Fish River Canyon and the Orange River

Posted on February 24, 2016

Feb 16

We’d all had breakfast, packed everything up and were ready to go 15 minutes before departure time and then…..the truck wouldn’t start. Despite Matt’s best attempts, nothing worked so we had to wait for a mechanic. Some went to play cards and some of us used the time to sort, edit and back up photos.

A landcruiser showed up, gave the truck a boost and we were on our way, only an hour behind schedule.

We drove South out of the Namib desert. The scenery changed to mountains, then flats and then table top mountains. The road was dirt and very rough. Matt drove like a crazy man, apparently trying to make up time. We stopped quickly for bushy bushy and the occasional cow.

After quickly setting up the tent, we headed for the bar for a beer and some wifi. When you’re dripping in sweat, there’s nothing like a cold beer to appease your thirst. The wifi was pretty bad so I didn’t get much done in the hour we had before heading off for our canyon walk.

Fish Canyon is the second largetst in the world (Grand Canyon, USA is bigger) and very impressive. I would have preferred to see it in the morning as the sun set behind it which didn’t make for the greatest pictures. Oh well. The pictures are in my head.

Feb 17 Namibia to South Africa, The Orange River

We got to sleep in till 6 am. Nice!

Heading South towards the South African border the scenery was beautiful. Table mountains, piles of rock and desert flats covered in scrub brush lined the road. We stopped for a herd of zebras, spring bok and the occasional ostrich crossing the road. The rough road felt like a roller coaster at times. As we approached South Africa the terrain changed again becoming green vineyards. For a while the left side of the road was desert and the right, lush green grape vines. WE passed an area of basic huts where the workers live. They’re picked up in the morning for work and sometimes dropped off. We saw many walking miles along the road. It appeared there wasn’t much work today.

The border crossing was uneventful. We’d filled in forms to exit Namibia, got the passports stamped, drove to the South African side, got the passports stamped and were on our way. Once on the other side of the Orange River we arrived at our campground, Fiddlers Rest, set up tents, ate lunch and relaxed for an hour before our canoe trip which really wasn’t a canoe trip. They were inflatable kayaks and we used kayak paddles..

It was stinking hot but it was great fun. I periodically took my shirt off, dipped it in the water and put it back on. That kept me cool. I could have jumped in to swim but KNEW there was no way I was getting back in that boat. We passed herds of goats, a jackal standing in the water, lots of herons, kingfishers and other birds, the odd fisherman with Namibia on one side and South Africa the other. Later we got out at a sandy beach area and went for a swim. I took NO photos as I lost my waterproof camera somewhere in Etosha. 😦

It’s interesting how they’re converting desert into rich farmland here. They scrape off the layer of rocks, soak the soil exposed with water from the Orange River for a month and then plant. It’s working as they’re now growing fruit trees like mango and lots of grapes.

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Kayaking down the Orange River. Photo courtesy of Wendy Tan, world famous photo bomber

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Just chilling for a bit. Photo courtesy of Wendy Tan, eater of very large burgers.

Fish River Canyon. I’d recommend visiting in the morning for better photo opportuniities

Lone ttree at the Fish River Canyon

Dinner was kuku steak, peanut butter cabbage, pap an sauce which was really good. I enjoyed an after dinner milo with a bit of ricoffy as it was only 8 pm and I was ready for bed.

Dunes and the Namib Desert

Posted on February 22, 2016

Previously: SpitzKoppe, Swakopmund and into the Desert!

Feb 14 HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

We said goodbye to the luxury of a bed and bathroom for a couple of days and headed South. The rolling dunes were left behind as we drove through gravelly scrub where we even saw the odd gemsbok. The rocks got bigger and became mountainous as we passed through the Kuesep pass. The former straight, boring road became windy and treacherous. Over another pass and into the desert we reached Solitaire; a very interesting place. A man named Moose was famous for his apple crumble and passed on his recipe to the bakery there before he died. Adeline bought some and I tried it. We all agreed we’d tasted better but it was nice.

We arrived at our campsite in the Namib desert in the heat of the afternoon so went for a swim before we set up tents. I should could feel the climate change between this place and Swakopmund. I could feel the moisture being pulled out of my skin.

Feb:15

Up bright and early, we headed for the dunes for sunrise. The desert is a stark, dry, yet beautiful place. Iron ore and magnetite are some of the elements that give them their beautiful colour. We climbed up Dune 45. I didn’t make the top as it’s so high and the vertigo set in but got some great views anyway. The sand is fine and soft so very every two steps up you slip one back; not an easy hike.

Next we climbed in 4×4’s and headed to Dead Vlei where you can see that once upon a time, there was enough water to sustain life. The dead trees have been there for hundreds of year. Sossusvlei means gathering of water. The last time it had water in it was 2011.

After a siesta (pool time for me!) it was time to see Susrein Canyon. Again, no rain for 5 years means it’s pretty dry.

I’ve given up on cleanliness and just keep wearing dark shorts and a bathing suit top. It’s so hot and dry! It sucks all the moisture out of your skin. I felt kind of like a raisin covered in sand.

Impala visiting our pool in the middle of nowhere.

Wendy digging into apple crumble 😀

SpitzKoppe, Swakopmund and into the Desert!

Posted on February 21, 2016

SPITZ KOFFE, and SWAKOPMUND

Feb 11, 2016

We headed West. The views along the way changed from barren desert with scrub brush and lots of white rocks to hilly desert with beautiful views. The highway was good but we still stopped for the occasional herd of goats or sheep to cross. Villages were interesting. One had fences made of tires stacked vertically, filled with rocks.

The road became rougher and again we were treated to an African massage. We stopped for bushy bushy to mark our territory and later at a road side market where Herere tribal women were selling their wares. These women wear dresses out of the Victorian age and funny triangular hats. Later some visited a market where Himba women sold things. These ladies wear nothing on top. Quite the contrast there. One wears too many clothes, another not enough?

Upon reaching our campsite in Brandberg, we set up for lunch. Some had checked into upgrading to a room. Sue and I didn’t consider it until we heard the prices. Hmmm. We did a quick calculation of the conversion rate and decided for about $15 we could have a BED, a bathroom, air conditioning AND electricity? That’s a no brainer. What luxury!! This place had a huge pool AND good wifi. Nice!

We spent the rest of the afternoon swimming, lounging and chatting. Around dinner time the temperature actually started to drop so it would have been a nice night for the tent. Oh well. A BED is heaven! We also get to sleep in an extra half an hour as we don’t have to tear down a tent.

Munya out did himself with dinner tonight. Sausage and chicken on the brai (coal bbq), gem squash, sweet potato, corn on the cob and salad.

Feb 12

7 am felt like no big deal when there’s no tent to take down. The drive started out pretty treacherous with the rudimentary road socked in with fog. Manda said the mist rarely makes it this far inland.

The scenery changed to bigger rocks in the semi arid desert as we approached Spitzkopf. Some went on a guided tour of the cave paintings but since we’d seen similar ones in Zimbabwe, Sue and I decided to wander off on our own and climb some rocks. We saw lots of chameleons, other lizards, some rock dassies which were great fun to watch.

Back on the road, the rocks disappeared and it was just miles and miles of flat, dry, semi arid desert. We reached Swakopmund and checked into our accommodation. Adventure Village is just outside the city and the rooms are stacked containers. It was really comfortable and quite nice.

After booking our desert tour for the next day, Sue and I went walking. First stop was lunch at the Village cafe which was really good. Next was a walk on the beach. We ended up at one end where the entertainment was watching a guy take a boat out of the water. It took about 5 guys to do it and there was a trailer hitch on both the front and back of the vehicle. He pulled it out with the front one, then they took it off and put it on the back one. It was a long drawn out procedure and very entertaining.

Later we enjoyed celebrating Jimmy’s birthday at a restaurant with the whole group. I finally got to thank Munya for eating. When we thank him for cooking our meals, he always says “thank you for eating.” Funny fellow.

Feb 13

After enjoying a full breakfast of bacon and eggs, thanks to Munya, Sue and I hopped in a land rover with a guide named Douglas and 5 Germans on a “Living Desert Adventure”. After ascertaining that all the Germans were comfortable with English, Douglas noted that he’d use simple English. It was a great 4 hours with many stops where Chris (another jeep joined us) gave us more information that I could hope to remember and introduced us to the wonders of the Namib desert. He talked a little too much about basic photography to a bunch of people who didn’t seem to care but the other info was amazing. Doublas spoke more German than English so we missed some things but other wise, the tour was worthwhile.

We spent the rest of the day having lunch, an ice cream and a long walk on the beach. For dinner we went back to the restaurant from the previous night as both of us wanted the calamari Wendy, Adeline and Jimmy had the night before. We ended up meeting them and Gina there and enjoyed dinner together. To top it off, a waiter walked around handing out tiny bags of candy hearts to all the ladies.

Container hotel

Pelican in flight

Skipping pelican

Flamingos

Sand is really soft

Dunes are beautiful

Comma, comma, comma chameleon…

Sees the worm

Goes for the worm

GETS the worm!

the shovel nosed sand diving lizard

Namib Dune gecko

Pretty little lizard

Swakopmund shoreline

KFC of the game parks

Spitz Koffe

rock dassies watching us

That’s a huge boulder wedged way above my head

elephant crossing

Agama lizard

Etosha National Park, Namibia

Posted on February 20, 2016

Feb 9, 10, 2016 ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK
Two nights in Etosha Village was a treat. The temperature reached close to 40 degrees Celsius so just typing made me sweat. It didn’t cool off much at night either. Around about 3 am I could put my feet in the sleeping bag otherwise, I just melted on top.

The next couple of days in the park were wonderful. We saw lots of lions, giraffes, zebras, etc in the mornings. Our lunch break was spent at campgrounds in the park. We’d get off the truck, jump in the pool, go eat lunch and jump back in the pool. Back at camp we enjoyed some magnificent thunderstorms.

The late afternoon storm cleared the air and made sleeping much more pleasant. I woke up at one point hearing lions roar and hyenas screaming. We discussed it at breakfast and Manda said they must have made a kill nearby as we all heard the commotion. It was nice to enjoy a cooked breakfast and several cups of coffee as we didn’t have to leave till 8 am.

Giraffe

Hello???

That doesn’t look comfortable

Refections

Drinking from a puddle right in front of the truck

Watching that lion. WHAT is she up to???

wildebeest

Flamingos

Hyena…so ugly it’s almost cute

Hyena

Weaver

Gnu

White (wide mouthed) rhino

Ostrich

From the frying pan…..

GREAT crew

Salt pan perspective fun

Kudu

Moringa tree, from the left Manda, Munya and Matt

He’s interested. She’s not.

impalas

Butting heads

Pretty tree

Snoozing lions. Check out the leg! LOL

Okavango Delta, Botswana

Posted on February 19, 2016

Our African journey continues. Previously …. Chobe National Park, Botswana

Feb 4

Again we packed up the bare minimum to head into the bush. The 4wd trucks picked us up at our campsite in Maun and we drove down the highway for about 20 minutes. Then it was some serious off roading happening, complete with a more intense than usual African massage. The track was sand and mud and it appeared that when puddles were too deep they just created another road around them.

We arrived at the “station” where we transferred our stuff to waiting mokoros. Not that long ago they were made of hollowed out trees, but to preserve their forestry, they’re now made of fibreglass. The crew propped up our sleeping pads in such away that we had lazy boy recliners in them. They propelled the mokoros with a long pole they used to push it along through the canals in the delta. I have no idea how they knew where they were going, but about 1.5 hours later, we landed on an island. We had to clear a campsite which was interesting.

Cross was the lead poler (no paddles, just poles as it’s shallow) and his crew were Sandy, Dicks (she poled Sue and I in) Candy, Lucas and Extra. They gave us the safety talk and explained the “bushy bushy” protocol.. We could mark our territory where ever we wanted for the most part but #2 was to be done in a hole. The toilet tissue was on a branch beside a shovel. If the shovel was there, the toilet was free. If not, you had to wait. When finished your business, you just shovelled some dirt on top. It was very efficient. Some were disgusted but most of us felt it was almost a spiritual experience. Squatting over a hole, listening to animal sounds with a view of the Okavango Delta? What could be better? It’s healthy and very god for developing your gluteus maximus, among other things 😉

) Toilet with a view

The path to the toilet

Sandy poling a mokoro

It was SO hot! Just sitting made me sweat so when they mentioned swimming, I was IN. Just Cross and Extra took 4 of us. They poled us through canals to a place where we beached the mokoros, walked a bit and happened on a place with a sandy bottom that was just perfect for an afternoon swim with no sign of crocs or hippos. I WAS warned not to swim too far though and I obeyed as I did NOT want to run into a hippo.

Back at the camp we just settled in to complain about the heat when the thunderstorm hit. That’s a good time to hole up in a tent with a book.

It stopped raining in time to go for a walk. Cross took us all over the place and didn’t seem to follow a path. He could spot a giraffe or zebra miles away. I had been told to wear closed toed shoes. I regretted it and wished I’d had my sandals as they would have fared better in the soggy grass.

We fell asleep that night to the sounds of crickets, frogs, hippos grunting and even the odd lion grumble in the distance.

After a quick bite of a rusk and a banana for breakfast, I put on my soaking wet socks and shoes and Cross led us off on a walk. After an hour it was only 7 am and already hot but it was wonderful to be walking in silence in such a wild, beautiful landscape. There was no path to follow.. The 5 of us just filed behind Cross whose amazing eyesight picked out giraffes, zebras and impalas from incredible distance. We could get remarkably close to them. When we happened on a herd of cape buffalo, we waited for them to move away before moving ourselves. They’re very aggressive and you never know what will set them off. The most intimidating sight was a huge bull elephant just munching away. From a distance it just looked like a big rock. Since there are no boulders in the delta, it was a strange sight. We came within 100 metres of him when Cross stopped. We just stood there and watched the massive creature. He watched us. Finally he shook his head from side to side. Apparently that means “step NO closer or I will squish you like a bug” We respected that and slowly walked away.

Coming this close to this big guy was pretty intimidating.

Pretty wild flower

Giraffes are even more majestic when you see them while on foot.

giraffes

Sunset over the Okavango Delta

Termite mounds in the view

By the time we reached camp it was after 10 am and we’d been walking for over 4 hours. I was hot, tired and slightly dehydrated. Manda had prepared us a delicious brunch so we sat down to eat. I had 3 cups of coffee but the headache was still there so finally took tylenol. This Canuck must learn to drink more water.

We found out Manda is a great cook too!

After a siesta we convinced some of the polers to take us swimming again. Since we didn’t get eaten by a croc the day before, most of the others joined us. Again, it was delightful. I tried poling but it’s a lot harder than it looks. Jimmy tried after me and was a natural.

That evening we were treated to a mokoro cruise and after dinner, the polers treated us to some fun music and dancing by the campfire.

They didn’t get enough taking us there. They pole for fun.

Mokoros in the Delta

SELFIE!! With Dicks working hard poling for us

Dicks got us there safely

Jimmy trying his hand at poling. He’s a natural and may now have a back up career.

Feb 6

Packing everything up included filling in the bushy bushy hole and burying the campfire ashes. They leave nothing behind. There’s no garbage in the delta and the 5 litre water jugs we brought weren’t trashed. The locals use them to get water from the river, which they drink without purifying. Our digestive systems are far too delicate.

The same process required to get there was done in reverse and we were back in Maun just before 11 am. After setting up the tent again, I helped Munya prepare lunch. Later I thoroughly enjoyed a cold shower, washed some clothes and relaxed for an hour before departing again for the Maun airport.

There Sue, Edith, Emily and I boarded a 6 seater cesna for a flight over the delta. The scenery was nice and we saw a few animals but not as great as I expected. Since it was intended to spot game, I thought our pilot, Mark, would point them out but all he did was dip the wings now and then we he saw something. We got 40 minutes of a 45 minute flight. Maybe I’m picky but I don’t think I got $120 (US!) worth for that one. Sue felt the same but we didn’t say anything as the others seemed to think it was incredible.

Hellooooo

Bird’s eye view of the delta

Back at camp I picked up my computer and headed for the bar for some wifi. It was so nice to find my family online and I could skype with the grandkids. I couldn’t hear them but they could hear me so I did all the talking and they could type in reply. How weird is that?!

It’s funny what things excite you in different circumstances. Today’s thrill was grass. Yep. Rather than pitch our tents on dirt, we actually had lawn, a view of the Kavango River from our tent as well as a sign that said “DANGER CROCS”. Heaven! We could walk in and out of our tent without tracking in dirt.

No wifi meant I was off the hook for checking emails, etc so I joined some of the others for a nice, COLD beer at the bar. I rarely drink but when it’s this hot and you’re dripping with sweat just from setting up camp, there’s nothing more refreshing.

A sunset cruise on a pontoon boat up the Kavango river was delightful. The Popa waterfalls were picturesque and watching the hippos’ antics was great fun.

After another wonderful supper thanks to Munya of roast beef, potatoes and salad I enjoyed my next real treat. A HOT shower with good water pressure!! Life is good. 😀

Crocodile!

Popa water fall

Feb 8

Divundu to Namutoni (North end of Etosha National Park

I woke up at one point during the night thinking I’d have to get up and close the tent flaps as I heard far off thunder and saw lightning flashes. Thankfully it never materialized as it was so nice to have the fresh air all night.

We were on the road by 6:30 am. We passed many villages, schools, churches and small farms long the way. At the red gate, the truck was disinfected and a man came on board to check for meat. The views changed to large farms with fences and game rather than small plots of plowed land. We passed several villages, school children playing at recess and people working in the fields. I managed to snap some photos from the truck.

Rhino fight? Play? Who knows?

Hippo fun

That’s one big yawn

Ostrich crossing

Our motley crew.

Saying good bye

Botswana to Namibia, views along the way

Posted on February 13, 2016

Okavango Delta, Botswana

Feb 7

On the road again by 7 am we got to navigate the Botswana highway. There are no traffic lights (or robots in Africa). In the city you stop for cows. In the country the donkeys, goats, ostriches and the odd elephant are a constant traffic hazard. Bus stops are interesting. Every village decorates their own so it’s distinguishable. Some had skulls, tires or chairs hanging from them. There aren’t any signs and you can’t see the villages as they’re way back in the bush. Road kill here is a donkey or a cow as they just roam free. Goats appear to be smarter and quicker at getting out of the way..There are random stops for shoe disinfection for foot and mouth disease too.

The border crossing was quick and easy as there was no one else there. We filled in the form to leave Botswana, got an exit stamp, back in the truck, got out to hand in another form and get the entry stamp for Namibia and were on our way. The first while was a dirt road through a national park which meant more African massage.

kids at school

Women working in the field

I’m not sure what is going on here. Maybe the cows are protesting?

Village in Botswana

Typical home in a Botswana village

Plowing the fields

Horse and wagon

Another village

Chobe National Park, Botswana

Posted on February 11, 2016

Previous post is here: Victoria Falls. Water that SMOKES! Zimbabwe

Feb. 1

Munya cooked too many eggs so I tried to help him out by eating 3 of them. I can’t be helping too much with such things or I’ll need new shorts.

The border crossing at Kuzinga is the place where 4 countries meet. Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana all meet here. The process was easy. Get an exit stamp from Zimbabwe, drive a bit and get an entry stamp for Botswana. We disinfected our shoes, got back in the truck and entered Botswana.

In Kasane we got supplies and once at the campsite, set up for lunch. Since we had a 2 hour wait for our game drive, some went swimming in the tiny pool. Sue and I went for a walk but were told not to wander too far as there are elephants and buffalo running free.

We packed up the bare minimum for our night in the bush and set off on a game drive. 3 hours later we’d spotted SO many animals, driven through pouring rain while the sun shone, witnessed a rainbow and perspired a gallon of water. The bush camp was a pleasant surprise. There was a make shift toilet surrounded by canvas. Alex and Calvin had erected ALL the tents, including a kitchen tent. Dinner was a delicious beef stew over rice.

Jack gave us the “safety lesson” while we enjoyed a campfire. By the time he was finished we were all pretty terrified and glad we were dehydrated as then we wouldn’t have to get up in the night to pee. There are too many animals there in the middle of Chobe National park that will kill you if you look at them sideways.

At 5 am I heard someone’s alarm go off. I’d heard lions roaring and elephants trumpeting in the night but they weren’t close enough to be scary. After packing everything up and having breakfast, we were on the road again shortly after 6 am. This morning’s game drive was slower, as in, not so many animals but we DID get to see a pride of lions, including a young male.

Back at main camp, I washed a few things and relaxed. Later on some of us went on a boat trip on the Chobe River while others went to town. While enjoying the scenery and vast number of animals and beautiful birds we noticed thunderclouds. It was fun to watch until we realized we’d left the tent flaps open. We could only hope the others made it back in time to close them.

It was just the 4 of us on the boat and the captain provided us with ponchos so the down pour just added to the adventure, not to mention the beautiful rainbow that resulted. We got a little close to a mama and baby hippo and she reared out of the water at us. It sure startled us but the captain just laughed so we figured we were probably safe.

Back at camp we discovered the others had been 10 minutes too late to close the tents. Someone had nicely hung out our sleeping bags but most of our clothes were fine. Lesson learned. You never know when it’s going to rain. Always close tent flaps when leaving camp. Better a hot tent than a wet one.

Feb 3

I slept very well considering all I had was a damp sleeping bag liner on a plastic mat for the night. I woke up around 4 am with cold feet but that’s not too bad. By 4:30 we gave up on sleep and just got up and started packing. We tried mopping out the tent and just packed it up hoping it dries in Maun.

We passed a long tine of trucks headed the other way to the Zambian border. It went on for MILES. They’re bullding a bridge but for now, they all wait their turn for the ferry which goes every 10-15 minutes but only holds one or two trucks. They could go through Zimbabwe but it’s too expensive to pay taxes, visas and tolls..

The highway was nice and smooth so I got some photo editing done. Matt (our driver) did a constant 100 kph with the odd stop for an elephant crossing. They’re certainly not endangered in Botswana. In fact, they can be very large pests. The ministry of agriculture has erected a high voltage fence all around the agricultural district and there are cattle grates in the highway. It stops the animals with hooves but not the baboons. There are 2.5 million people in Botswana and over 40,000 elephants.

The only stops were for “bushy bushy” which is Botswana’s name for squatting on the side of the road to “mark your territory. Men go ahead of the truck, women behind. It’s all very civilized. 🙂

Pretty bird

Approaching storm

Elephants playing

Hippo in the sunset

Rainbow over a hippo on the Chobe River

Sunset over the Chobe River

Hippo splash!

Mama hippo was NOT happy that we wanted to see her baby.

sable antelope

Kudu

Pumba!

wart hog playing in the mud

Pumba!

Impala. African Mcdonalds.

Corey bastard

That’s one way to carry your kid

Red billed round bill

Crocodile regulating his body temperature

Aranga ….don’t think that’s spelled right

Our humble abode in the bush

Secretary bird

Baby elephant slipping in the mud

Baby hiding under it’s mama

Sunset over Chobe

king fisher

Approaching storm

Buffalo

Elephants playing

Hippo in the sunset

Rainbow over a hippo on the Chobe River

Sunset over the Chobe River

Hippo splash!

Mama hippo was NOT happy that we wanted to see her baby.

sable antelope

Kudu

Pumba!

wart hog playing in the mud

Pumba!

Impala. African Mcdonalds.

Corey bastard

Lion!

That’s one way to carry your kid

Red billed round bill

Kingfisher

Crocodile regulating his body temperature

Aranga ….don’t think that’s spelled right

Victoria Falls. Water that SMOKES! Zimbabwe

Posted on February 6, 2016

The African adventure continues in Zimbabwe from Matopo. Previously: Walking with rhinos – Matopo National Park Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls, Zambia side

Can YOU carry that much?

Victoria falls gorge from the cafe. You can see the bridge from Zim to Zam far off in the distance

The stinkers are enjoying MY almonds and daring me to take them back

No matter what we did, they got into our tent.

Sure they’re adorable but they are SERIOUS pests!

Jan 29.Victoria Falls.

Today is Friday. Good to know. We packed up and left by 6:40 am. 10 minutes late but that’s not too bad. Upon arrival in Victoria Falls we immediately disembarked and entered the park to see the falls. They are SPECTACULAR. There’s so much mist that it feels like it’s raining so I wore a poncho to protect the camera.

After listening to the spiel on activities in the area we walked to the campground where Florence had prepared a delicious tuna salad. Sue and I decided to take a couple of vacation days and upgraded to a permanent tent which is a dome tent on a concrete pad with two real beds in it. LUXURY! It had a light bulb that worked intermittently when the power was actually on which isn’t often. Zimbabwe seems to have frequent power outages. We were told it’s because they sell too much of it to Namibia.

Dinner was at the camp restaurant where I thoroughly enjoyed a crocodile pasta pesto thing and Sue had crumbled wart hog.

Even on “vacation” we’re not allowed to sleep in. Breakfast was at 6:30 am and I don’t like to miss meals. We checked on doing laundry but the camp had no power so we opted to wait.

Some of the others were jumping off the bridge so we decided to go watch. That involves crossing the border to Zambia but you can just get a pass to walk on the bridge rather than pay the visa fees again. There was much excitement. They all survived and enjoyed their crazy experiences and we walked back.

Sue and I got money from the ATM and it spits out 50’s which is a real pain as nobody ever has change. Not only that, a lot of their money is REALLY dirty and apparently Botswana, Namibia and SA won’t exchange dirty money. TIA (This is Africa) 😀

Still no power so the laundry lady offered to do it by hand. I felt kind of bad as I could do it myself but she could use the money so we left it with her.

After a lazy afternoon we met our new group and crew who will be going with us the rest of the way to Cape town.

These people don’t believe in sleeping in. The generator for the restaurant woke me at 6 am and workers don’t speak quietly. Oh well. It was a beautiful day. This lack of power was getting really old. I was really looking forward to a hot shower.

We’ve got a bunch of vegan and vegetarians on this trip so when Munya cooked bacon for breakfast we got to pig out. Bonus!

Today we learned that you lock your tent. Not to keep out humans, but to keep out the blue monkeys. Persistent monkeys fiddle with unlocked zippers till they get inside and take any food, including peppermints. 😉 Our tent was locked yet one of the stinkers still managed to get in and take my almonds. Grrrr. I thought I’d made it monkey proof after that but no, they came back and got my sandwich bag of supplements. The silly monkeys didn’t like them either as they just threw them all over and left them.

After a delicious dinner at the Shearwater cafe we said good-bye to those leaving our group and headed for bed, our last night in a real one for a while.

Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Posted on February 2, 2016

Previously Walking with rhinos – Matopo National Park Zimbabwe

Jan 27 Hwange Nationl Park

5 hours on a truck is opportune time for journal catch up and photo sorting. The roads are SO bumpy that it’s not an easy task but I’ve got nothing better to do.

At Hwange National Park we set up tents, had some lunch and headed out for a game drive. The cats were hiding but we saw zebras, giraffes, lots of birds, sable antelope and a whole herd of baboons.

Dinner was an African staple of pap with beef and gravy and cabbage with peanut sauce. VERY tasty!

Jan 28

A bunch of warthogs decided to have a party outside our tent around midnight. They don’t party quietly so there was lots of snorting, grunting and hissing going on. Since I was awake I heard elephants trumpeting and lions roaring far off in the distance. Hwange is not a quiet place at night,

Our early breakfast time of 5:30 am surprised a few honey badgers that ended up running all over the place.

Today’s game drive was a huge success. Along with all the other animals we’d already seen, we added a pride of NINE lions, elands, a few jackals, lots of interesting birds, and a puff adder snake. At one point we stopped on the road to let a huge herd of elephants cross. One big bull decided we were too close and got VERY aggressive, shaking his head and stomping at us. When he started to charge, both Julius and Henry revved their engines and he backed off but didn’t let us out of his sight till we drove away.

Back at camp we loaded up into the big truck and went to see the wild dog sanctuary. That’s when it started to rain. All of us thought of our tents . None of the windows were closed and Sue and I didn’t even have the fly on. We weren’t looking forward to sleeping in a wet sleeping bag.

Mama Florence got many hugs when we returned to find that wonder woman had closed everyone’s doors and windows and even put the flies on the 3 tents without them!!! Our tent was bone dry. 😀

Dinner was gem squash, assorted veggies, corn, steak and garlic bread. My pedometre said I did 17,000 steps while bouncing in a jeep so I was starving. I’m not sure how many calories one burns while bouncing but it feels like it should be a lot 😀

Sable Antelope

Baboons everywhere!

monkey picking fruit for her baby

Sunrise over Hwange

Botswana’s national bird. Rose breasted …. something.

Juvenile martial eagle

jackal

Ostrich

Puff adder sunning itself on the road

Botswana’s national bird

It’s a pretty blue bird. I don’t remember what kind 🙂

A pride of 9 female lions and cubs

Apparently these are offspring of Cecil the lion who was well past his prime.

Hello??

He’s trumpeting at us.

Zebras and impalas often hang out together as protection from predators

No trees around but these two had to grow together

Yellow round bill otherwise known as the flying banana

Long tailed shrike

flying banana

Eland

Secretary bird

Cory bastard. Seriously. That’s what it’s called.

He’s NOT happy with us!

Walking with rhinos – Matopo National Park Zimbabwe

Posted on January 31, 2016

Previous post: Great Zimbabwe Ruins

Jan 25

The problem with a 9 pm bedtime is I’m awake at 4 am. Oh well. We packed the tent and everything at leisure and enjoyed a couple coffees before the 7 am departure. We’ve been drinking some chicory coffee stuff and it’s just not cutting it so Sue got a jar of Nescafe. I’ve never appreciated instant coffee so much!

Our first stop was at a craft market. Edith mentioned that one of the vendors asked for her pen which made me think of the school supplies we brought. Aron (our guide) kindly opened the hatch and remove some chairs so I could get at the stuff. I handed pens, pencils and notebooks to kids walking to school and a few more to some of the vendors. It was MUCH appreciated and so easy for me so when YOU go, bring school supplies! Every little bit helps.

In Bulawaya we wandered around for a while and thoroughly enjoyed an ice cream cone on such a hot day.

Upon arrival at our campsite at Burke’s Paradise, it looked like rain so we rushed to get the tents up, just in time for a thunderstorm. All of us were thankful for great wifi and caught up on internet stuff.

By the time dinner time came, the power went out and the rain settled in. It was nice to discover our tent is indeed water proof as we settled in to spend the rest of the evening with a book.

January 26, 2016

It sure is nice to have wifi in your tent when the power finally does come on. That’s luxury camping!! Awaking at 5 am is kind of handy as then I could work on updating the blog in bed. 😀

Andy picked us up in his jeep and we motored on to Matopo National Park. One stop was a visit with some dung beetles, a hinged tortoise and a chameleon. He stopped a few times at rhino tracks and finally decided one set was fresh enough to track. Armed with cameras we piled out of the jeep and followed single file, with no chatter and followed Andy. He lost the trail a few times but found it again and after a couple of hours we were close enough to smell them. Still no luck so we walked all the way back. Further down the road he jumped out of the jeep and we heard some whistling. He came back with two game wardens and informed us they had seen them and he was going to have a look. We could come if we wanted. I found it ironic that the 5 oldest people in the group, including Sue and I, were the ones who immediately followed the wardens and Andy.

There is nothing so exhilarating as coming upon a group of wild white rhinoceros just munching away after tracking them for several hours. What an amazing experience! We got within 15′ of them! Andy whispered to just enjoy and never mind photos. He promised we’d see them again later.

In the jeep again and a few stops for checking out wildlife and then lunch. Andy put out a spread of salads, buns and cold cuts and we feasted while we engaged in MUCH controversial discussion on the pros and cons of hunting. Of course the killing of Cecil the lion came up and we heard the REAL story which, as usual, was MUCH different than what the media portrayed.

Back in the jeep (sounds easy but it’s not when you’ve got to climb a ladder with these old knees) we headed off to see the painted caves. That was a good hike as well but definitely worth it.

After driving, stopping, driving for a while again, we met up with the wardens and set off to find the rhinos again. Wow! The late afternoon sun made for beautiful lighting and a photographer’s dream. We kept perfectly quiet, moved slowly and Andy softly whistled to let the massive beasts know we were there, but no threat. We could get within 15′ feet and they showed NO agitation! That was THE most amazing experience ever!

Back at the camp I met Gladys, Aron’s wife, who is a doctor at the hospital in Bulawayo. Aron got the suitcase of medical supplies (courtesy of Not Just Tourists, Toronto) out of the truck and Gladys and I went through it. She was so excited by things like sterile gauze, foley kits, insulin syringes, etc that I was close to tears. Gladys said she’d have to show her boss and get approval and then would take the supplies with her when she visits one of the rural clinics early in February.. She filled out the paper work and again, thanked me profusely. I didn’t know what to say. The suitcase was full of things we just take for granted will be available if/when we need them. Here, a doctor is excited to have sterile gauze and the right sized needles for insulin injections.

I finally got dinner around 8 pm. Florence asked me to please eat. Oh Florence. No worries. I’m not going to starve!! Shepherd’s pie for dinner. Devin will be so jealous!

Leopard tortoise. One of the small 5

Dung beetles doing their job in poop

Dung beetle

Granite formations in Matopo National Park

We found the rhinos!

Andy and the tiny leopard tortoise. Andy loves his job 😀

View

One of many amazing views

Path to the cave where the paintings are.

Entering the cave with the paintings.

Cliff Springer

9,000 year old cave paintings

Tracking rhinos

Pretty lizard

Lizard on a hot rock

fish eagle

My what big heads you have

Up close and personal with some rhinos

Yet another rhino. I got SO many good shots, it was hard to choose.

Hello down there?

Rhinoceros

Bartering

Some day I’m going to learn how to tie a baby up like that

Not Just Tourists . http://njttoronto.com/ Handing the case of medical supplies to Dr. Gladys. Don’t mind the hot sweaty mess (me, not Dr. Gladys!)

Great Zimbabwe Ruins

Posted on January 29, 2016

I tried earplugs but those birds are loud so I was up again at 5:30 am. Oh well. We took our time to pack up and enjoy a leisurely breakfast of bacon, eggs and beans before our 8:30 am departure.

Today’s views were less scenic with lots of scrub brush and massive boulders. Still in Lompopo province we crossed the tropic of Capricorn. Views became mountains with different vegetation including mountain aloe, a widely used medicine plant. We passed through a series of tunnels and into flat land again.

Tshipsires Resort , just outside Musina, was a great place to spend an afternoon. At It was so hot that I did some sink laundry and didn’t bother to wring it out much and it still dried in a couple of hours. We spent a couple of hours in the hot springs pool swimming and chatting with locals and then went on a walk up a mountain. At around 5 pm, it was still hot so comfortable to walk wet. Mongoose and monkeys were playing around every where. Some people ran into baboons which are kind of scary.

Florence outdid herself again with dinner of fish, fried potatoes and greek salad.

When we found out the next morning’s departure was to be 4:30 am, Sue and I decided to skip the tent and just sleep under the stars. The others decided that was a great idea and joined us. It ended up no one pitched their tent.

Hugging Africa’s biggest and oldest baobob tree which is about 3,000 years old

January 24. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MELANIE!!!

Florence’s alarm went off at 3 am. After packing up the sleeping bag, mat, pillow, we had a bit of breakfast and a coffee and were ready to leave by 4:15 am.

The border was interesting.. The guy who did my exit stamp must not have had his coffee as he had the wrong date so I went back and got another one, hoping it doesn’t cause me trouble later. We got back in the truck, crossed the Lompopo River and lined up to pay for the Zimbabwe visa. Later I found out they write down the serial number of EVERY bill and I gave them 15 ONES. Oops. I thought it was important to have correct change. So, we waited about 2 hours to process all 13 passports. Then we got back in the truck to wait in line again.

3 hours of incredibly bumpy road past villages, slowing for cows and waving at locals brought us to the great Zimbabwe ruins. My pedometre registered steps as if I was walking. That’s how rough the ride was!

None of us felt like walking as we were all tired, grumpy and VERY hot. Our guide met us and walked us up the 400 metre climb up jagged, uneven stone steps between walls and over roots. He stopped at various places to explain the ruins and explain some history of Zimbabwe. By the time we reached the top our tiredness was gone and we were fascinated despite being soaked with sweat.

Just a few minutes down the road we arrived at our campsite and settled in with the whole tent routine. I was on kitchen duty and helped Florence make dinner. Spaghetti and salad. YUM.

I finally got a nice cool shower after dinner which I don’t remember ever enjoying so much. Sue and I were in the tent by 8 pm thinking it was way too early but we were SO tired and still hot.

Those are some steps

One HOT climb!

Check out the size of those rocks!

View from the top

Duck Sue!

View from the top

Outer wall of the women’s quarters.

Grain bin that was never used to store grain?

View from the bottom

Blyde River Canyon, South Africa

Posted on January 26, 2016

It’s light at 5 am and the birds make a racket so one might as well get up. After packing up the sleeping mat, bag, pillow, backpack, etc I got to enjoy a leisurely breakfast as we weren’t leaving till 7:30 am. The elephant family came to visit again and brought their baby this time. The way the bathrooms were situated, I could have sat on the toilet and watched them.

Elephant visiting while I’m in the shower

The views along the way were spectacular. Banana, fruit, olive plantations dot the landscape along with forests of huge trees and steep inclines difficult for the poor truck to climb. God must have closed the curtains as we saw nothing but fog from God’s Window, a beautiful view point at 2,000′ above sea level, but the hike was still gorgeous through the rain forest.

Blyde River canyon is the third largest canyon in the world (365 km long) and views from it WERE spectacular as the sun made an appearance there. We stopped a few more times a various vantage points for some fantastic photo opportunities.

The grocery stop was at one of South Africa’s massive malls so Sue and I attempted to find wifi. Even in the zone we weren’t able to connect.

Tonight’s campsite had lush green grass which was a nice change. The kitchen area was VERY nicely set up, complete with a fridge, sinks and counter tops. Dinner of lamb chops, sausage, mashed potatoes and veggies was amazing again. Mama Florence is a great cook so no one is going hungry.

I clocked in over 18,000 steps today so earned my dinner 🙂

Blyde River Canyon

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Where in the world is Jodi?

Adventure travel for the young at heart. I haven't been everywhere but it's on my list!

Author Archives: Jodi

Fish River Canyon and the Orange River

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Okavango Delta, Botswana

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Chobe National Park, Botswana

Victoria Falls. Water that SMOKES! Zimbabwe

Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Walking with rhinos – Matopo National Park Zimbabwe

Great Zimbabwe Ruins

Blyde River Canyon, South Africa

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