We had a bit of a tearful "goodbye" at the Livingstone International Airport and while everyone else flew home or on to other African adventures, Bob and I flew to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. After a very short stopover we boarded a tiny plane filled with hardy bush-hiking types, to fly into Mfuwe, a small village with shops, a petrol station and a market. A Bush Camp Company guide picked us up at the airport and took us at very high speeds, along a road filled with hundreds of villagers, all dressed up (it was Sunday) and heading for one of two possible destinations; church or a soccer game. Soon, we entered Mfuwe Gate, the main entrance to South Luangwa National Park, where a bridge crosses the Luangwa River. The river was filled with hippo's, more than we'd seen so far, and along the river bank, three female lions were chewing on a fresh kill. We had a rest stop at the main Bush Camp Lodge and were greeted by a waiter holding a tray with fresh fruit drinks and cool wet towels for us to freshen up. We were invited into the lodge for food and more drinks and as we stood in the reception area, chatting with management, they asked us to please step behind the reception counter. We found this a strange request until we realized that an elephant was coming up the ramp to reception and finding his way through the hotel to the mango tree out on the deck overlooking the river. This is a daily occurrence. On our return trip, 8 days later, we found the same elephant doing some landscaping beside the lodge....ripping out young delicious trees. Hilarious! We were so stunned that we forgot to take a photo. We were soon guided to an open game viewing truck for our long journey into the bush and to our first camp, Chamilandu. Our game drive, with a driver/guide, spotter and a junior guide hitching a ride to another camp, took us through dry gulches hotter than the hubs of Hell and into forests so cool that we couldn't believe the contrasts. Darkness falls early and it didn't relieve the heat much, however the spotter stood up as darkness fell, and began to swing the huge torch in all directions, looking for the tell-tale signs of nocturnals....glowing eyes.
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| Monkeys everywhere |
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| Nice little fellow |
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So close I could reach out of
the truck and touch him |
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Mfuwe Lodge Deck and
elephants favourite
mango tree |
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| Copied from Mfuwe Lodge website...fuzzy but you get the idea |
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| After dark....first hyena spotted |
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| ...and another, laying on the track |
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...and another, sound asleep and not
the least bit intimidated by a truck |
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| A lot of hare in the bush |
Our days in the camps started at 4:30 a.m. with a quiet call-out to us from somewhere outside our cabin. The sun rises early and sets early in the southern countries of Africa and it is important to get out and walk before the intense heat of the day. We would eat a light breakfast and head out to the bush in an open vehicle to the area where we would be walking; a different area each day. We would return to camp a few hours later and after a shower, would eat a meal. Each time we returned to the camp from an excursion, we would be met by the manager and a waiter with a tray of cold drinks and wet towels and we wondered how they knew we were coming. We learned that a subtle signal on the radio was sent to the camp, letting them know that we were about to arrive.
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Our beautiful accommodation
at Chamilandu |
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Hot water and lighting via solar power.
Instant hot water at the taps is stored in geysers,
making it always available to us |
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| Gorgeous cabins |
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2 showers, sinks and mirrors and toilet
under the stars and one side completely
exposed to the wildlife |
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View from the bedroom, greeted us
each morning at 4:30 |
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Dining Room under the roof and breakfast
spot outside |
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Only 3 cabins and Bob and
I were the only guests on days
2 and 3 |
Part of the wonderful service included daily laundry and we learned that in all of the camps, every piece of laundry is done by hand, dried in the sun and ironed with a hot coal iron. All of this in temperatures as high as 40+C. No wonder the staff is so slim!
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Our first day of bush walking,
we saw this tornado of birds |
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We learned that they swoop
close to the earth, beating their wings,
causing seeds to rise from the ground,
providing a meal. See and hear them
in action in the clip to the right |
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| Sunrise over the hills and river |
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Our guide Gilbert, stopped and pointed
out the soldier ants crossing the track |
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With termites in their mouths. Soldier
ants jaws are powerful and, when absolutely
necessary, have been used in the bush to
suture wounds |
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| Larva traps |
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Ants fall in and can't get
out. Within seconds, the
larva sucks the ant dry |
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Always walk single file because apparently
animals get the impression that
we are one long and large animal.
Not certain how guides know this |
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Armed scout goes first, then our guide
Gilbert. We were followed
by a junior guide |
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Bloom from the sausage tree. Monkeys
and baboons love the sausages |
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The sausage....heavy, dense and
fibrous |
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| Clusters of birds nests |
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| Up close.. |
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| Skull |
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Top sharpshooters in Zambia handle tourists
while the rest of the 1000 specialists
look for poachers in the Luwangwa parks |
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| Junior guide, Gilbert and Bob |
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Besides watching our backs, the junior
guides responsibilities include
carrying and preparing our snacks, coffee,
tea and providing water. How embarrassing
for us! |
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| The Scrambled Egg tree |
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| Gilbert, our guide....such a sweet man! |
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| Stork |
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| Outside our cabin |
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| Lunch at the camp hide |
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| Chef preparing pizza |
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| Baking in the outdoor oven |
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| Doc delivering my pizza... |
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| ..to the lovely dining room in the hide |
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| We ate and watched while this fellow.. |
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| ....enjoyed a day at the spa |
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Mom and baby keep an eye on the
trotter |
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| Southern Ground Hornbill |
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Frogs were regular visitors to
our cabin. This guys having
a nap |
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| Love this pic....at least 3 species in one shot! |
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| African Grey Hornbill |
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| Emerald-spotted Wood Dove |
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Southern Carmine Bee-eaters
make their home in the cliffs |
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Gilbert was so excited that I got this
shot of the Tree Hyrax, not normally seen
this far north |
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Southern Carmine Bee-eater
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The hot hours of the day (noon to 4 pm) were spent wrapped in wet sarongs, resting and reading or snoozing...or taking frequent cool showers. The heat was intense and we realized that this is why the accommodations are mostly only three sided. Our night game drive would begin around 4:30 when the sun was making it's way toward sunset. A "Sundowner" (drinks and snacks at sunset) was enjoyed wherever we happened to be as the sun was setting. The bar was set up on the front of the vehicle as seen below. As darkness fell, the night drive became intense and all kinds of nocturnal animals and birds were seen.
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| Zillah, manager of the camp |
Our favourite night bird...the Pennant Winged Nightjar (not our photo's....couldn't capture them in flight)
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Strangle vines - they grow in a counter-
clockwise direction around objects in the southern
hemisphere |
One evening, we returned to our camp and had a lovely surprise. Instead of eating in the main dining room with the Zillah and Gilbert, a table had been set up on the balcony of our cabin and we dined by lantern light. As we were eating, something small and quick, darted along the railing a few inches from our shoulders. I caught a bit of a glimpse and when the second animal darted after the first, I realized that tiny elephant shrews (like a mouse but with a trunk like an elephant) were visiting. I've borrowed another photo from the web to show you what these cute little creatures look like. Too quick for Bob or me to grab a shot.
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Our pretty table decorated with bush
vines and flowers |
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| Elephant Shrew |
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