Inglis in Africa: Africa Overland/load

Hyenna at Ethosha after a mud bath

Africa Overland March-April 2011.

Mosi-oa-Tunya (The smoke that thunders in the local Kololo language) is far more apt than the somewhat jaded Victoria Falls, but either way this place is dramatic. I trotted off for a morning jog today as the sun crept up through the thick fog thrown up by these massive 108m high and 1.7km wide waterfalls about which Livingstone wrote “On sights as beautiful as this, angels in their flight must have gazed.” My run took me through the slightly tired village of Vic Falls to the opulent grandeur of the Victoria Falls Hotel where the breakfast verandah gazes directly up the thundering gorge at the Zim-Zam bridge and the sight of one of the highest bungees in the world. I leave by a front gate passing a man with a rifle who assures me that there are no lion but beware of elephants. I jog cautiously side-stepping massive mounds of elephant dung and hopping over fresh broken branches to a viewing deck perched above the swirling, snaking river far below. The grey-green water boils and bubbles and bucks and banks thrashing down the narrow gorge in a frightening display of power and perseverance, having just crashed over the mighty falls. I feel humbled and skirt along a narrow path past the insane rope swing and then on to the entry to the Park where I talk briefly in Zulu to the rangers. Ndebele is very similar to Zulu and so I have the opportunity to communicate a little, at least, with the locals. I return back through the village to our campsite and the girls where Ilda is preparing school for the day. Margot and Zara are excited at the prospect of an elephant ride at midday and then the visit to the Falls themselves……provided school goes ok!

Lion at Ethosha with a Zebra kill

Giraffes at Ethosha

I think that we have been on the road for about 6 weeks now and the last time I wrote we had just arrived at Etosha National Park in Namibia. So many memories since then have created the rich tapestry of our African Adventure that it is hard to know where to start and what was most profound. Was it the cheetah chase or the lion kill near Namatoni camp? Was it relaxing on a deck over the Okavango River with cold beer in hand at sunset or camping with local Tswanas when we found all the official camps flooded? Was it the boat trip up into the Okavango Delta where we gazed in awe at majestic Fish eagles or camping at Savuti in the Chobe National Park where a bull elephant seemed to adopt us and hung around our campsite all night? Or was it the sunset boat cruise on the Chobe River where herds of elephant frolicked unperturbed only metres from our small boat and sucked up water through outstretched trunks and sprayed it over massive rumps under the golden glint of the setting sun? Or was it simply seeing Margot and Zara lying in their tent in the soft morning light reading their novels and Zara telling me that “Stone Fox” was the best book she had ever read in her life! Or seeing them engrossed in fantasy play involving elephants, huts and bartering with hawkers? Or watching them diligently doing their school work in their 37th classroom on a deck stretched over the Chobe River while Ilda patiently guides them? I don’t know, but all in all this is proving to be one of our most profound life experiences and we somehow hope that it will never end.

Maybe it’s Global Warming but anyway, the rains were supposed to be over. We have been accompanied by massive thunderstorms most of the way which only now, in Zimbabwe, seem to have abated. So Etosha should have been a disaster. The famous salt Pan now a lake; roads closed by massive muddy puddles and animals somewhat remote, enjoying the glut of water. Well the pundits were wrong! During first 2 nights at Okaukuejo camp there was certainly a paucity of game with sparse antelope and giraffe and fruitless nocturnal sorties to the camp waterhole. However as we moved eastwards things changed dramatically. The highlight of course was witnessing the preparation, execution and completion of the killing of a Springbuck by a Cheetah. It was quite the most exhilarating and dramatic thing to watch and left the four of us in an awed silence. We felt privileged to have witnessed the food chain first hand! The sight that met us as we approached the plains before Namatoni camp was “Out of Africa”. Black Rhino, herds of giraffe, multitudes of antelope, blue wildebeest, zebra, hyena, jackal, vultures and to top it all, a pride of lion, which that night killed no less than two zebra and were feasting on them when we passed the next morning.

Hoba Meteorite Namibia

From Etosha we drove east to the mining town of Tsumeb and enjoyed the luxury of a campsite with restaurant, internet café and Olympic size swimming pool! (serious….one of only two in Namibia!) All at half the price of Etosha. It was good to head north again into Boabab country and up into the Caprivi Strip. This was the region of gruesome fighting in the 70’s and 80’s were RSA was at loggerheads with Angola and Mozambique and based the South African 32-Battallion whose dilapidated barracks we visited. Nature had consumed the old buildings with trees and creepers and Kudu and Buffalo grazed where soldiers once walked. Our campsite on the Okavango River was sublime and our wake up call was provided by resident hippo and my favourite bird, the Fish Eagle. We were lucky to get a site because many of the other camps were flooded and closed. We left wonderful Namibia and eased into Botswana via the Okavango panhandle.

Our first nights accommodation was problematic as all camps were flooded but some friendly locals let us set up camp in their yard. It was lovely to feel part of their rhythm and to observe first hand life in a hut away from the bustle of our lives. The next morning we visited the excellent local clinic and had a tour of the local school, where ‘learners’ appeared to be grappling with some fairly complex stuff! Then on to Maun, which had metamorphosed since I was there in the early 80’s. A sleepy gateway to the Delta had now become a big town with supermarkets, big hotels and even a university. We had a relaxing couple of days there but at 450 US$ night the inner Delta was out of reach. After much apprehension about road conditions we set off on the famous Maun to Kasani route via Moremi and Chobe. Our first night at Mankwe was rewarded with elephant sightings and our first leopard…..at last! We had our own private camp and enjoyed a pristine night under a rich blanket of stars. Then on into Chobe where mud detoured but didn’t stop us and to Savuti camp. Here again we enjoyed relatively private campsites, this time perched on the side of the Savuti channel which was flowing for the first time in 35 years. This is where we were befriended by Savuti the local bull elephant. What an experience it was! He spent most of his time on the periphery of our camp about 20 metres away, fought off 2 other bulls as if protecting us and then wandered nonchalantly around our car, sniffed the table and pots and then eased off as we cowered in the car with half cooked dinner and Ilda’s fresh rolls! That was something and the girls immediately snapped up pencils to record what had happened.

Sunset over the Okavango River- Caprivi

The roads across Chobe were sandy and sometimes corrugated, but we got through fine. We had been a bit worried about not having a Hi-lift jack but all went well. We were even able to help dig out a Belgian couple who were stuck in sand down to their axles and then casually cruised through were they had just been stuck!

Kasane is quite a hub. Straddling no less than four countries it has an air of excitement and provides an excellent base to explore. Our campsite at the Chobe Safari Lodge was awesome, fully equipped with resident crocs and wrestling hippos and the lodge pool was sumptuous. We did a double whammy with morning game drive in Chobe and then boat cruise on the Chobe River at sunset. By the end of it we were swirling in a cloud of visual delights of massive herds of buffalo, hippos grunting and cavorting with the sunrise, elephants frolicking at sunset and a myriad memories of exquisite birds. After a good morning of school we farewelled Botswana and headed off to Zim.

And here we are! We had a big walk today via the grand old Vic Falls Hotel, the gorge views and the rope swing and then on into the park. Folk said we would get wet and that was no lie and the thunder and drama of the Falls was spectacular. Fortunately the girls had donned swimming costumes and we all dried quickly in the sun. The walk across the border and then bridge into Zambia was great and we had a laugh watching a few chaps Bungee jump. Zara assures me that she will never do one but I have my doubts.

Tomorrow to Hwange and then we take the 22hour ferry across Kariba and on to Mana Pools.