Archives

Moving On

Sep18

Laundry clean and packed, we carted our bags back out to the rover for our drive to the next camp. We managed to embarrass our hostess (and entertain the staff yet again) when we ‘fessed up to hiding naked in the back end of our chalet so that we wouldn’t embarrass her when delivering coffee to our chalet first thing in the morning.

Elizabeth prepared a lunch of sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs and apples for the road, which we carefully packed into the cooler – much better than granola bars! We said our goodbyes, and did the pothole polka to the pavement and our next fuel stop. Next camp: McBrides’.

To get to the northern part of the park, we have to head out to where the Great East Road bisects the park into north and south sections. But, to get to the northern camps, we have to travel east to Mumbwa, then arc northwest back into the park to get to McBride’s: the classic “you can’t get there from here.”

The pavement was relatively good once we emerged from the river road, and we spotted elephants near the river. We approached Mumbwa with a little apprehension. Mumbwa was our next fuel stop, and the pumps are notoriously dry more often than not.

As we pulled in, several men approached the rover, but none from the fuel station itself. They tell us that the pumps are dry, but they might be able to help us with some fuel. By now, we know that we are only topping off the tank – 20 liters should be all we need. One gentleman offers us “high-grade” diesel for 8,000 kwacha and “low-grade” diesel for 7,000 kwacha. Not sure what “low-grade” diesel is, and not wanting to ruin the engine with something closer to grain alcohol than diesel, Steve negotiates 20 liters of “high grade” for 7,500 kw. (Not bad, considering that we were paying 6,999 at the pump in Livingstone.) Still not sure what we were buying, one gentleman appeared with a plastic water bottle, biting off the bottom with his teeth to create a funnel for our fuel.

Tank full (maybe?), we headed west back into the national park, holding our breath the first few kilometers for the engine coughing signs of bad fuel. A little later, I couldn’t help but wonder if we had just repurchased the diesel we had left behind a few days earlier in Itechi Techi. What are the odds…?

Bush Tech

Sep17

Propeller cage repaired, we headed back out on the water the next morning with fishing gear in tow. Steve is the fishing guy, and proceeded to catch something on his first cast. I was content to hang out on the rocks, take pictures and look at birds.

Kafue River
Fish eagle
Kafue River
Lurking hippo

As the only guests at the lodge, we had the luxury of deciding what we wanted to do, and when we wanted to do it. Kaingu has a hide, so we said that we’d like to spend the afternoon hanging out at the hide. Boyd walked us out there – about a 10 minute walk – with our journals, cameras and binoculars. We did spot lion tracks along the way, but not the lions themselves, while we were walking. This hide was just a reed structure with benches, and a shelf for resting elbows and binocs. Rather than up on a platform, the entrance is at an angle to create a slight baffle.

We been out there for maybe an hour or so, when we heard a lion…or something large…grunt. We looked as far we could around the viewing “window” of the hide, and Steve peered around the edge of the opening of the hide. We knew that Boyd would be back for us, but I tucked myself further into the hide, and we stayed alert. The most we saw all afternoon were impala, puku and warthog, but we could very well have had other visitors near by.

Remnants of smelting kiln
Remnants of smelting kiln

For sundowner, we headed out to The Big Rock not far from camp. Egbert first stopped by a project he had worked on the previous year, creating an interpretive center for the iron foundry site near the camp. In John Reader’s Africa: A Biography of the Continent, he outlines the evidence of iron smelting in northern Africa at least 3,000-4,000 years ago. This technology probably moved south with the Bantu-speaking people, and there is evidence that the ancient methods were still being used in the Kafue area as recently as a few hundred years ago. The process included charcoal-making and kiln building and venting – quite a laborious and complicated process. And, the knowledge of the process was tightly protected within families, creating a kind of iron-smelting cartel. Clearly, the technology and the iron produced were valuable.

As sundown approached, we headed to the top of the rock, used locally by the native residents for ceremonies and celebrations. We watched the sun sink into the smoke from bush fires further west, while we asked about the persistent smoky pall we were experiencing on this trip – actual blue skies had been rare. As the sun set, we watched the glow of the fires as they flared – at one point we could actually see flames.

The resident mice came out with the moon rise – clearly accustomed to “leftovers” from sundowners on the rock. We headed back to the camp for yet another fabulous meal. Steve completely flustered Elizabeth when she came out to announce the menu, telling her, “I luuh-ve you,” expressing his appreciation for the caramel dessert the night before. Zambians are far more reserved, but they took the American-style joshing and joking in stride. We had a merry fireside dinner with Egbert, and great conversation about life in the Kaingu area.

Hippo Kingdom

Sep16
Hippo Kingdom

Part of the attraction of stopping at Kaingu was the opportunity to spend a few days on the river. But, we had to adjust our expectations since we are not accustomed to the hazards lurking under the surface of African rivers. Tossing yourself into the water for a refreshing swim on a hot day is just not an option. After our midday siesta, we headed out with Egbert and Boyd, the camp’s guide, on the water for a sunset cruise.

In the low water, many of the rocks along this stretch of the Kafue River are exposed, adding natural sculpture to the scenery. But, not all the bumps above the water were rocks. We skirted the deeper pools and open areas: the kingdom of the hippos. Big and bossy, hippos will flip your boat if they feel threatened in the water, and they will trample you in a stampede to the water if they feel threatened on land. As ungainly as they seem, they should not be misjudged.

We cruised upstream past the scrimmage line of hippos with a large enough outboard motor to outrun any surly ones. We enjoyed traditional sundowner fare, then headed back downstream to the camp. Unable to avoid every rock, the cage around the propeller was bent, disabling the motor. We paddled and poled our way to the dock, staying out of the deeper parts of the river, watching for croc eyes.

Safely landed at the dock, we met the camp chef, Elizabeth, who delivered a spectacular meal, complete with a caramel dessert: Steve’s favorite. We went to sleep to the sound of hippo grunts and snorts, hoping they would be under our deck and strolling past our chalet.

River Peace

Sep16

As we approached Kaingu, we came upon the camp’s tsetse fly control stop. The 3-step directions were posted on a pole with a small lidded wooden box fastened to the pole. Step 1: Stop your vehicle and turn off the engine. Step 2: Wait 5 minutes. Step 3: Spray your vehicle with the can of Doom, located inside the wooden box. I’m not sure that we waited the whole 5 minutes – we were anxious to get out of the hot car and kill tsetse flies!

Just a little further down the track, we reached the main building at Kaingu Lodge. Here we had decided to stay in the lodge expecting that we might be ready for safari camp service, showers, drinks and bed. A demur woman with twinkly eyes greeted us when we arrived, inviting us to relax and have a drink. Anticipating our arrival, the cook had set aside cold plates with empanadas (or whatever they are called in Zambia). We knew that the Heinnekens would not be at the camp during our stay. But, we didn’t realize that we would be the only guests for the next two nights, which meant we got the full attention and care of the staff.

A sloping walkway from the dining area leads to a spacious deck overlooking the Kafue River. It was lovely to just sit and watch the river flow by. Vervet monkeys kept their eyes on us, or rather, our stuff, and a bush buck grazed on the lawn. The quiet was a welcome change from the rattling rover ride.

Soon, our host Egbert arrived. A young Dutch man, he was quite energetic, and clearly happy to be working at Kaingu. We were shown to our chalet – no camping for the next two days – also overlooking the river. After washing off the road dust and filling up the laundry basket, we relaxed on our chalet deck as the river floated by.

Pothole Polka

Sep16

P1000216After fueling up, we soon diverted off to the river road to Kaingu, a single vehicle track passing through several villages. There was a time or two that we weren’t sure if we were on the right track or not, and we mostly depended on the GPS. In wet weather, the going is probably sloppy and slow. The current dry condition took more attention to navigate the holes and ruts. Even at low speeds, the swerving and rocking made me realize that there were not many place to hang on in the seat. Holding onto the one handle on the dash directly in front of the passenger seat made me feel like I was on an amusement park ride. After a good whack to my head with the seat belt bracket, I used the door to brace against the dips and bumps as Steve did the pothole polka with the road.

The Best Job in Itechi Techi

Sep16

Securing fuel in rural Zambia can be an iffy thing. Our first fuel stops in Livingstone and Kalomo were pretty straight forward transactions, after getting comfortable with handing over hundreds of thousands of kwacha (the Zambian currency). But, it was our third stop that really presented a challenge.

We had very detailed instructions regarding the fueling procedures in Itechi Techi – a small town on a hill, based along a large dam on the Kafue River. The dam was built years ago with international funds, with the promise of delivering electricity to the region. However, the manufacturer of the generators did not have faith in the installation contractors hired over the manufacturer’s objections, and so the generators sit in a warehouse in Lusaka, gathering dust, becoming obsolete. Or, so we’re told.

Anyway, the fuel pumps are surrounded by a high chain link fence topped with barbed wire at the bottom of the hill. In order to purchase fuel, you must have enough remaining in your tank to get to the top of the hill to the fuel company offices. There you must project how much fuel you need, prepay that amount and then drive (or coast) back down the hill to present your receipt to the man at the pumps to receive your fuel. As convoluted as this all sounds, the folks in Itechi Techi take this as normal. Oh, and there are no refunds if you estimate too much. It’s diesel roulette.

In the US, someone who pumps your fuel is usually you, as the days of full service fueling have long gone. But, in Itechi Techi, it’s the best job in town. Here’s why: many self-drive trips (like us) make the stop in Itechi Techi for fuel, as there are so few places in the Kafue area with reliable fuel. And (like us), many visitors are unfamiliar with the fuel tanks of their rented vehicles. So (as we found), estimating the amount of empty space in your fuel tanks is a tricky thing. And remember, there are no refunds if you “overbuy.”

In our case, we had two fuel tanks on our Landrover: one held about 80 liters, and the other about 23 liters. The gauge on the dashboard shows that the tank is full while you burn through the first tank, and only starts to register fuel levels when you tap into the second one. The trick is to know which tank is empty when the needle starts moving.

Since we had been driving all day for 2 1/2 days with the air conditioner on, and mostly in second gear, we assumed that we had burned through the larger tank, and were tapping into the smaller tank. We thought. Doing some quick math based on the fuel gauge level, we paid for 60 liters of fuel, and headed back down the hill with our receipt. Imagine our surprise when only 29 liters of fuel went into the tanks. The pump man rocked our vehicle, squeezing in a few more liters. At 6999 kwacha per liter, we paid nearly twice the price for 31 liters.

We asked the pump man if a refund was possible: he politely called the office (so he said), and reported that the response was “no refund.” Steve negotiated 100,000 kwacha out of the pump man for some of the pre-paid fuel we were leaving behind. We suspect that the pump man’s phone call was to a friend, who probably pulled in minutes later with 20 liter gerry cans to sop up our unclaimed diesel.

With $1 equaling 4800 kwacha, it was just a $21 mistake. But now we know which tank empties first. And the pump man has the best job in Itechi Techi, selling pre-paid fuel on the black market that tourists like us leave behind.

Bush Trade

Sep15

In our pre-trip reconnaissance, it became abundantly clear that the better traveled Mfuwe/South Luangwa park area saw many more visitors, and organizations were better organized in getting support for schools, clinics and other projects. The Kafue park, neglected by the government for decades, has fewer facilities within the park. And, the philanthropic efforts supporting people in the area are not as evident on the Internet.

We connected with folks at the Kafue Trust, and offered to bring something small in size, but would still help support a camp endeavor. We also offered to bring something still small, but possibly more expensive, with the understanding that we be reimbursed. After several e-mails back and forth, we agreed to bring an infrared, motion-detecting camera for the Nanzhila Plains camp. (This was just one more item that TSA ignored in our bags.) The camera would catch nocturnal camp visitors on the prowl – often only detected by their tracks the morning after.

We presented the camera to Brad and Ruth. Brad, the gadget guy, couldn’t wait to get it up and running. Rather than be reimbursed in dollars or kwacha, we graciously accepted an offered trade: dinner, and an overnight stay in one of the camp’s chalets. We had a delightful dinner with our hosts, hearing tales of Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and the local issues in the Kafue area. Truth be told, I think we got the better end of the bargain.

We reluctantly ended the evening – this was our last night at Nanzhila, with several hours of road, plus a fuel stop, ahead of us to our next camp. The tink tink tink of the reed frogs lulled us to sleep as we wondered what the next day would bring.

 

Seeing Wildlife – Steve’s 2-cents

Sep15

P1000112Would we be able to see game when out on our own? That was the huge question when we decided to self drive. When staying at a safari camp the guides are in the same area day in, day out…they know where everything wanders. And guides communicate; their experience is compounded. So would we see anything or would we blunder past two ton elephants hiding behind three-foot bushes? Lions were the litmus test; lions are hard to see even with guides. We did see game, lots of it. And we did spot lions and elephants. And, I AM CERTAIN we drove right past elephants hiding, cheetahs lounging, wild dogs nipping.

In retrospect: I think we would have seen more game if we had stayed at lodges, but we would have had to give up freedom and high adventure. We saw A LOT of game AND we had a lot of freedom and adventure.

 

Kafue Tracks

Sep15
Kafue Baobab at Dawn

For the next two days, we literally cruised the park at about 20 kilometers per hour. The southern section of Kafue has woodlands punctuated by great alleys of open plains, some dotted by waterholes and marshy areas. The southern end of the park is known for cheetahs and wild dogs, who do well with plenty of room to run, but we didn’t spot either of these iconic species.

We got up early each morning, armed with the thermos of coffee made at dinner the night before. Because of our up-and-out routine, we snacked on rusks (a heartier South African version of biscotti) and granola bars. Since we packed everything up every morning, our plan was to pause mid morning for a more substantial brunch – a bush camp custom.

The mornings were cool and mercifully fly-free. We were able to cruise the first few hours in the morning with windows down, catching the morning sounds. Unfortunately, as the day warmed, so did the flies, and we soon found ourselves back to windows up and air conditioning on. We even tried the routine of stopping the vehicle for five minutes, with the engine off, before emerging from the rover, but the flies that followed us just hung out on the car until we emerged. So much for cooking brunch – just unwrap another granola bar.

The first full day in the park, Steve drove while I passed food and drinks and watched for wildlife. As I spotted something, I was shrieking, “STOP!” intermittently all day. I resorted to shrieking for several reasons: Steve’s hearing is not good, and with the steering wheel on the right, I am sitting next to his “bad” ear. But, anyone would have a problem hearing over the diesel motor, the air conditioner fan, and all the shaking and rattling of the rover and it’s contents. Polite conversation is just not possible.

Roan
Kafue
Kafue
Bird nerd
Sable
Baobob
Oribi

Steve’s eyes are much better than mine at spotting game, and his suspicious eyes spotted 3 lionesses peering at us across a drainage. They gazed at us with that lion-intense stare, “Are you something to eat?” We also saw new antelopes to us: roan, sable, oribi, reedbuck, waterbuck, hartebeast and puku. This was in addition to zebra, wildebeast, warthogs, hyena, baboons, vervet monkeys, impala and kudu, and a big range of birds.

Kafue
My turn to drive
Guineafowl
Impala and baboons

The second day I took a turn at the wheel. Driving on the left was not a challenge since it was a single track, but sitting on the right side with the steering wheel was a little odd. The tendency is to drive too far left, and after whacking the bull bars a few times with small bushes on the left, I started to get the hang of it. The other challenge was driving in the soft sand, and learning to let the tracks steer the car rather than trying to completely control the wheel.

Each night, our rooftop tent is a restful retreat, set up with a foam mattress, sheets, pillows and pillow cases and a duvet. The tent sets up and folds down remarkably quickly and easily, and miraculously, the cover keeps out all the dust. I can’t say the same for the rest of the rover: the passengers and contents are covered with dust. But, we sleep soundly each night, falling asleep to the tink tink tink call of the reed frog chorus.