Day Trip to Botswana

Today we went to Botswana.  We are in the area of Africa where Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and Botswana all come together.  In theory, one should be able to get from one country to the other quickly, but it is not so.  You must check out of one country and then check ontp another....along with everyone else.  Since we have had plenty of practice standing n line, we made it from Zimbabwe to Botswana with ittle trouble.

We went to the Chobe Marina Hotel and picked up our guide for the game drive through a tiny portion of Chobe National Park.  The weather was perfect and we set off on what our guide called an "African Massage" or bouncing around in a Land Rover.  Within five minutes of entering the park we saw a lion slumbering after what must have been a big night because he didnot move.  SInce ther are no guarantees about what you will see-except impalas-seeing a lion set a very high bar.  Chobe National park was full of wildlife.  We sawelephants of all sizes, cape buffalos, croccodiles, kudu, impala, many birds, a solitary mongoose and on our way back we saw the elusive leopard.  We saw him walking thhrough the bush.  It was more exciting than the slumbering lion.

After lunch we took a boat ride along the Chobe River.  We went out on the Botswana side and returned on the Namibia side.  Since every animal needs water, they all come to the river.  We even saw a baby elephant so young  (less than 6 months)that his trunk was not working yet.  We watched as the elephants took mud baths and dust baths.  There were herds of old bachelor cape buffalo and a breeding herd too.  The pair of giraffes that came down off the ridge to the river were impressive.  It was a very full day.

Three Different Game Drives (Saturday and Sunday)

Our first game driv of the day after arriving at Imbabala was very enjoyable.  We rode down to the Zambezi River with our guide Richard.  There was aherd of obviously pregnant impalas.  They were waiting for the rains to come so there would be enough food.  That is the case for many of the animals n this area.  As we left the river, it began to rain and then it began to pour.  It was not a long rain, just a hint of the season to come.  Along the way, Richard told us about the area, the elephant corridor, game management (none), and other interseting facts.  We saw a large variety of birds including nesting vultures and Marisol storks, half a dozen leopard tortoises, and a browsing giraffe.  We stopped midway for refreshments while standing beside and learning about termite colonies and the mounds.  When we returned to the lodge, we had a lovely dinner on the patio overlooking the now dark Zambzi River.

We decided that the night was perfect for a night game drive and at 8:30 we took off.  We looked into the large trees to see if we could spot a leopard but no luck.  The highlight of the ride was a large bull elephant that appeared in the road/track.  He stood looking at us (our guide Jefferson turned of the lights on the truck), then the elephant turned away and ambled down the track, then turned into the brush.  We searched for and finally discovered where he had turned off the track.  It was an eerie yet exhilarating sight.  Later were saw some zebras moving along a tree line.  Although we saw very few animals, the ride was still very magical.

This morning it was an early rise and departure for the game drive.  The reason for leaving at 6 AM is to go and be back before the heat of midday.  The ride started out slowly with just bushbuck, baboons and impalas.  We stopped and looked at different rees and saw the impact-especially damage-of the elephants.  Suddenly we heard a strange noise and knew we had a flat tire.  Changing the tire was an efficient effort of Jefferson and Paul.  Soon the spare was on, the truck was lowered, and it became obvious that the spare was flat too.  Richard called the lodge and we soon had a new truck.

Now we headed to the river hoping to see some grazing hippos since it was very overcast.  No such luck!  However, there were warthogs, impalas and waterbucks.  The waterbucks were built like American elk and were quite impressive.  A pair of warthogs were fight as were a few pairs of impalas.  We were not sure if the head butting and horn twisting was real or practice, but it looked serious.  Soon afterwards, we saw a group of African Cape buffalo.  I was very happy to be in the safety of the truck. 

For some reason the vultures were not flying and they had collected in one area.  The trees were festooned with vultures.  We saw other birds and some African tree squirrels.  Once we headed back to the lodge, we were luck to see a colony of banded mongoose playing in the road.  Then Paul spotted a kudu bull browsing.  Unlike the group of female kudu we saw later, this bull was all by himself.  There was no more game to be seen this morning.  When we got back, there was a wonderful brunch waiting for us.  Now for a quiet afternoon before heading out on th Zambezi River later today.

Saturday afternoon, November 9th

Hard to believe that it is Saturday already.  Yesterday afternoon was full of animal sightings.  We saw so many different animals.  We saw rhinos, wildebeest, zebras, warthhogs including a set of twins born during the spring, guineas fowl, baboons and vervet monkeys.  Then as we were driving back to the lodge, we saw an elephant right along the roadway eating some corn which seems to have escaped from a bag that someone was transporting.  Then suddenly there was a giraffe running across the road!  What a sight!  It was a was a giraffe who was joining 4 or 5 other giraffes in the bush beside the road.  The rest of the trip back was uneventful.

Upon our return, we took a boat ride on the Zambzi River.  During a very enjoyable hour of cruising around, we saaw an assortment of birds, monkeys and eight hippos lounging in the river waiting for the sun to set so they could leave the river to go browsing.  As we watched the sunset, our driver brought out some crackers, dips and drinks.  It was dusk when we returned.  A delicious dinner was served and we were all escorted back to our cottages.

Today dawned early and we were all at the mainn lodge by 6AM to sip coffee and hear a lecture about the history of Zimbabwe (we had all agreed to the time and Road Scholars does have an educational component). After the lecture and breakfast we loaded up the luggage and headed out.  First we went though the Zambia border crossing, drove over the gorge and then through the Zimbabwe border crossing.  Both border crossings went smoothly.

Now we were going to see the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls.  Unlike the very dry Zambian side, there was plenty of water on this side.  We walked though the woods to the falls.  We walked along the edge of the gorge to different viewing points.  Sometimes it was dry and other times the mist would be blown back on us which was a real and cooling treat in the heat.  After the last viewing point, we walke through a sectioncalled the rainforest and it was amazing at the change in the different plants and how shady it was.

Back on the bus, we headed to the Imbabala Lodge which was about an hour away.  It is located in a national preserve and there are no fences around the compound.  It is right alng the Zambezi River and as we sat on our porch, we could see a number of hippos in the swampy grass out in the river.  The vervet monkeys are running aound and it is important to be sure that the door to our cottage is always locked!  After a delcious lunch al fresco, we had a swim and soon there will be afternoon tea before we head out on an afternoon game drive.  I wounder what we see this afternoon?

This is Amazing

Yesterday (Thursday) we flew from Johannesburg to Livingstone, Zambia.  Our passports now have their first visas.  It was over 100 degrees when we landed!We reached the Thorntree Lodge which sits on the Zambezi River.  The view is wonderful looking across to Zimbabwe.  Our cottage has it's it's own view of the river from the deck and through the full glass front.  As we walked to our cottage, there were a pair of warthoggs and a familly of bushbucks grazing beside the walkway.  We could see a hippo in the river.  It just popped up, flicked its ears and then submerged again.  Quite a sight from our private pool.

Our al fresco dinner was delicious.  The predinner entertainment was watching a heerd of elephants on the Zimbabwe side of the river.  The evening was made even more enjoyable listening to to the hippo's melodic grunts in the dark.

After breakfast we left to go see the Zambia side of Victoria Falls.  As we left the lodge, we we saw a pair of bull elephants roaming in the bush.  They were huge and their ivory was impressive.  On our ride to the falls we saw zebras and baboons.   OUr walk to the falls was about a mile.  The water levels were low but it was till impressive.  Our next stop was the David Livingstone Museum.  It was interesting but the lack of AC made it difficult to concentrate.  The final cultural event of the  trip to the market.  Lots of people, color, stands and everyone is enticing you to buy their goods.  All purchases require haggling.  Of course, I got fabric and Paul made a purchase to decorate our house and remind us of our trip.

We returned to the lodge for a wonderful lunch and a short break before heading out to  walk in the bush to view some rhinos.  The next installment will be wifi dependent but assured that we will be doing something exciting.

View from our deck

Fish eagle

 Distant elephants

 Lots of birds

 Bushbuck

Waiting for a meal

Arrived and Started the Advnture

With all the practice that we have had traveling, we managed to pack light.  Of course going somewhere warm made it easy.  We got to Dulles and made it through security in no time which gave us plenty of time to practice sitting around.  The plane took off on time and the 16 hours of travel began.  Yeah, it was as bad as you imagine, but we managed nicely.  We stopped in Accra, Ghana to refuel and resupply, but we remained on the plane.

At last we arrived in Johannesburg.  We got there shortly before the World Cup winning Spring Bok Rugby team.  The public sections of the terminal were a sea of green and gold waiting to cheer the returning champions.  In no time we found our driver and other members of our group.  After arriving at the hotel, we met our tour guide Lisa, got our key and went to unpack.  At dinner we met the rest of our group, enjoyedsome conversation and soon returned to our room to get some much needed sleep.

We left to hotel at 8:30 to go to the Apartheid Museum.  Lisa and David (a local specialist) pointed out all the sights and how they fitted into Johannesburg's history.  The twelve of us spent nearly three hours with David telling us about the history and social ramifications of this sad part of South Africa's history.  (In addition to many birds, we finally saw some wildlife as a small lizard scampered across oone of the outdoor exhibits.  Then it was back in the van and a drive which included the highway that runs from CapeTown to Cairo to Liliesleaf.

At Liliesleaf we enjoyed lunch which included milk tart for dessert which is a local delicacy.  Then we toured the compound which was the underground headquarters for the movement to end apartheid.  It was also a very interesting visit.

Now we have a sense of the history of South Africa and all the various people who now have a vote in their democracy.  Tomorrow we head to Zambia and our first game sightings.

On our way

The celebration at the airport

On my early morning walk

Just be careful here

Great museum

Portrait made of iron bars

Bird if paradise

Jacarinda