bird

Zimbabwe - Hwange National Park Part 1

Yellow Billed Horn Bill

Today, August 21, we were escorted on 2 flights that eventually got us to Victoria Falls Zimbabwe. This country was once part of Northern Rhodesia and received its independence from the British. Our guide, Thompson, is a Zimbabwean and he related a balanced history of the country and its complex political system. Suffice it to say, the current leader is now 92 years old. Corruption is rampant in the government and this man has managed to stay in power for many years. When we checked through immigration we paid $45 each for a visa and received a lovely sticker on our passport. This was not required in South Africa. In fact, SA is probably the only foreign country that we ever visited whereby we did not have any immigration forms to complete! 

Sable Antelope

It was 8:30 pm on Sunday when we arrived at the lovely Sable Sands Lodge. Each couple or individual is in a separate little thatched-roof hut building. These structures surround a pool that also serves as a watering hole for the animals. The main lodge is open aired and reminded me of Hawaiian architecture only with an African flare. We sat down to a late dinner that was plated (a local fish, home-made soup, etc.) Just delicious!

The next morning, an early start brought us to Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe's largest, over 6,000 sq miles. At a protected overlook, we watched a virtual Noah's Ark of thirsty animals drink at the watering hole. We were lucky because most of the animals drifted away just ten minnutes after our arrival. We got our first look at a herd of wildebeest. Everyone was amused by the giraffes. They splay their legs into an inverted “v” to reach down to the water for a drink. From their towering height they can keep a watch out for all the prey animals. Many animals take advantage of these lookouts to safely get a drink. More later...

Kruger Game Drive

Our last day in Kruger began at 5 AM with a knock on our tent flap. We rolled out of bed, grabbed a quick bite, and boarded the Safari vehicle. Our goal was to find sitings of rhino, lion and leopard to complete the Big Five. We get up in the dark so that we can maximize our chances since the animals are early risers.

We were quickly rewarded with a rhino crossing the road with her baby in tow.

Rhinos are the most endangered animal here. One horn is work more than $100,000 US dollars. Apparently, the Chinese and other nationalities value the horn for its Aphrodisiac qualities. The government is trying hard to catch the poachers, but it is a tough job since now they use sophisticated tracking complete with helicopters! They hope that this animal can be saved.

Can you find the lion?

Later in the morning we spotted a lion quite a ways off. Now, all we needed was a leopard! We combed the landscape until by a river, one of the members of our group, noticed something moving. Sure enough, the leopard was on the prowl trying to down a Impala (looks something like a deer). I thought about Bleu kitty's behavior, which is exactly like his cousin the leopard. He crawled and crouched through the bush.

Leopard Crossing River

 We didn't stick around for the outcome since all of a sudden other vehicles showed up. It reminded me of how it was when we toured Yellowstone National Park a few years ago. If an animal shows himself, all of us humans seem to know! The poor animal doesn't like all the viewing and suddenly makes himself scarce. 


 That's OK – we all celebrated our goal and enjoyed viewing some of the other species – rare birds, hyenas, kudus, etc.

We're off to our next adventure in the morning. We fly over to Zimbabwe. By the way, for this part of our trip, we have to take malaria medication. We began our first pill yesterday with no ill effects!

Saddle Billed Stork