I don't really know, but I'm sure to get a good idea while traveling around this amazing planet. After 13 months on the African Continent in 2011 I'm off to Turkey and beyond for an extended time. Wish me luck!
I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move. RL Stevenson
What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare? Welsh poet, William Henry Davies
30/31 MAY 2011
BOTSWANA – Country number 13 –BOTSWANA
Lucky Kasane and CHOBE NATIONAL PARK
Easy peasy trip to the Zimbabwe/Botswana border to receive a 30 day visa, gratis – wow. Get a taxi into town, asking the driver if it might be possible to get a safari into Chobe National Park this afternoon? I figure that picking up a tour this arvo and spending the night out in the park would be better than 2 nights in town here at Kasane, either side of a safari. “Yes, madam it is possible – a boat trip leaves @ 10.30am”! He makes the call and takes me directly to Kalahari Tours where they take my credit card and I’m on for a two day, one night safari! The boat is waiting for me and up front is Adam from Perth, whom I shared a dorm with back in Victoria Falls. The other passengers are all students along with three professors from a Jesuit University in Spokane, Washington State. They have been on an annual study tour in Zambia at a Jesuit Teaching College for their final year students.
Here’s hoping they were effective at communicating theories of pedagogy and focused listening and learning! The boat ride is relaxing with lots of animals to see easily, including elephants YAAHH, hippos, crocodiles, water monitor lizards, baboons, african fish eagles, buffalo and impalas – all in 3 hours - before returning to Kalahari’s Kasane premises for a yummy buffet lunch. Soon enough we board our safari trucks to traverse the 3 kms into the Chobe National Park.
Then along come a herd of elephants who are none too happy to sight the lionesses, so the biggest of them approaches the lions to start trumpeting at them (to move on?) and the lions roaring back and all this action less than 10 metres away! Then the lions make a dash about (please don’t jump into this jeep) leaving us all stunned at their displays of strength and power. We return back to camp around 10am for brunch and given free time – or down time really, till 2pm! The professors tried to negotiate an early return to town, given there is nothing much to do here at camp other than to hang around the tents due to the wild animals hampering any unguided walks. But no go, they are not too flexible nor interested in being flexible – we should have read the itinerary – huh what itinerary??
But I did learn a new card game, Kings in the Corner, thank you Deborah. But relaxing and chatting we suddenly espy a herd of elephants calmly wandering past our camp on their way through their park. Very sublime stuff and I am very grateful to have these wonderful experiences.
FACT: Chobe is nearly 11000 sq kms and was Botswana’s first national park and now Chobe’s elephant population numbers in the thousands. The Chobe and Zambezi Rivers also converge here adding to the amazing ecosystems here with birdlife, supporting the largest wildlife concentration in the park and is also it’s most accessible region.
The border between Zambia and Zimbabwe (Zam and Zim) here is the Zambezi River at Victoria Falls, so to cross this frontier you walk across a bridge that spans the river canyon with the falls to your right heading into Zimbabwe. Jasper from Belgium, and I take the free shuttle from Jollyboys to the Falls Park then ‘check out of Zambia’. The bridge is a No Mans Land and its here that the bungee jumping into the falls’ canyon takes place. Photos and sightseeing are all perfectly acceptable so Jasper and I watch a couple being set up for a tandem bungee swing. Their friends tell me that they are celebrating their one month wedding anniversary but I think I’d prefer a dinner out somewhere myself! And I have to tell you that her screams as they plummeted were quite spine chilling!
An easy entry into Zimbabwe and I buy a double entry for travel later, up country from South Africa. There are quite a few daytrippers here from the Zambian side who also have to purchase a visa even for a day visit. One bloke is trying to pay with Zambian Quetchas (why would you think one country would take another country’s currency?) but in aid of my karma I help him out by selling him US dollars and end up with a pocket full of Zambian Quetcha notes (again) for ron. Jasper & I haggle for a taxi and as we are being driven into town, the taxi slows with the driver exclaiming “elephants”. OOOH my karma is good and I finally get to see elephants, wandering about by the side of the road mind you! Jasper gets off a few photos for us before they head back into the bush then into town where we both check into Shoestrings Backpackers, but I stay in the dorm this time – way too cold without a sleeping bag in my tent here.
After checking out the map I start walking towards The Big Tree, a rather large and old baobab tree. Yes, I do pass signs recommending against unguided walking do I walk back to the road and double check with some workers across the road who assure me its safe and offer to ‘guide’ me. I knock them back and head off again for a few kms before rounding a curve in the road and coming face to face with a very big elephant standing at the side of the road. WHOA Karma overload, me thinks and I freeze to try and remember what I should do… His ears are waving back and forth, not a good sign so I slowly back away around the bend and wait and peer around – yep still there, so wait some more and check – Yep not going anywhere. I estimate I’m fairly close to the Big Tree, but I know that I can’t go any further along this road cause I’d only be a metre or so away from this very, very big elephant. So back I go and head into town to visit the Tourist Information and our conversation goes something like this:
Me “Can I walk this way to the Big Tree”, showing him the map and the road I walked.
Him “Yes Madam.”
Me “Is it safe?”
Him “Yes, Madam.”
Me “Are there elephants?”
Him “Yes Madam, there are elephants everywhere here, sometimes right outside this office.”
Me “I went this way (showing the map) and saw an elephant.”
Him “Oh Madam, you mustn’t go near the elephant!”
Me “It was right on the road, I couldn’t walk past it.”
Him “Stay away from the elephants Madam”
Me “OK, I’ll try. Thank you.”
How helpful was that? Where was he when I was face to face with a very big elephant? lol I decide to give the Big Tree a miss today and try again tomorrow. Instead I decide to do a little more consumer research into afternoon teas so I visit the Victoria Falls Hotel to try their equally famous High Tea. The hotel itself is the oldest in Zimbabwe with its walls decorated with many animal heads and skins along with historic photos including the visit by the English Royal Family (obviously before Zimbabwe’s expulsion from the Commonwealth!) A lovely afternoon tea is served on a tiered platter along with tea served in fine china marked with the hotel insignia, overlooking manicured lawns with the rising clouds of water mist from the falls just below. I chat with a three aussies who are watching someone on the canyon zip line who they think is the fourth from their group – a doctor who wants to do everything once before he dies! Fine sentiments but we all agree he is on his own with those thoughts!
Back at Shoestrings, I meet up with Damien Mander again (first in Livingstone) who has a a new recruit with him – a prison warder from Perth who saw Damien’s organisation, International Anti Poaching Foundation http://iapf.org on 60 Minutes tv show and felt impelled to contribute a few weeks of his time helping out. A couple of days later I meet up with other aussies also heading out to the reserve, again all motivated by the 60 minutes show and of course, the cause. IAPF is providing excellent and free training for anti poachers giving them the skills from tracking to prosecution evidence, hopefully making them employable at game reserves across Southern Africa. I did feel that the Perth bloke seemed a little over eager in his assessment that death was too good for pochers, when in fact they are the weakest link in the illicit trade of animal horns, tusks etc. I chat with Damien about a theory I first heard of in Namibia – dehorn all rhino across Southern Africa (yes, it does grow back) and flood the market with rhino horn, thus taking the value out of the trade. Damien agrees a difficulty is that all countries would have to cooperate and this is a major obstacle at any time for any cause. The AIDS epidemic is a prime example, with a lot of African countries taking contrary views as to the cause, effect and prevention programs needed to control and combat HIV infection.
Wandering about this purpose built tourist town I am assailed every few metres by over eager zambians and zimbabweans out to sell me either a trillion dollar note (totally worthless after Zimbabwe ‘dollarised a few years ago to combat the collapsed economy) or a wooden elephant or a stone sculpture or admire my shoes and ask for them. These guys are relentless – you walk by them, you’re a target and all the tourists agree they are so annoying. I understand that money is tight here in Zimbabwe and tourists are in short supply BUT STILL they make walking around really painful. Though I have to say that they take all rebuttals with good grace, it’s only the tourists who lose it occasionally with the constant barrage.
Again there are many ways to part a tourist from his dollar here and after much consideration I decide that the time has come to feel the beat and pass me the djembe – I take a couple of drumming lessons and have a lot of fun with my patient rasta teachers who are very kind. After two lessons I reckon I could take this up on my return to Oz – very therapeutic stuff!
To visit the Falls themselves, I take the road to the Big Tree again – and I walk very carefully this time listening for any hint of wandering elephants but luck is on my side and I make it to a huge baobab tree with a 20m circumference, then follow the river to the edge of the Falls’ park. Victoria Falls itself costs US$30 to enter this side. Zimbabwe has the lion’s physical share of the falls and they are even more spectacular with much more of the cascades to be seen from this side. By the end of the fenceless paths I meet up with some Japanese guys from Shoestrings and we picnic on my dry biscuits and their saki for a light lunch whilst watching the bungi jumpers off the bridge. On my way out, I meet Jasper who tells me the elephants are near a bridge on the way back into town – I head that way, find them but they are all agitated with waving ears so I pass along quietly leaving them in peace.
Later I wander around town in the vague hope of finding a sleeping bag – I ask at one store about camping shops and she directs me to the edge of town where I find a peculiar store with a varied range of goods but no sleeping bags. However the young man knows someone who has one for sale. What sort of sleeping bag, I ask? A grey one. OK, they are getting ready to close up and soon I am escorted by two lovely young men through the township of Chinotimba whose residents are heading home happy after attending a weekend ‘Prayer Rally’. Eventually we arrive at a house and one of the guys heads in to return with the best thing I’ve seen in ages – a clean sleeping bag in great condition. Really an indoor one but in the absence of any bedding this is a godsend. They ask $25 but take $20 and we are all happy little vegemites. They won’t let me walk back on my own and escort me all the way back to the main highway before I nearly skip all the way back to Shoestrings., On the way back I pass two ladies who speak to me, remembering me from a store earlier in the day, to ask if there are any elephants the way I have come – I tell them I heard some rustling way back but didn’t stop to look very hard. I can well understand the problems with folk all living in such close proximity of the elephants, especially when they enter the townships and push over their small houses. No idea what the solution might be, except for circling the township in an electric fence? Meanwhile in town tourist police are employed especially to watch out for illegal souvenir sellers (failing) and elephants (very successful). One day I was sent three different ways when I was out walking - Madame, you cannot go this way, there are elephants. Madam, see those people running, there are elephants there! Madam be very careful, there are elephants on this path.
FACT: The Zambezi River is one of Africa’s greatest rivers, flowing from northwestern tip of Zambia. It descends 1500m, traversing six countries before ending its 2574 km journey at the Indian Ocean in Mozambique. The river’s basin of more than 1570000 square kms supports people, huge populations of animals and massive eco systems. But it’s the Falls themselves that are truly spectacular to see!!!!!!!!!!!!
24 - 26 MAY 2011
ZAMBIA – Country number 11 – ZAMBIA
LIVINGSTONE, VICTORIA FALLS
After a long bus ride made longer by repairs after “the wheel has lost its nuts” we arrived in Livingston, Zambia. The border formalities were minor and the bus was super comfy so all in all the 21 hour trip was not hard work. I walked to Jollyboys Backpackers and pitched my tent for US$6 a night on a great shaded lawn – what a bargain. I rent a blanket here because my 2 airline blankets are not going keep me warm– the predicted overnight temperatures drop below 10° C. And it’s only getting colder the more south I go…. bbrrrrrr
First things first and that is to visit the Victoria Falls which actually span across the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe with a bridge frontier crossing the boiling chasm below. The town of Livingstone is actually 11 Kms away from the falls themselves, and is an existing Zambian town that became more popular after visiting Zimbabwe fell out of favour with tourists over the past few years. Jollyboys offers a free shuttle every morning and even before we get near the entrance to the park, the shuttle stops to show us the cloud of vapour rising from the falls. US$20 gets me in the gate of Zambia’s Mosi-Oa-Tunya (The Smoke That Thunders) National Park and I traipse all day here in the sunshine. You can hear the sound of the water cascades a long time before getting anywhere near them and then when you do – WHOA. Water, water everywhere! The mist is a downpour on the viewing path and I think fondly of my poncho back in my tent. Who knew there’d be so much water? The only concession I’ve made is to bring a zip lock bag for my camera – durr! Photographing the falls here complete with rainbows is nigh on impossible due to the water falling everywhere along the fenceless paths. A feature of the Zambian side viewing here is crossing Knife Edge Bridge and I give it a couple of shots on my own but the force of the water and the knowledge of how high I am is very discouraging for a chicken like me – so I wait for a tour group to come along (complete with ponchos) and ask the guides if I can join them to cross the bridge – of course and I am kindly shepherded along this narrow bridge that has inches of water gushing underfoot with a force of falling water such that it is even difficult to keep your eyes open while trying to walk across the bridge, using our hands to grasp the side railings as a guide the whole way. Imagine someone aiming six hoses at you and turning them on full force and you will have some idea of what it was like! I make it across and meet up with Anna from Norway who has a waterproof camera and she kindly takes some shots for me as by now I am completely drenched along with everything in my bag except for my camera in its zip lock bag! We wander the park’s paths and compare travel itineraries together for a lot of the day. To get back ACROSS Knife Edge Bridge, I attach myself to an Aussie from Perth whose wife is waiting on the other side, being too scared to cross! Anna and I head along the path that takes us to the lip of the falls at the Eastern Cataract where I spend an hour or so in the sun drying out. Eventually we part and then I take the low path down to view the ‘Boiling Pot’ whirlpool at river level where the Zambezi river violently swirls after being forced out of a narrow chasm. A great day interrupted only by a few annoying chaps looking for friends/customers/anyone who will talk to them really! After arriving at the park around 10.30am I finally leave around 5pm – had to get my $20 value! But it was a once in a lifetime visit that was truly breathtaking and amazing!
The town of Livingstone doesn’t really have a lot to recommend it other than a few colonial era buildings and a museum that contains a collection of original David Livingstone letters and memorabilia, along with maps dating back to the 1600s.
But there is plenty on offer here in town to help tourists part with their money – fling yourself off the 'Zim/Zam bridge? Whizz along a zipline? Giant swing over the river canyon? Walk with lion cubs (that will never return to the wild?) A sunset cruise with all you can drink (colloquially known as a booze cruise) along the Zambezi? Uh uh What about a high tea at the Royal Livingstone Hotel situated at the lip of the falls on the Zambezi riverfront with tea served in fine china? Mmmm Then stay for a sunset over the Zambesi river? Mmmmmm ! Royal Livingstone Hotel for a High Tea buffet – or as we say to each other “all you can eat cake”! lol What a hoot – fab surroundings on the zambezi river, in sight of the falls ‘smoke’, gorgeous comfy chairs on the veranda or take seat inside to be serenaded by a piano player. There is every sort of tea you desire served in Royal Albert fine china teapots, cups etc. MAGNIFICENT. Many of the customers today are backpackers from Jollyboys who make many a raid on the mini quiches until they run out. The finger sandwiches last the distance and one english guy proudly proclaims at the end that he “has tried every one of the cakes on offer” and that would be at least 30 different varieties. The highlight though would have to be the marauding monkeys who have mastered a grab and run approach to supplement their diet. I was sitting near a doorway, and next thing I knew there was a monkey perched on the wing chair opposite me on the other side of my table, helping himself to MY cucumber sandwiches! I tried shooing him ineffectually with my serviette and as he fled he smashed half the china on the table! This went on at other tables outside at various intervals, with staff running about on the alert for sneaky monkeys and trying to head them when sighting them – what a hoot! Then I relaxed in front of a gorgeous sunset from the hotel lawns, with the pink hues reflected off the thick clouds of mist from the falls – the smoke that thunders? Yep
Now a boo and a brickbat for the ANZ Travelcard – after many calls and emails to this bank I reach an impasse because I cannot remember my ‘secret access code’. Yes I can remember my pin, yes I can give all the right answers to questions identifying me but that blasted code escapes me and I find I cannot use the card to withdraw any money. Turns out that some kind call centre bird took offence at my impatient ranting, declared fraud on the card and put a stop on the account. After more emails home to Terry, he competently found all the paperwork AND EMAILED ME ALL DETAILS required by the ANZ (gosh I hope they read this and get the irony of privacy!!) After another short and sweet call back to ANZ (for the fifth time) to now quote a correct secret access code and assure them the card is ok, a drone took the stop off and it’s now working to access my money again! YAAHHHH
My tent back gives up the ghost here after travelling many miles and I really imagine what I will use until I go to the market here and find a folding chair bag (minus the chair) –perfect replacement tent bag. Alas no sleeping bags….
Onwards to Zimbabwe tomorrow!
FACT: Estimates of water cascading over the Eastern Cataract are 550,000 cubic metres per minute at peak flow, but owing to heavy rains that volume is even greater now! According to available scientific evidence, the Victoria Falls have moved upstream 8 times leaving a series of gorges on their way to their present site. The first of these gorges lies about 2/3 of the way from the chasm’s western end at which point the 2 Km wide river is compressed into a 60m channel. It is this lateral squeeze that gives the falls their ferocious speed. There are no accurate figures but estimates of 40Kmh are given for low flow.
Checking in at the Dunedin Star in Swakomund tonight, we are joined by Claudia, another Chameleon employee as Deidra is returning home to Windhoek tomorrow. Dinner is at Swakopmund’s famous Lighthouse restaurant (I do seem to focusing on food here, don’t I?) and yes it’s at the foot of a lighthouse. The local oysters were delicious but oddly enough for a fishing port, there is only frozen fish available but it was still yummy, accompanied by plenty of good South African Sav Blanc and we were all happy campers. I head off with Deidra, following her until she admits that she is lost. And worried. OK, I reassure her and we call into a flash hotel to get a map, directions and reassurances that it is safe to walk around here at this time of night. Phew!
Sunday, most of Swakopmund is closed today but walking around with Inga, viewing the colonial buildings on a gorgeous sunny morning is very relaxing. IT’s Sunday so a lot of places are closed but this also adds to the peacefulness as there are few cars about. Inga has visited here before and knows her way around while I pick out a few interesting buildings from the LP map. Meanwhile Chris and Kaash have elected to go quad biking. Later Jacqui kindly tries to spot a flamingo for me nearby but no go. L
Leaving Swakopmund, we travel through Walvis Bay and past a platform that is used by many birds for nesting and is harvested annually for the guano – there is money in bird poo! Then heading inland our travel this afternoon takes us through the varied landscapes of the Namib-Naukluft National Park: from the plains of Ganab to the speccy mountains, canyons and gorges along with the largest dunes in the world and nearly 50,000 sq km of natural beauty. We stop to check out a couple of Quiver trees, so called
A Quiver Tree
because the branches were used by the bushmen to store and carry their hunting arrows, then at the Tropic of Capricorn. We also stop at the fabulous Kuiseb Canyon and bridge. This area was where a couple of germans hid from English internment for 2 ½ years of WW2, with their dog. One of them wrote a book ‘The Sheltering Desert’ if you are at all interested in tales of survival. More driving by the lovely Franz finally gets us to the Desert Camp, Sesriem just after sunset. We are all installed in our very comfy standing tents where most of us hole up away from the desert cold, despite the lovely campfire lit for us. Soon enough we are being fed (again) a great dinner cooked on the fire and this time I don’t even have room for dessert. I am told that this pudding is a local specialty and when I ask what gives it the ‘traditional’ flavour so the packet is retrieved from the bin to find that is actually a sticky toffee pudding. OK, I’ll try a tiny piece. lol The cold wind soon sends us all to bed with the knowledge that we’re getting up to meet at 5.15am, packed and ready to leave. And when we do, it is soooo cold, but without the wind this morning. There is much discussion about the fashion etiquette of socks and sandals and I note that Jacqui has not succumbed, but I’ll tell you that I did and also wore socks on my hands as gloves (Thanks Deb Nelson for that tip). Our truck lines up at the park gates (we are 10th in line) leaving us time for more photos.
We enter the park and watch the sun rise on our way past some ‘fairy circles’, unexplained phenonema in a limited area around here but can be found all the way up to Angola. These are pretty near perfect circles of absolutely no growth whatsoever, which are appearing in a plain of grasses. Later in the day we hear a few different explanations, the most likely being dance circles made by faeries! NO, not really but I liked that one the best. We pass Dune 45, very popular for climbing and photo opportunities before reaching the Sossusvlei car park where we swap to the parks’ 4wd transport (open and freezing) into the dunes. A short walk through the desert we arrive at the very spooky looking Deadvlei Pan, a large expanse of dried white clay, punctuated by ancient dead camel thorn trees that are black from being incinerated by the sun. We are surrounded by dunes, including the highest one here Big Daddy, which all have a star formation caused by the winds giving them the sharp crests. We have a lot of time here to explore and I attempt climbing one dune which is really hard work – I make it half way to take photos, then watch an aussie bloke older than me scramble to the top! Walking back out, we meet up with the truck for brunch before walking around to Sossusvlei for more dune climbing. I elect to walk around the water lying between the dunes and the silence here is wonderful, very reminiscent of the desert in Wadi Rum, Jordan. Soon enough we are heading back together towards the Sesriem Canyon. This one was formed by the thousands of years of erosion leaving a narrow gorge 30-40 metres deep with plenty of fresh water at the bottom from the recent rains. Late afternoon we drive out towards the Namib Desert Lodge, a huge setup popular with tour buses with very comfy rooms. We install ourselves, settle on verandahs with a few drinks on this our last night together before heading to the restaurant for another buffet. I am going to have to fast next week, I’m sure! Tonight’s buffet includes a springbok stroganoff and baboutie, a traditional south african dish and a great breakfast buffet the next morning. Our last tour day includes a stop at Solitaire, a place that has made a name for itself due to the quirky surrounds, old cars and delicious bakery operated by Moose! Apple pie for lunch en route back to Windhoek. mmmm
FACT: Namibia has received 120cm of rain this year – the usual total is around 60cm nationwide. Thus the countryside is lush, the dunes are all tinged with green and the desert has much water lying between the dunes, an amazing sight that greatly adds to my viewing pleasure.
The boat ride is relaxing with lots of animals to see easily, including elephants YAAHH, hippos, crocodiles, water monitor lizards, baboons, african fish eagles, buffalo and impalas – all in 3 hours - before returning to Kalahari’s Kasane premises for a yummy buffet lunch. Soon enough we board our safari trucks to traverse the 3 kms into the Chobe National Park.
