We travel to Zambia today; our modes of transportation include: Land Rover, 12-seater airplane, mini bus, ferry, mini bus, small 6-seater plane and finally a Land Rover to the tented camp of Lufupa, located in the northern section of Kafue National Park.
As we were at the Botswana-Zambia border, we had a Learning and Discovery moment. Champion brought Mathilda on board the bus to talk to us about her life as a sex worker for the truck drivers that must wait their turn for the ferry.
She became a prostitute after her mother died. As the oldest child, it was her responsibility to provide for her siblings and grandmother. Dropping out of school, she had no skills with which to earn money. She left her village and came to the border, where she entered the sex worker world. She soon became HIV-positive as 60 percent of the truck drivers are HIV-positive and many do not want or care to use condoms. She was very open and answered all our questions. It was certainly an eye-opener for all of us.
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| Condom dispenser in immigration building. |
With the bridge being completed in about 2 more years and truck traffic being able to move more quickly, it is Mathilda's hope that she can save enough money and return to her village. She wants to open a small grocery store.
We crossed the river in a boat that fit all 15 of us.
The bridge under construction.
Upon arrival on the Zambian side, we were surrounded by vendors selling copper bracelets, small carvings and wooden bowls.
Champion called this another Learning and Discovery moment for us!
We quickly boarded our awaiting bus and the vendors stood and knocked on the windows to sell their goods. To buy, just open the window to negotiate. They were persistent and stayed around us the entire time we ate our sandwich lunch while Champion went to purchase our Zambia visas. We ended up buying 3 copper bracelets through the bus window and then we gave our 2 pears to him. He thanked us and appeared most appreciative.
Then we traveled by mini bus to Livingstone....about 1/2 hour inside the Zambia border.
Before going to the airport, we stopped by a open market and Champion asked each of us ladies to pick out a fabric piece.
Here is a man making a cookstove out of a bucket...I think we saw something similar on the "Amazing Race" show.
Off to the airport we flew in a 10-seater plane to Lufupa
...and drove about 10 minutes to our tented camp along the banks where the Lufupa River joins the Kafue River.
Our tented cabin.
This one is quite spacious.
Late in the afternoon we went for game drive and saw I think a plover bird or maybe it's a lapwing. Our guides are able to immediately identify all the different birds that we see. It was hard to keep track of all of them....
A sausage tree...
And then as it became dark, we saw a pride of 11 lions, which we later learned had come very near our camp while we were on the drive. They had been spotted in the area near our Tent #9! Yikes.
And sure enough, the next morning we saw the paw prints of the lions on the road by the camp as we left for our morning game viewing drive.
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| Lion and hippo tracks |
We set out to find the lion pride. Terry caught sight of one of them and we headed off road to get over there. Brian alerted the other Land Rover with guide Akim.
After watching them for awhile, the mother lion came out of the shrubs just 10 feet from our vehicle.
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| Wattled Crane |
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| Puku |
We drove by a female wildebeest alone in the open plain. Brian thought she was rejected by the herd so she may be sick or injured but looked fine. If the lions see her, she will be killed.
Candelabra trees look like cactus. The milky latex of the tree is extremely poisonous and can cause blindness, severe skin irritation and poisoning (when ingested) with humans and animals. However when properly used this plant can serve as drug curing ulcers and treating cancer and STDs.
Watched yellow baboons in the trees.
Stopped by the water for coffee and tea and saw several crocodiles.
We have the dung burner bucket on the back of the vehicle . It is for tse tse flies repellent; we have not needed to use it.
Came across a puku herd and almost saw 2 mating. The female was not cooperating.
Back at camp for lunch and a little rest, we had a Learning and Discovery talk with Lydia, the staff manager.
She talked about the customs in Zambia for young boys and girls. Then all the ladies took out the material that we chose at the Livingstone market. Lydia showed us the various uses for the material.
We made chincinge skirts, baby carriers and turbans.
The turban didn't turn out too good; it's suppose to be a cushion for carrying things on top of the head.
Then everyone helped to make peanut butter.
Time for the afternoon game drive and we didn't see too much. A few birds, an elephant, impalas, hares.
At sundowner, a game was played with impala poop, which are little pellets like deer poop. Object: who could shoot it the farthest from the mouth.
Up this morning and we see a hippo just 10 yards away from the bank of the river outside our cabin. It ducked down in the water before we could snap a photo.
Once we walked to the main hall for coffee, we watched hippos in the water about 200 yards away....and a crocodile swimming close to our shoreline checking us out.
After breakfast, we boarded a pontoon boat for a cruise on the Lufupa River. We saw many birds and hippos and a few crocs.
Red-eye dove bird nest
We stopped by barn owlets in a nest that was previously occupied by a hamerkop bird.
Giant Kingfisher
African jacana
The white fronted bee eater is very colorful
My notes say this is a variety of a kingfisher, but I'm not sure....
Stopped for coffee and tea on the shore
...and saw tracks of hippo, crocs, elephant, baby hippo, and lion in the dried mud where the animals went down to the river for water.
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| Crocodile track |
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| Imprint of crocodile skin in the mud |
and I actually caught one opening its mouth wide! It was my lucky day!
We stopped for picnic lunch where the camp staff had set up tables, chairs, linens, etc.
Then back to camp and there was a wart hog just outside the main hall. Finally we can get a good photo of one....we have usually seen them running away while on our game drives.
An afternoon hike around the camp area had to be cancelled as the lion pride was still too close by.
Our "Learning and Discovery" talk in the afternoon was on poaching, conservation, and....hunting.
One of the government military soldiers patroling the park provided the talk. We have seen the patrol vehicles several times while on game drives in the various parks/reserves. Absolutely no photos of them are allowed.
Then it was on to another boat ride...this time on the Kafue River. We saw a number of birds, crocs and hippos entering the water.
This might be a hamerkop...or it's safer to just say this is an African bird!!
And this is possibly a blue crane...
The sunset was beautiful as we enjoyed a glass of wine with our friends.
Back at camp, it was cultural exchange night. We had appetizers around the fire...dried sardines and pumpkin seeds.
Then dinner in the dining room and back out to the fire pit where we enjoyed songs and dancing from the staff. We all joined in.
Then several of us put on a little skit, with no rehearsal, of taking a safari ride. They loved it!
Tomorrow morning we say goodbye to this camp and head to Zimbabwe and the Kashawe Camp in Hwange National Park....what will we see along the way....
To continue reading, scroll up towards the top of this page and click in the right-hand column the entry entitled: Kashawe Camp in Hwange, Zimbabwe.
"Uh, Brain, could you back up" said Terry and we had the honor to see that pride of lions in the daylight! And Joyce, that hippo pic is the BEST! Such good times...
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