An Amazing few weeks

VICTORIA FALLS AND THE OKAVANGO


I am back at the farm after three more weeks of travelling.

It has been an immense and wonderful trip and I have Viki to thank enormously for being a stoic and steadfast travel companion. She appeared to cope well with my idiosyncrasies and only took great exception once, when in my sleep, I pinched her. [I really can’t remember doing this, but apologise once again!]

Victoria Falls from helicopter

We met up in Joberg, overnighting at a ghastly [but very cheap hotel] called the “Empress of the Nile” That actually may have been the name of restaurant where we ate..all part of a covered casino complex, with a frightening mix of neo greek and Egyptian themed architecture and decor.

Departed early from Joberg to Victoria Falls, where we joined a throng of overexcited and hot tourists, American ladies in chequered pants and wide hats, backpackers and a large group of overly adrenalized men swinging long thin and rather heavy bags around, we discovered later, they were on a hunting party. And I mean “BIG GAME” hunting.

After the commotion of the airport with its resident band of barely covered “bushmen” singing/chanting a cross between barber shop melodies and stuff from “The Lion King” we arrived at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, a complex of huge wood and thatched buildings..very impressive, as was the gusto with which we were greeted by a large black man, dressed in “national” [?] costume, including a hat with feathers sprouting from the top. This was all a little much for Viki and I and we scrambled for our room, which had a balcony facing a watering hole in the bush . The VFSL lies about 4 kilometres outside of the town [something we were rather grateful for]. It had two pools, made to look like rustic rock pools, which certainly worked for the bull frogs who partied around the edges both of the two nights we stayed .

Vic falls safari Lodge

The hotel prided its self on its flock of vultures who were fed at one oclock every day.

We had decided that a helicopter flight over the Falls was a must and were not disappointed, it was a fantastic way to see the water which was very low. Everyone was expecting the first rains of the season ,Viki and I were the only ones without our fingers crossed.

The following morning we woke early to go on an elephant ride through the bush. 2 hours with Viki and I astride “Miss Ellie” along with our elephant rider and another elephant with more tourists atop. A great way to poddle through the early morning mist .

Upon our return we decided to take the mini bus to the Falls and walk around it. The only thing that was not charged for was the bus trip there [courtesy of the hotel], from the moment we alighted outside the Falls, we were besieged by people selling water, Zimbabwean dollars [! I ask you!], trinkets and tassels. After spending 6.00 sterling on a bottle of water we commiserated with a lone tourist by the name of Cornelius, a Nigerian by birth ,who was was living in Paris with his wife. A geologist who was on business in Pretoria and who had decided to take a weekend trip to the falls in search of a block of Basalt [the black rock at the Falls] to take back and polish at his factory.

"Fire balls"..amazing flouring bulbs that grow naturally at the falls.

He joined us for our walk around the Falls and we managed to find the rock that he wanted,we stopped for a drink at the end of the walk and Cornelius bumped into a long lost friend who was introduced to us as the wealthiest man in Zimbabwe[???} and were invited to join Cornelius and him for supper that night. Viki and I were somewhat bowled over by all of the hilarity and high jinks and before we knew it we were being told to meet outside the VFSL at 7.30 [YIKES!]

Anyway, we returned to the hotel to get ready for our sundowners on the Zambezi and NOT looking forward to our supper with Cornelius and the wealthiest man in Zimbabwe.



Hippos on the Zambezie


We were both rather pleased that we were not on Cornelius` boat, and when he didn’t turn up at 7.30, we heaved sighs of relief and went to eat in the restaurant, now somewhat irritated that our wonderful trip on the Zanbezi had been overshadowed by worrying.



Up bright and early for a bus trip from Zimbabwe to Botstwana and to the small airport of Kinsaya. During our journey the skies darkened and our driver predicted the first of the seasons rains, we were dropped off at the airport and soon enough a man asked if we were the Evans/Outram party, he proceeded to issue us both with blue receipts. These were our boarding cards.

Kasane airport

After waiting in the boarding lounge with another 20 or so passengers a young man came and asked us to follow him, we had to run across the tarmac with rain spitting hard, he directed us through the rain and wind, waving a waggly arm over to the farthest corner of the runway..Shouting.. “Head for the small white one.”

His plane was indeed small. Four tight places [including the pilot’s seat] and a rear jump seat. Suitably installed we waited for our turn on the runway and with a great deal of revving and jiggling we forged our way up and over the runway strait into fog...a very eery feeling being able to watch all around you and know you are up in the air, but not to have anything to anchor your focus upon!

After a short while the fog cleared and we moved from the very brown dusty terrain below us, to speckles of green and then blue. These aerial shots were taken under extreme vibration and with me just being able to get my camera lodged on the window sill..so not brilliant but they will give you some idea of the terrain below, the fine lines in some of the pictures are the paths that animals make through the bush...I love them.

WE were told that we would have to land after 40 minutes to pick up two more passengers, we descended into the bush, there was no runway marking of any sort, but suddenly a safari truck appeared and a young couple jumped in our plane..which was now well and truly full.

Sadly the girl suffered from air sickness from the moment we took off, during the 40 minutes it took to arrive at our stop “Stanley`s”, they were travelling onward, so we scurried from the plane and into the hands of the man who was to be our safari guide for the next few days. His name was July, and he was accompanied by his assistant Colin[ hilarious difference in the names here].

                                          something rather otherworldly about these shots that I love.

Air strip at Stanleys airfield

They had arrived in a safari vehicle and told us to hop up, and that the drive to our camp would be another 40 minutes [Vikki and I were fed up with travelling at this point], but this travelling was a lot of fun. The car bumped along sandy makeshift tracks and then where it looked like we would have to circumnavigate a river, it simply drove right into it..and we bobbed along, lifting our feet up to avoid cascading delta water surging in through the seals.         http://www.sanctuaryretreats.com/lodges/botswana/ Visit this link to see the fantastic destinations from this UK based company..expensive YES! but worth every single penny!

 After 40 minutes of sand and water driving we arrived at Baines Camp. A group of 5 small huts strung together by wooden and string pontoons,and standing on raised stilts at the edge of the water. There was another hut which was the “library” and dining room, where all meetings and meals took place.

We were given lunch and it was explained that our evening safari would leave after tea at 4.30, we could chill and swim [in the pool] until then. This is what we did and dutifully turned up at 4.00 to see that cakes, scones, and sandwiches had been laid out with iced tea...quite bizarre, but rather lovely. July told us that we would be heading out to spot animals for a couple of hours and so Vikki and I, and two more guests jumped on the safari charabang and bumped off into the bush.

It was at this moment that the skies darkened and we had the first few spots of rain. Zebras were herding with Blue wilder beast and as the thunder started to roll and the winds picked up, they became skittish.

We were both sitting in “light summer clothing” at this point, but before long a relief vehicle came and found us with wet weather gear and we forged onward. Returning to the camp at around 7.30, in a thunderstorm and with lightening flying around a fearsome sky.

Thus continued our few days at Baines camp..an amazing experience to sample the world’s largest land delta, which is now a national heritage site and as protected as it can ever be, subject to the political changes in Angola which could just cause the flow of water to cease in the future.

http://www.livingwithelephants.org/visit.htm#guardians

This elephant experience is one of the most powerful and moving memories of my trip, visit the link above to see the history of this orphan heard and their passionate guardians.

The immense diversity of animals birds plant and water life was amazing, I particularly loved the experience with three orphaned elephants [now in their 20`s] who live in a semi wild existence in the Delta with their American owner. He and his elephant handlers spend the days out in the Delta with the three elephants and return at night to a kraal, they met us in the bush on say 2 and we had the privilege of walking with them through the bush and being allowed[ by them] to join their select herd for a day.

Lion stalking

Young male lion

His sibling sister

This is a yawn!

All to rapidly our stay in Baines camp was over and we flew [light aircraft style again] the 20 minutes to Chobe and from there onto Gaborone and then to Joberg and the ghastly Caesars Palace [remembered the name now].

The next morning we departed for the domestic terminal and Upington and found Big checking onto the same flight as us.

Four days of rest and recuperation at the farm, a trip around Augrabies and a few steak braais later, Vikki and I departed on our road trip to Cape Town.