Author: ivan

Categories
Tanzania

7th November 2005

Stayed for three nights in the Ruaha National Park. When we arrived there were two Lions right opposite our campsite! There are some large Lion prides here of 20+ individuals and were lucky enough to see 22 Lions in one day in three different locations. Ten of these we watched for around an hour at the end of which they then went hunting an Eland up the dry river bed. They didn’t catch it though but it was just amazing to see them hunting.

We also saw a large pride with 4 cubs and 9 adults. There could have been more but in the long grass it wasn’t always easy to spot them. It made taking photographs very difficult too.

2 hours of rain yesterday afternoon, the mattress in the roof tent got rather damp but we managed to get it dry enough to sleep on!

Stayed at a Farm called Kisolanza both before and after Ruaha where we could get fresh meat and vegetables grown on the Farm. A very pleasant campsite too. Met a Swiss couple who have been travelling in a Fiat Panda (4×4 admittedly!) but brave nevertheless.

Categories
Tanzania

2nd November 2005

Stayed at Mbeya overnight on the way to Ruaha Reserve. There was a good vegetable market where we stocked up on food. Some local knowledge is necessary to know that an Avocado should be 2 1/2 pence and not an ‘extortionate’ 10 pence! ‘Mzungu’ (White person) prices persist, double it and then double it again! The ‘problem’ being that difference is small but we need to improve our bargaining skills!

Some thunder and heavy rain yesterday perhaps indicating the start of the short rains. But the rain didn’t last long.

Categories
Malawi

2nd November 2005

Went to Mount Mulanje and the Zomba Plateau each for a night and then returned to Lake Malawi for a few days at Palm Beach and then at two other places further up the lake on the way to Tanzania. We were sad to leave Palm Beach having learned so much about Malawi from people there especially Sumanie. Without doubt the Malawians must be the friendliest people in Africa always keen to say hello. They are understandably proud of the hard won education they have received, only primary education is free. In Africa people stay in education for a long time (school days are much shorter). It is not unusual for them to be almost 30 by the time they complete a University degree.

Also visited the Nyika Plateau, an extraordinary landscape at 8,000 feet (hence a bit cooler than the Lakeside!) with bracken and wild flowers. There are some Roan Antelope and Eland here, Leopard are spotted rarely. We saw a large spotted Hyena here who insisted on posing for photos! The landscape is rolling hills and is managed by regular burning.

Categories
Mozambique

19th October 2005

Spent some time at a couple of places on the Indian Ocean, Chocas and Fim do Mondo. The snorkelling was very good and the water so warm and clear. At Chocas they were selling fish and lobster on the beach. We bought a fish like a red snapper for around 25p and cooked it on the fire. We were on the edge of the mangrove area here which meant there was a Lagoon to swim in as well as the sea. The crutaceans were of an amazing variety and colour but were all sold very quickly so we didnt get the opportunity to taste them. The people here were less friendly than in Malawi but our lack of Portugese doesn’t help.

We encountered the worst roads yet here in Mozambique. Some of the potholes could swallow elephants! We hence found a different route back to Malawi to avoid the bad part we encountered. There were many signs of the Civil War including many missing road bridges and abandonned bullet-ridden buildings. However it is definitely worth the effort.

Categories
Malawi

11th October 2005

We spent 6 nights at Lake Malawi, one at Senga Bay, two at Cape Maclear and two at the aptly named Palm Beach. We went on a snorkelling trip around one of the lake islands from Cape Maclear and the boatmen (John & Simon, suitably biblical!) cooked fish for lunch, in this case Capango which was delicious with rice and a tomato sauce. We also had another local fish called Chombo which was very good too. The snorkelling was very good, there are no less than 800 species of mostly brightly coloured cyclid fish in the lake. Unfortunately the lake is being over-fished and stocks are being seriously depleted. The Malawi government is taking some measures but they seem very pretty ineffective. They need to take action soon or in a decade it maybe too late.

The owners of Palm Beach took us on a cruise down the lake on their pontoon where we saw Cape Clawless Otters (unfortunately no photos as I didnt have my camera with me!).

We were watched avidly by local kids at the lake. I took photos of them which they thought was great and I have agreed to send them to them via the watchman at the beach (who also wanted his photo taken!). We also met a charming Malawian called Suman (pronounced Sumanie) who spoke excellent English who acted as translator, procurer of wonderful sweet ripe Mangos (about 10p each) and told us lots about local life. He wanted a pair of shoes but even though he was my size unfortunately we didnt have a spare pair.

The Malawians were really charming people always keen to chat and very inquisitive. It was heart-breaking really as they have so little and so many problems with drought, lack of agricultural production and even massive corruption over food aid. Labour rates are very low, the barman at Palm Beach told us he gets paid around a pound a day for very long hours.

I had thought the Tsetse flies were a pest in Zambia but the ones around the Lake were huge with a bite to match! Insects in general are the least endearing feature of Africa!

We may return to the Lake on the way back from Mozambique for a few days.

Categories
Zambia

5th October 2005

Viewed game in South Luangwa National Park for 4 days. There was even wildlife (Elephant, Hippo and Baboons) in the camp! We went on three night drives on which we saw Genet cats, Civets and even a Leopard (the fifth of the trip!). Flatdogs was a great place to stay for the park, just outside the gate.

Onto Lake Malawi next via Lilongwe

Categories
Zambia

29th September 2005

Got the fuel leak fixed and a service done. I waited while they finished reinstalling the tank only to find the fuel guage didn’t work. They then decided to remove the fuel sender without draining the tank and I stood there exasperated while they were leaking my (expensive) diesel on the ground. Then when I left the yard the fuel guage wandered all over the place but it proved to be just the float settling down (they get caught on the baffles in the tank). Just as well as my nerves couldn’t stand another charade!

Stayed in Jollyboys backpakers lodge in Livingstone where we met an Aussie couple Kevin & Sarah who had done the eastern route in a 1981 ex army Land Rover and had all sorts of useful advice for us. They were coming to the end of their trip.

Went to see Mosi-oa-Tunya (‘the smoke that thunders’) or Victoria Falls (for all you colonials). Very little water indeed on the Zambian side so we went across to the Zimbabwe side. The horseshoe falls were actually empty of water. A great contrast to when we were here before in May when we got so wet we had to wring our T shirts out! Mr Mugabe got his pound of flesh in an extortionately punitive visa fee (for British citizens especially!). There was actually a guy fishing right next to the edge of the falls, crazy! Nobody was bungee jumping from the bridge and we declined the opportunity.

Headed off to Lake Kariba for a few days. Long 7 hour drive to get there on the most difficult mountain road which is the main trade route from RSA to Zimbabwe. We saw several broken down lorries and one carrying maize that had completely overturned. Lots of lorry chassis down in the valley! At the lake it was really hot, around 40 degrees celcius and the Mosquitos were unbelievably bad even with a net inside the tent. To add insult to injury there were a group of lads who were paralytically drunk, expert only in the F word and were showing one another their penises at 3 am in the morning!

Visted the Kariba Dam which is very impressive (but power generation is lowering the lake by 20mm a day). It was so hot we just loafed for most of a day reading by the pool.

Moved onto Lusaka and went in search of Diesel. There is a shortage in Zambia at the moment, the refinery closed for maintenance and following that broke down! It is taking some time to get back to normal. We have managed to get fuel although some stations were rationing to 20 litres (but were easily persuaded to put 20 litres in the tank and 20 in a Jerry can!!). Drove on from Lusaka towards South Luangwa and stayed at Petauke a very small place where we were the only people in the campsite and their massive chest freezer contained one cold bottle of coke!! Still we provided entertainment for the local kids who watched us intently. Had a storm overnight with high winds and quite a bit of rain, the last thing we expected.

We are now staying at Flatdogs camp (the quaint local name for crocodiles) and will venture into the South Luangwa Park for (yet more!) game viewing.

Categories
Botswana

21st September 2005

Got the fridge fixed in Maun, we think we got fleeced but we needed it fixed. It was fixed in African time i.e. sometime after the promised hour! Spent several nights in Chobe National Park both at Savuti and by the river. We met up with Seagal, our guide when we last came to Botswana. We tracked him down first in Moremi and then again in Chobe (we are getting good at tracking!). It was really good to see him again and catch up (although I think we rather surprised him!). We had our first flat tyre, not bad after thousands of miles in the bush. However we were looking for the big Savuti pride of lions who were in the area at the time. Fastest wheel change I have ever done with the thought of 20+ hungry lions in the vicinity who hadn’t eaten for a week!! These guys catch elephants for goodness sake!! Got the type fixed in Maun for a cost of 20 Pula (around 2 pounds sterling)

Also used the winch to get us out of the sand-ridge in Chobe, very soft indeed. So rather glad we had one.

Saw more Leopard in Chobe (we have been very lucky indeed). We did also see the big Savuti pride, so many it was difficult to count. They didn’t kill while we were there but the young males spent hours play-fighting and the dominant male was either roaring, sleeping or mating. We also saw Lion with a giraffe kill near the Kasane gate in Chobe (sorry for the photo but this is life in the raw).

We are now in Livingstone for a few days. George the Land Rover has sprung a fuel leak again (got the last one fixed in the UK before we left). There is a weakness in the solder on the tank around the vent pipe and it shakes apart on these roads. We are going to get a service done at the same time as we have done 9,500 miles now.

Categories
Botswana

12th September 2005

6 amazing nights in Moremi. The game viewing was absolutely stunning. Lots of photos uploaded! Particularly proud of the Leopard pictures, from only a few feet away we watched a young female Leopard for almost an hour. The fridge is broken (shaken to death!)

Categories
Botswana

5th September 2005

A long drive from South Africa up to Botswana. Trouble trying to reclaim VAT at the border (Accountants have to do this sort of thing!). Stocked up in Francistown to go into the bush. Tried to sort out mobile internet access through Mascom and Orange but neither an option (former doesn’t work and latter wont allow it on pre-pay). Spent a restless night at a site near Francistown (near the Zim border) where security has been a problem with vehicles being broken into at the campsite. Thankfully there was a guard on duty though. Then spent two nights at the Makgadikgadi Pan (photos on the site), saw first Hippo of the trip and met a couple of British overlanders, Mike and Jackie who had been away for 8 months via the western route. Quite a lot of driving in sand here which is quite challenging. Then moved onto Nxai Pan for a couple of nights down a very sandy track. Saw our first Cheetah here (a group of 4 males) as soon as we arrived in the park. Found them again the following day but on both occasions they were some distance from the track (which you are not allowed to leave). We also met another British overland couple here Steve and Michelle who have been away for 8 months via the western route. On the last day we saw a honey badger and two bat-eared foxes (photos on the site).

On to Moremi and Chobe reserves next after re-stocking in Maun (safari ‘capital’ of Botswana).