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Trip of a Lifetime: Ultimate Africa: Day 15 Part 1

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November 17, 2015

9:40P

What a night last night and what a day today. Wow!

Aryn and I both woke up around 1:30A to these horrific winds and heavy rains pouring down on our canvas roof and blowing in the screened windows behind our bed. We immediately closed the window flaps to keep out the rain. The wind was so bad I envisioned trees falling down on us and our canvas roof ripping right off. I then gathered my wallet, passport, camera, glasses, cell phone, and malaria pills and placed them all in my small bag in case I needed to abandon ship. Of course, that would present an entirely different host of concerns knowing there had been a leopard outside just a few hours prior. For the next hour or so, we laid in bed very afraid of how this night was going to turn out. Finally, when the winds & rain calmed down I was able to fall back asleep.

At breakfast, I was surprised to hear no mention of the storm from anyone on staff. Apparently, it wasn’t as big a threat as we had felt. We did, however, hear reports that a lion had been roaming through camp most of the night after the storm subsided. Thank God Aryn and I followed instructions to not step outside our tent. I imagine if the storm had been enough of a threat to compromise our tent, then one of the staff members would have come and collected us all and taken us somewhere safe.

After breakfast we said goodbye to Ed, Sally and all the wonderful staff at Kashawe Camp and piled in our two jeeps. It was about 6:30A. It was interesting to see the accumulation of rain deposited throughout the area. The water levels of the rivers had risen and the soil was no longer so devastatingly parched. About 15 minutes into our 45 minute drive to the boom gate we approached a fairly steep hill. The first jeep struggled but made it. We, on the other hand, were hauling the luggage cart and our tow was too heavy for us to make it so we got stuck in the mud. Although, inconvenient, this experience actually became hilarious. After many unsuccessful tries of laying on the gas, backing up and forward, Mafuka, our bus driver and Vitalis all got out of the jeep and detached the luggage cart. Mafuka, then, radioed for help. With the luggage cart and two passengers removed from the equation, Mafuka was able to get enough traction to get us up the muddy hill.

The sky was still overcast, there was a light rain in the air and we were all wearing our ponchos as we sat in the jeep waiting for help. About a half hour later, a big red tractor arrived and hauled the luggage cart up the hill. Cold and wet, we happily applauded the tractor driver and were happy to be on our way to the enclosed mini bus waiting for us 30 minutes away at the park entrance. The guides quickly reattached the luggage cart and off we went.

Luggage cart being hauled up the hill by the tractor in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.

When we arrived at the boom gate, the first half of our group was anxious to learn what had happened. Oh well, nobody was eaten by a lion or injured so there really was nothing to complain about. I guess Hwange National Park was not going to let us get away that easy. Haha!

The bus ride to the town of Victoria Falls was an uneventful 2 hours. Vitalis had our driver take us through some of the residential streets of Victoria Falls so we could see how the locals lived. Most of the homes were single story and very modest.

A typical residence in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

We also stopped along the side of the road to interact with some women selling chickens, guinea fowl and roosters. This was more of the learning and discovery exposure that we all really enjoyed.

Chickens and Roosters for sale along the side of the road in Victoria Falls.

As soon as we reached the Sprayview Hotel I hopped on the Wifi to connect with Aaron, my mom and a few other folks back home.

Entrance to the beautiful Sprayview Hotel in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Reception seating area at Sprayview Hotel. It was seated in that chair that I was able to find a solid Wifi connection to send text & Facebook messages back home.

It’s weird to be back in civilization with four walls, a real roof and air conditioning. The pool area here is simple yet beautiful.

Pool area at Sprayview Hotel.

Our room at the Sprayview Hotel is clean and cozy. Our OAT luggage bags were on our beds when we arrived in our room. I have yet to actually carry my bag anywhere on this entire trip. The service at all the camps and now, so far, this hotel has been on point.

Aryn and Brian’s room at the Sprayview Hotel. We did see some monkeys and baboons in these trees during our stay!

After a quick check-in to our rooms, we all gathered back in the hotel lobby to board our minibus which was taking us to see one of the seven natural wonders of the world: Victoria Falls.

February 4, 2016 by Brian

Travel

Trip of a Lifetime: Ultimate Africa: Day 14 Part 3

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November 16, 2015 9:18P post cont …

After our visit to St. Mary’s School we returned to Kashawe Camp in Hwange National Park. Just after passing through the boom gate we spotted a lioness walking in the grass. She was on her way to lie down in the shade of a tree. As we zoomed in with our cameras we discovered she had a rather nasty scar around her neck. Our guide, Mafuka, said it was from a snare trap and that he was aware of this particular lioness. He explained that the park wildlife reserve will soon be coming to treat her wounds.

Wounded lioness walking towards the shade.

Our evening game drive started out with a nasty flat tire. Our guide, Thabani, quickly resolved the situation and we were back on the dirt road. We soon encountered a giant “obstinacy” (herd) of cape buffalo. These animals appear incredibly curious as they all stop to stare at us in our parked jeep. As long as we sat there, they stood there watching.

Cape buffalo carefully watching us.

The drive continued without much excitement until we got word from another jeep that there was a pack of 19 painted dogs nearby ‘Painted dogs?’ I thought. I had never heard of such a thing. Thabani stepped on the gas and hurried us to where they were just spotted. Who would have imagined wild dogs could be so beautiful. Their mottled black, beige and white coats are stunning. They have large round ears and dark brown circles around their eyes. What a peculiar yet handsome sight!

Painted wild dog in Hwange National Park

The dogs were quick to move as they were hungry and hoping to find food before sundown. Our jeep was on the road looking down from a low ridge and the dogs disappeared for a moment but then we found them again. They had identified a potential meal: a lone female kudu and the hunt began. Oh wow! How lucky are we to see nature in full action. The kudu went into the river as her protection against the dogs who were pacing back and forth surrounding her. The hunt lasted over a half hour – right through sundown. At one point (probably twenty minutes into the hunt) every one of the dogs disappeared. This was a strategy to confuse the kudu into thinking she was safe to leave the water, which she did, and the dogs instantly reappeared. Quickly, the kudu escaped back into the water and now the dogs became more aggressive. They started entering the water in a drawn-out relentless hunt to secure their dinner. As they drew in close, water was splashing everywhere and with the night sky around us it was impossible for my little camera to capture the final kill. But we could see it from where we all stood at the edge of the bluff. After a 30 or so minute hunt the dogs succeeded in killing the poor kudu. They all piled on top of her and in less than three minutes she was eaten. What a rare sight to witness – talk about National Geographic live and in person!

Painted dogs have the female kudu trapped in the river.

Painted dogs desperately trying to get close enough to make their kill.

I also caught some pictures of the beautiful sunset behind us. Those of us who chose to go on this game drive were so excited to brag about our discovery to the rest of the group when we returned to camp. “Good good” as Vitalis would say.

Expecting rain, we all gathered outside around the crackling fire of the “boma” for some entertainment before dinner. Over the bluff, the distant overcast night sky was being lit up in a deep maroon by the oncoming showcase of lightening. The staff formed a drum circle and performed for us and we followed by them singing the African national anthem. It was beautiful. Next, Judy led our group in “The Hokey Pokey” and the staff all joined in. We all laughed and danced and sang together. It was so much fun!

This is a shot of the boma during the daytime.

Next, Sally announced that dinner was served. First, there was soup and then the main course was served buffet style. As I’ve mentioned before, I love our dinner conversations. There’s always so much laughter and new discovery as you get to know the local staff.

Now, I’m propped up in my cozy bed. For the last 45 minutes or so we’ve been listening to the intimidating mating grunts of a leopard. He seems to be getting closer. Despite the other mating sounds we’ve heard, including the lion which I actually find quite soothing, the leopard mating call is a little scary. I hope he doesn’t decide to come up on our front porch. The winds have really picked up and are actually sounding rather ferocious. I hope, if it does rain tonight, it’s a nice gentle rain. But just in case of a storm, Aryn and I are setting our night stand lamps down on the floor (to avoid them being knocked over by the wind) and unplugging our phone chargers.

Nite nite!

January 22, 2016 by Brian

Travel, Uncategorized

Trip of a Lifetime: Ultimate Africa: Day 14 Part 2

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November 16, 2015 cont …

9:18P

Back from dinner and drum entertaining and dancing around the boma. For our presentation we performed the hokey-pokey again. All the staff members joined in and danced with us. It was really fun and nice to drink a local beer (Zambezi) by the campfire.

So, anyway, back to our list at the Lukosa Homestead. As we were sitting there in the “summer kitchen” we all went around and told our names and where we were from. Then each of the villagers, minus the small children, who were only seen and not heard and very well-behaved, told us their names, marital status and how many children (and grandchildren) they had.

The women of the homestead were seated on a mat on the floor inside the summer kitchen.

Shalom, the first twenty-some year-old boy, translated for the headman as he explained the men’s duties in the homestead and his wife, via her grandson, who was the older young man, told us about the women’s role in the homestead. We were then encouraged to ask questions followed by them inquiring about our life and culture back home. They were particularly interested to learn about our process of getting married, weddings, and having children. They were intrigued to learn that some married couples in our culture choose to never have kids. The woman then brought in a tall wooden receptacle that resembled a butter churn and two long wooden poles. Inside the receptacle they placed grain and used the wooden poles to pound down on the corn, alternating one pound at a time forming a fast engine-like motion. By doing this for hours they would eventually create cornmeal. To help pass the time the ladies would sing while they worked. The grandson who had now taken over the tour, translated the song’s lyrics: “Those who work will prosper and those who are lazy will suffer.”

Women making cornmeal

(Note: We are now hearing the deep grunting of a leopard right outside our tent – yeesh!)

The grandson then gave us a tour of some of the structures around the homestead.

Young man giving us a tour of the village. Beside him is the village “headman.”

We were able to go inside the girls hut because it was “the tidiest hut in the homestead.” Haha! The boys hut was off limits to our viewing because it was “messy.”

The girls room

We also went inside of the “winter kitchen.” This is where the women do their cooking when it gets cold out because it’s more enclosed that the “summer kitchen.” Interestingly enough, this winter kitchen is also where they hold “calling hours” for viewing a dead family member before they are buried. The room was very simple. It, like the “summer kitchen,” was round. We were told the kitchens are intentionally designed this way because snakes like to hide in corners. The villagers build their kitchens round so there are no corners for the snakes to hide. Against one of the walls was a case of shelves and in the middle was a small fire covered by a metal grate. On it sat a cast iron kettle with two small cast iron pots beside it on the ground. The structures where everyone slept (the girls’ bedroom, boys’ bedroom and headman’s house) were all square.

Inside the winter kitchen

After the tour we returned to the cool summer kitchen for “bush tea”, coffee and delicious rosemary shortbread cookies.

The young man being very hospitable and serving the “bush tea,” coffee and cookies.

We were also given the option of eating home-cooked mopane worms – yes, you read this correctly – WORMS! This was a very interesting experience. Vitals informed us prior to arriving in the village that the women would not be offended if we declined eating them. The worms come from the mopane trees and are loaded in nutrients. They were first boiled in water, then fried with onions and tomatoes. As the bowl was passed around, I took one of the worms. I mean, why not? When in Rome … right? The worms were crunchy on the outside and squishy on the inside. Their flavor closely resembled that of a sardine. Hmmm … no regrets but not exactly on my most favorite list.

Village woman offering us some mopane worms

As we enjoyed our morning tea and coffee, the learning and discovery continued as we were told that when a young man is talking one-on-one to an elder he never looks him directly in the eye or if the elder is seated the young man never remains standing so that he is above the elder’s head. Eye contact is considered a form of aggression and standing above an elder is disrespectful. So the young man must kneel or be seated. I did not notice this behavior during our visit to the village.

Overall, visiting the Lukosa homestead was an amazing experience. The family was so grateful for all the groceries and cleaning supplies we brought them. It was wonderful to see smiles on all of their faces.

I love the smiles on the faces of the villagers.

Next, we took the minibus to St. Mary’s School. There, some of the kids came outside to greet us with a song.

The boys and girls of St. Mary’s School in Zimbabwe greeting us with a song.

We were able to visit three different classrooms (the 1st graders, a computer room and the 4th graders). In the 4th grade class we sat down amongst the students and talked with them. They were still learning English but able to communicate pretty well with us. I sat at a table with Cheryl and the kids told us about their favorite sports and games to play at lunch time and what they were learning.

Sitting down with the 4th Graders at St. Mary’s.

One particular boy was very enthusiastic in answering our questions and even read us a long paragraph from his English textbook. It was so heart-warming to see the excitement in all their faces. They loved having their pictures taken and insisted on us showing them their picture from our digital cameras. Each of these kids had their own pencil, broken in half from a full one. There were also aluminum soup cans on their desks filled with rocks or corn kernels. This was what they used to learn math.

One of the boys eagerly reading to Cheryl and I.

The school’s principal was grateful for all the gifts we donated including reading books, coloring books, deflated soccer balls, pencils, pens and crayons.

Some of these students walk up to 6 km a day to get to school and then, of course, another 6 km to return home. This made me ask Vitalis if they had to worry about encountering wild animals during their walk. Vitalis explained that the kids are only walking when their is, at least, some daylight and they are taught what to look out for and how to respond. However, he said, there aren’t too many encounters with animals except for elephants. Then he chuckled and explained that the elephants have learned to avoid and actually will run away when they hear children coming. This is because children will sick their dogs on an elephant who is too big to stop a small dog as it darts in between and around their legs. This behavior exhausts the elephant who then gives up. Additionally, find out if using a cbd for dogs is safe if you have any pets.

In addition, Vitalis said that children used to roll tires over to an elephant who would pick up the tire with its trunk and throw it down. The rubber tire would then bounce back up and all over the place. This frustrated and exhausted the elephant who didn’t expect the tire to bounce so they would eventually give up and walk away in frustration. So because of this, Vitalis stated that as soon as elephants hear the sound of children coming, they take off to avoid these frustrations. I thought this was an interesting and hilarious look into the life of the locals.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all the new learning and discovery throughout this trip.

January 20, 2016 by Brian

Publishing

Trip of a Lifetime: Ultimate Africa: Day 13 Part 1

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November 15, 2015 – 12:46P

Sitting on the front porch relaxing in the cool afternoon temperatures of Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. Let me start by writing about last night. What a fantastic thunder and lightening storm. The lightening first appeared in the distance filling up the entire sky with deep shades of red. Not long after, there came bellowing roars of thunder that spanned for nearly an hour as I lay awake in bed. I was hoping for rain and between wind bursts I could hear footsteps in the grass outside our “tent.” The wind bursts became so ferocious that one particular gust blew so hard against the canvas wall behind our beds that it knocked over the lamps on Aryn and my nightstands. This really made us nervous and my first reaction was to quickly unplug my camera battery that was charging. Then, I replaced the lamp onto the nightstand and finally it began to rain. The rains were heavy and I pulled the heavy comforter up to my chin to keep warm.

Eventually, the weather system moved out and we were able to sleep again. The following morning we both admitted our concern over the canvas roof possibly ripping right off or the doors flying opening and a lion creeping inside to escape the rain. You know, I never did figure out what those outside footsteps were.

After a nice breakfast, the following morning, we headed out on our first game drive of the day! The sky was overcast and a light rain materialized which really cooled things down to, I’d say, the mid 60’s. It felt amazing. I can’t say enough good things about OAT. They don’t miss a trick because the jeeps came equipped with enough green ponchos for us all to wear. Unfortunately, when the rains come the animals hide. We did, however, see a few impala, zebras and some birds.

Zebras hanging out in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

After a while, we stopped at a picnic area with bathrooms. The guides served up our morning tea and coffee with these wonderful rosemary shortbread cookies. Since it was overcast and slightly raining, we gathered beneath the thatched roofs of one of the structures that stood beside a giant candelabra tree.

Pavilion where we gathered to escape the rain for our morning tea & coffee. Notice the beautiful candelabra tree.

One of our guides, Mafuka, had taken some long strands of tree fiber from one of the baobab trees. He began by pressing them in a downward motion along his leg and by doing this he was able to twist the strands into a tight, thin rope. He, then, used these short ropes to make bracelets for all the ladies. I, selfishly, asked him to make one for me as well, which he did. He also made one big rope and, when holding it up, said it was strong enough to tow one of the jeeps. Wow!

Mafuka making the bracelets out of fibers from the baobab tree.

While Mafuka was making the bracelets, he shared with us bits and pieces of his life and the Zimbabwean culture. He particularly focused on the cultural practice of polygamy. Very educational. Mafuka is 74 years old. He has been leading game drives for over 50 years. He, now, has 3 wives as he divorced his 4th one years ago. Divorce is a very informal process here in Africa. The man simply tells his wife he no longer wishes to be married to her and sends her on her way. No divorce attorney or paperwork is required. If there is a child between them, the man is expected to provide for that child. Sometimes this gets messy.

The process of getting married is fairly simple, as well. If a man likes a particular girl, he simply courts her and if she falls in love with him and and he wishes to be married, he asks her to marry him. If she says yes, he, then, pays a dowry. The dowry price ranges based on the value of what the woman can bring to the marriage. For example, if she is educated, she could bring a substantial income to the marriage and, therefore, the price of the dowry increases. Mafuka gave the example of “10 cows and $5,000,” as a dowry price. He also explained that if a guy has a good reputation the dowry price is lower than a guy with a bad reputation. This is the opposite of what we would think would determine someone’s dowry price. However, it’s done this way so to possibly discourage a “bad boy” from marrying your daughter by raising the dowry cost hopefully to a level that he can’t afford. Smart thinking!

Mafuka continued by stating that if a man finds another available girl that he likes or, in some cases, his wife may suggest bringing in a particular girl (say one of her cousins) and the man likes her, he can ask her to marry him as well. Mafuka said he knew of a man with 40 wives. He also shared that despite having multiple wives, some men cheat on their wives with a mistress. This can create a lot of village gossip. Our other game drive guide, Thabani, is much younger (probably in his mid 20’s) and has only one wife and three children.

We also learned there is a lot of societal pressure around having children. So much that there have been cases where girls who were unable to bear a child have committed suicide. There have also been cases of men committing suicide from the stress of trying to keep his mistress a secret from his wife(s).

Beautiful baobab tree where Mafuka stripped the fibers to make our bracelets. Notice the extensive scouring of bark. This is the work of elephants rubbing their bodies against the trees and can be seen throughout Hwange.

(This conversation will continue in part 2 of Day 13)

January 17, 2016 by Brian

Uncategorized

Trip of a Lifetime: Ultimate Africa: Day 11

Africa.Day11.Header
November 13, 2015 – 6:14A

Awake and showered. Feeling great! I woke up at 5:30A and laid there for about ten minutes in the cool air with the comforter over me before getting up and putting on my glasses so I could sit outside on our front porch and enjoy the peaceful view of the Kafue River here in Zambia. I had to wrap myself up in my giant white comforter because it was a bit chilly. Doesn’t look like we got any rain though. On the opposite side of the river the trees are beautifully reflected in the water. I watched a lazy crocodile silently float downstream and listened to the birds. It was such a relaxing way to start my new day.

I thought more about the people we have encountered here. They all seem so relaxed and always smiling. When you return from a game drive, for instance, and they ask you “how was it?” they seem genuinely interested in what you have to say.

I hear some hippos grunting – I think they’re coming from across the river.

Heading to breakfast now. Our first activity of the day is fishing! Very excited for this!

1:18P

What a fun day so far! I wonder what’s around the next corner (maybe another elephant – haha!)

This morning after a nice breakfast of fresh fruit, porridge and pancakes those of us who opted to go fishing got on a small boat and sailed down the Kafue River. As our guide “Golden” moved up the river looking for a good spot to fish, we saw many animals including various antelopes, birds and, of course, hippos.

Hartebeests along the Kafue River in Zambia

“Golden” was very patient with us as some of the people in the group had never fished before while the rest of us were, by no means, experts. Therefore, “Golden” had to repeat his instructions on how to cast a fishing pole several times. Haha! We fished from 7:00a till around 10:00a. “Golden” jokingly said if we don’t catch any fish we don’t eat dinner tonight! All six of us caught, at least, one fish. I lucked out and caught eight! They were all tilapia and catfish. I was so proud of myself for having caught the most.

My first catch of the day on the Kafue River in Zambia

One of the Tilapia that I caught while fishing in Zambia

The fish we caught were to be cleaned, cooked and served up with tonight’s “traditional dinner.” It was funny to be fishing and, all of a sudden, you’d see a pair of hippo eyes curiously popping up out of the water. Some of them even swam closer to our boat. Very curious creatures.

On the ride back we saw a huge crocodile crawl from the river bank into the water. What an experience to have gone fishing in Zambia! How cool is that!

During our fishing expedition the other half of our group was on a game cruise up the Lafupa River. When we returned to camp they were already there eager to inquire about our luck with fishing. We all gathered in the main lodge and relaxed on the sofas swapping stories and photos. It was so much fun. The lodge also had a nice little gift shop with some very cool stuff. I was saving my money for the open air market I knew we were going to hit up in Victoria Falls.

While everyone was relaxing, Aryn’s sister Kathryn and I got word that there was an elephant out front so we jumped up, grabbed our cameras and hurried to go see. This thing was huge. It was walking along the road into camp eating whatever trees were to its left and right. It walked from where the jeeps drop us off down to the “boma” just across from the bar. I captured a great video of the whole experience on my iPhone. This elephant wasn’t but a few meters from us and we were quickly advised to back up.

Elephant walking by the “boma” at Lafupa Tented Camp in Zambia

Me with the elephant in our camp in Zambia.

What did the bartender say when the elephant walked up to the bar?

The best part was when the elephant tried to walk between two of the buildings, he got stuck and had to back up to get out. Haha! So cool to watch.

Elephant got stuck!

After we ate lunch, Vitalis briefed us on the optional excursions in Victoria Falls and passed around a sign up sheet. I am opting to do the elephant back safari ride & rhino game drive combo and the helicopter flight over Victoria Falls. So excited for this!

Afterwards, we were released for our mid-afternoon siesta. I decided it was time to finally hit the pool and boy what a good decision. One of the ladies from our group, Rene from Wisconsin, was already there. The water was absolutely perfect. It was so nice and cool and exactly what I needed to escape the afternoon heat. Rene and I talked about previous travel experiences, our life and careers back home and future travel goals when, all of a sudden, here comes this massive elephant (probably the same elephant from before). The elephant walked right up to a palm tree beside the pool and started eating the branches and leaves. Right away, a staff member appeared to monitor the elephant. We all watched, afraid to move or make a sound, and, at one point, the elephant turned and looked directly at Rene and I. The staff member was standing by a nearby building and came forward and threw two rocks directly at the animal. It turned its head and walked away from us. Wow! That was exciting. We have all been warned that the elephants in Zambia are more aggressive towards humans due to the country’s history with poaching. We learned that elephants have incredible memories and are actually able to genetically pass these memories on to their offspring. So bad memories from the area’s past issues with poaching have been passed along to the current generation of elephants. Fascinating.

I stayed in the pool for almost an hour. A giant breeze came through which felt great against my wet skin. I didn’t even need a towel to dry off.

Now I’m relaxing on the deck of the main lodge looking out at the two rivers. This place feels like a resort! The sky is filled with beautiful white billowy clouds. Perhaps some rain is headed our way? I feel incredibly relaxed. Today is Friday the 13th.

2:40P

We are being held up at the main lodge by an elephant loitering around outside the reception area. I got some great pics and vids of him with his two left feet standing inside the boma. I guess I’ll have to wait for a while before I can go back to my room to change out of these gym shorts (that I swam in). This guy seems in no hurry to leave the camp. Going to get some more pics.

3:11P

I’m sitting on the front porch of our “tent” looking out over the river. Darker clouds are beginning to roll in and winds are really picking up to the point of creating small, gradual waves upon the river. The staff is predicting some rain. The view here is so nice that I don’t want to leave but I’d like to take a quick shower before “high tea.”

9:00P

Before heading out on our evening boat ride on the Lafupa River, one of the staff leaders, Phineas, gave us a brief history lesson on Zambia. The economically depressed situation of this country makes me so sad. Sixty percent of Zambia’s population is currently unemployed. It was also interesting to learn that the average life expectancy is only 47. This is mostly due to the spread of HIV from infidelity in some marriages. We also discussed the controversial issue of poaching since it is still a major threat here. Elephants are killed for their ivory tusks and rhinos for their horns. So very sad. All we can do is spread the support of more game viewing vs game shooting for purposes other than food.

On our boat ride up the Lafupa River we saw many hippos and a small crocodile but the majority of the time our cameras are feasting upon the awesome sunset during our “sundowner” cocktails. I was seated at the bow of the boat with my feet propped up on the railing, taking in the peaceful scenery while drinking a Mosi lager.

Relaxing during our game cruise along the Lafupa River in Zambia

Dinner around the “boma” was fun. The table tree stumps were from leadwood trees. Vitalis had me lift one of them to experience just how heavy they are. Boy was he right! It was cool eating the tilapia and catfish that we had caught. Also served, was oxtail soup in a delicious brown gravy, polenta and vegetables. The tribal entertainment (singing and drums) was awesome. The staff manager, Natasha, was so nice and wanted a goodnight hug from each of us. What a fun evening and exciting day overall. Feeling very tired. Tomorrow’s wake-up call is at 6:00a. I’m setting my alarm for 5:30a so I have time to sit on the front porch and enjoy our view of the river. Night night!

P.S. I forgot to mention I was bit by a tse tse fly during the evening boat ride. Damn! It hurt like hell. Also, there is apparently a friendly warthog, named “Lulu,” that roams the premises here in camp. She will actually come right up to you if you offer her food and eat right out of your hand. I have yet to meet her but Kathryn said she met “Lulu” and she was approachable. I want to meet Lulu! I want to take her home. Her and Louie (my pug) can run around the house snorting together. LOL 🙂

January 6, 2016 by Brian

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