July22-23, 2010
Bert and i are off on our 4th OAT trip, this time to another corner of the earth, southern Africa. First we get a 12 hour layover in London after an overnight flight from Boston on Brit Air. It's been 10 years since our last time in London. This time the Piccadilly line from Heathrow took us to Covent Garden from which we strolled to the Coutenauld Gallery in Somerset House alongside the Thames. Lots of impressionist and post impressionists from a single collection hung in a former palace-like great house. we had take-away lunch near the river and walked along the Thames through garden after garden- brilliant flowers and trees. Every one of every age enjoying a springlike day. We stopped at a bandstand to listen to school kids from a Michigan school sing and their band play the Stars and Stripes Forever to a group of elderly British pensioners some of whom got up and pranced to the music waving flags.
Requisite visits to Big Ben, the new Millennium Wheel, Parliament, Westminster, St James Park. I can still see Brian and Brittany as children feeding the ducks and geese and swans so long ago. They now have eastern white pelicans- enormous beaks so fascinating to watch. London is such a great city. Must come here more often. Tonight a night flight- 11 hours to Johannesburg South Africa.
July 24 Johannesburg, South Africa
One night in the Protea Tambo airport hotel. Met the 7 other tour members and then arranged a 4 hour tour of Soweto. Now several days since sleep and pretty wiped out. Oh well you only live once. Our guide, Kgomotso, a 6'6" rail thin Bantu so soft spoken we could hardly hear him, drove fellow tourist Louise and us to Soweto, a township just outside Jo'burg. Until 1976 this was the only place black S. Africans were allowed to live. Then ,on June 16th, a 13 y.o. named Hector Pieterson was shot by cops during a student march to protest their being forced to be taught in africaaners language rather than their own. All hell broke loose. No going back for the blacks and finally the end to apartheid after several years. Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu actually lived about 1000 feet apart. The Regina Mundi Church sheltered them and is now an interesting place to visit as are the museums. Today Soweto numbers40,000 and house range from derelict shanties of 1 room to gated concrete modern houses though small by our standards
On the way back to the hotel we started to nod off but managed to see downtown Jo'jurg which looks pretty western and modern. They had just hosted the world cup and we saw lots of evedence of recent sprucing up and bright loud vuvuzuelas for sale cheap. Dinner meeting the whole group of 9 and then blessed 10 hours of sleep.
July 25 Victoria Falls
After breakfast we flew to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, 40,000 population- transferred to a small bus after meeting Vitalis Chipunza, our guide for the next 2 weeks. Sttopped at our future hotel- looks lovely- there were warthogs across the street- and we could see the mist from the falls a mile away. We drove for an hour to the Botswana border, walking 5 minutes from Zimbabwe to Botswana after stepping on an antiseptic mat to prevent the spread of hoof and mouth disease. Along the way to the lodge we spotted zebras, elephants, impalas, hyenas, baboons and a male lion protecting his freshly killed buffalo- gross but fascinating.
It was dark when we arrived at the Baobob Lodge. Met by the staff singing and dancing welcoming us. There is a main lodge, open air which looked nice in the dark. Dinner was delicious- chicken, rice, vegetable and mushroom soup. I sat with Mat who is a guide. he told of his life growing up on a Botswana farm. Our accommodations for the next 3 nights is a 1 room thatched hut with a bathroom and shower, tented sides but fine. There is some power from a generator and hot water from solar. We cannot leave our tents due the animals outside. Must have a guide walk us to the main lodge and it will be this way all through the trip. The night is chilly but the staff has left us each a hot water bottle which is very much appreciated. up tomorrow at 5:30AM for our first game drive. Yikes!
July 26 Chobe National Park, Botswana
At 5:30 the staff came to each tent banging a drum. It is dark and cold and hard to get up but so excited for out adventure. We were split into 2 groups, 5 of us, Bob, Carol and Robin and Bert and I went with Alex and Willie for 5 hours on a Range Rover modified truck.3 rows of seats raised high and open. Very bumpy in the Kalahari sand of Botswana but great viewing. We saw zebras, impalas,wart hogs, waterboks, Cape buffalo, a southern giraffe, sable antelop. mongoose, a fish eagle and many multi colored birds. A second drive was similar. That night as we lay in the tent we could hear a troop of baboons calling out loudly as they passed by. So cool!
July 27 Chobe
Today we had a 10 hour game drive into chobe. Starting out on the paved road before going off road in the sand we ran into a huge pack of baboons , many with babies. Then onto the back roads of Chobe where we saw nursing elephants with their beautiful babies, giraffes, zebras and a huge herd of Cape buffaloes. always there were herds of impalas, then water bok and sable antelope. We had lunch prepared by the staff along the shore of the Chobe River. the highlight of our day with Matt our guide and Vitalis was the parade of elephants to the river where they drank, had mud baths and then swam across the river to Namibia. we laughed as the babies sank and sputtered and were pushed along by their mamas and aunties. though we were tired that evening we had barbecue and were serenaded and dancing by the camp staff. We responded with a weak version of Yankee Doodle Dandy.
July 28 Kasane, Botswana- East Caprivi, Namibia
We left camp following the highway and spotting the now bare carcass of the dead Cape buffalo,as well as many baboons and zebras and into the town of Kasane, Botswana. A jumping off town for safaris, we looked at various stores including the local Spar market- they had TAB!- . There were many warthogs freely roaming the streets as if they were dogs. There was guy who called us over and opened the back of his truck to reveal many skins on animals which he was selling. It was chilling to say the least. As nervous as he was looking around for the police I would say he was a poacher.
After an hour or so we embarked on a pontoon boat to go to our next lodge Savannah Chobe lodge located on the Chobe river although on the Namibian side of the border in the Caprivi Strip of the country. Most unusual was our formal entrance into Namibia. Alfred, our guide, pulled the pontoon up into the reeds in a really desolate area on an island and told us to follow him. We walked 10 minutes into the bush where we came upon a good sized concrete building- customs!
They hadn't seen anyone for 4 days- even stamped our passports wrong. then hike back , back on the boat and an hour later we reached our beautiful lodge. It seemed a paradise compared to Baobab. Our round thatched huts had AC, tiled baths and a deck overlooking the savanna with elephants, giraffes in constant procession. We slept under mosquito nets. a staff of 13 for 13 guests. Such luxury, unimaginable. The central lodge had several levels, ebony and teak flooring, soaring thatched ceiling, wonderful sculptures. Evening sunsets boat cruises with wine and thousands of elephants.
July 29 , 2010 Namibia
Two game drives via pontoon boats. There are no roads out here. Everything is brought in by boat from Kasane. Saw many aquatic African birds as well as hippos and crocs and, for a brief second a leopard. Had impala for dinner, very tasty, much better than the kudu we had for lunch. At dark, which is 6PM, we must always be accompanied outside by staff due to nasty hippos and buffalo. Dinner is at 8. We stargazed for awhile, first clear night- saw the Southern cross, Scorpio and Venus. Weather is cool but pleasant, probably in the 60s. Usually in bed by 10:30. We live like royalty. They even do our wash! There is free minibar and drinks as they have substituted this lodge for another due to flooding. We got the better deal I think. By 9PM after much wine everyone was laughing and interrupting poor Vitalis as he tried to announce tomorrow's program.
July 30, 2010 Namibia
After breakfast, we boated to a small village. Actually we debarked into reeds and hiked through tall grass for 30 minutes across the open savanna to the local school. The Kisaka Primary School has 187 students in grades 1-7. the children have few visitors unlike other schools we've visited in 3rd world countries. We saw 6th and 7th grades- kids 11-14 yrs old . they told us their hopes for the future- MDs,RNs,teachers,etc. they then performed a dance. When i took their pictures and showed them the view finder I was mobbed. Tomorrow we have agreed to buy supplies for the school in Kasane and send them back with Alfred when he drops us off. Another sunset cruise tonight, again stunning, never tire of the animals.
July 31, 2010 Botswana
A one hour boat ride back to the civilization of Kasane where Alfred used our $100 to buy lots of school supplies. We all them flew via small 1 engine aircraft about 50 minutes south over Chobe and to the Okavanga delta. this is the largest inland delta in the world. the land is very flat and covered with Kalahari sand, Trees and bushes somehow root in it as well as the grasses. there are no paved roads. Indeed the runway was packed sand. The plane's engine never stopped and we jumped out with our back packs and duffels to meet Lemmie and Chief ,our new guides for the next 3 days. We piled into our diesel jungle jeeps and were off through the bumpiest, windiest sand track imaginable. Twisting, turning and plunging into 4 foot high water holes and rivers. Definitely reminiscent of Mr Toad's Wild ride at Disney world- only this is real.
It was a 2 hour drive to the camp. Not as much game as at chobe though we did come upon a lion and lioness and were witness to a 5 second "nooner". Actually happened right at noon. There were 3 other jeeps nearby and we laughed we heard a British voice call out "That was it?". apparently they mate every 30 minutes or so for up to 3 days. No wonder they sleep so much.
Our camp is primitive, at least to me. We sleep in 15' by 15' tents on a platform. Zip in- no doors. Inside toilet and shower though and electricity that is intermittent. Hot water is solar. We have a deck which overlooks a plain but aside from "noises" and some awesome birds- especially the lilac- crested rollers- no mammal wildlife. Dinner is in an open air thatched center with wine and beer. Not like Savanna Chobe but OK for 3 days. The staff are warm and friendly.
August 1, 2010 Okavanga Delta, Botswana
One long game drive today. Not much game and kind of boring, if you can call running into - ho hum - more giraffes, impalas, elephants, wildebeests, kudus, hippos, boring! We did have a flat tire while in the water which was mildly exciting as Chief had to change it in 2 feet of water. The rides are very jarring . The guides can answer any question and are impressive. Tented Wilderness Camp is located in a conservancy area. these areas were set up by the government to replace income lost to the locals as they can no longer hunt here or poach. An observer is sent out with each group to make sure we do not go off road. Apparently it is kind of annoying to the camp guides as they have to pay them. Chief admitted that hunting only stopped a year ago and the animals, having long memories, are still afraid to return to the area. The long range plan is good, though.
August 2, 2010
How many people can say they spent their 59th birthday in a safari camp in the Okavanga Delta? I can! It certainly was memorable. We started the day with a ride in a mokuto, a pole propelled canoe through reeds. We spotted some birds and fish. After lunch I decided not to go out with the rest of the group. I just wanted to relax in what little sun warmth there was- this is winter down here. I got out my First Ladies Detective Agency book set right down here in Botswana and commenced reading on the deck. Bert was in the tent. There was a hippo a few yards away in the swamp though too low to bother me except with her noisy grunts. All of a sudden the trees next to the deck began to shake and there appeared a very large elephant who popped out of the brush. He seemed as surprised to see me as I him. I didn't move but called out to Bert. There was no way to get help as the staff were far away in the main area- about a quarter mile. Bert came out with the camera and the elephant, after staring at us for many minutes, just started chomping on the trees. He stayed for over an hour never more than 15 feet away. I decided after a while that he was my birthday elephant sent as my present. Eventually he wandered away when it got dark. when the rest of the group came back they admitted they had seen nothing on their drive.
Dinner that night was in the BOMA. It is an African meeting place. The staff had chosen me to be the queen and Bert was the king and we were dressed appropriately. We ate as the tribal people did. Women serving the men and then eating the food with bare hands. We and they sang and danced and put on little acts for each other. A wonderful night under a starry open sky.
Aug 3 Botswana to Zimbabwe
Time to move on again. We repeated in reverse the long bumpy ride back to the landing strip. I think I will always remember the smell of the sage everywhere. It just reminded me of making turkey stuffing. the drives through the rivers for up to 300 yards sometimes were memorable. the water would rush into the truck and over the hood. the exhausts on these truck were elevated as snorkels so they did not stall. Still the level changed all the time and we never knew how deep the water was going to get. Exciting.
Right on African time, the plane pulled in and we jumped on and whoosh! were off back to Kasane , then a bus ride to Vic Falls,Zimbabwe. One amusing thing was spotting the hyena at the border between Botswana and Zimbabwe. He seemed a bit bewildered by all of us.
We dropped extra luggage off at our future hotel and then off to the Vic falls airport for a very small plane flight to Hwange National Park. Only allowed basics because of weight issues but we managed. Though I had been nervous re these flights in the bush, by now I was a veteran and loved the small planes. The lodge at Hwange was again just a little different from the others. It overlooked several watering holes. The roads were a bit better. The tents pretty much the same though we were nearly a km away from the main lodge. We had a boardwalk but there were time there was an elephant in the way. They had a small swimming pool as well though no one used it except the elephants who used it as a water hole. We had unparalleled views from this lodge out over the plains. could see for miles. I watched an ostrich meandering one day. We did 2 game drives a day and had our happy hours each sunset out in the bush drinking wine and eating oer doevres. one day we went to a village and visited the school and then the home of the chief who met with us and told us of their lives. Very interesting. What I liked about this part of Africa was the people. They live very simple lives. No one begged. They were warm, generous, friendly,always smiling. Zimbabwe has been through a very difficult time this past decade. Their money is nonexistent, they were starving, yet no complaints. They are just trying to do better.
Aug 6 Victoria Falls
After a plane ride back to Vic Falls we checked into the Illalla lodge, a small boutique hotel, simply beautiful. I pulled the curtains back on my 1st floor room to find a baboon staring back at me, nose pressed against the window. The bellman said the baboons wanted to party when we left the room. I left the door locked. We went out to see the Victoria Falls. Magnificent. this was the area where the famous meeting of the reporter Stanley found Dr Livingstone a missing British missionary. Livingstone was the first westerner to see the falls. the spray rises high above the falls. they fall into a deep chasm but you can walk along opposite them. Constant rainbows everywhere.
Aug 7 Livingstone Zambia
We were so close we had to say we got to Zambia. It was right across the river. So we organized a tour and the whole group went except for Bob. Moslt y we toured the livingstone Museum which was very comprehensive. Our guide, Precious, Taught us so much about the country and its tribes and people and the change from trbial ways to modern. Therest of the city was clean and interesting. Market stalls and ladies with baskets on their head in colorful clothes. Low rise buildings. Few tourists. On the way back a herd of elephants came out to greet us. Where else would you see anything like this.?
Our last night 's dinner was at a restarant called the Boma. A local tourist place, a nightclub, they dressed everyone as they came in in a colorful cloth and gave us drums. We ate a buffet of many of the local animals including warthog, kudu and impala. Robin and I even got a certificate for eatigng some kind of big fat worm. Obviously I had had a bit of wine first. Someone came around and they painted our faces with pictures of various animals. Truly we had so much fun.
Aug 8 Vic Falls
Sadly we said goodbye to Vitalis as he was headed - hitchhiking -to his home in northern Zimbabwe. We flew from Vic Falls to Jo' Burg and on to London and on to Boston.Took the train home. Took 40 hours total. It was a terrific adventure.
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