Half marathon on the horizon

On January 17 2010 I have a date. Not quite a 'speed date', but hopefully close to 1:39:56, my current personal best for the half marathon.

Couple of things, or maybe three, standing between me and a new half-marathon PR. For one thing I'm dragging around quite a bit of extra weight nowadays, having gained about 5 lbs recently. All in all I think I could improve my speed if I were lighter by about 15 lbs total. Also, I'm not averaging enough miles per week to run 13.1 miles at the pace which I would need to.

So starting today I'm back on the McDougall's MWL (Maximum Weight Loss) regime, and will be extra careful with the portion sizes. At least for the first few weeks, a food diary will help to keep things on track. There won't be a problem increasing the average miles per week. That's the fun part. It will help to be a bit more structured so I will follow a half marathon program from Brad Hudson's 'Run Faster' book. It worked for my last half mary PR, so I will re-introduce my weekly mile repeats on Tuesday, some longer runs on Saturdays, and perhaps double up on runs one or twice per week.

The third thing which might stymie my training program? Another trip to Africa, back to Botswana for a little more than 2 weeks, early in December. I might have to prevail upon the camp management to run me out to the airstrip for a few runs!

This morning I managed a very soggy 6.5 miles with Daisy along Terry Hershey trail, including 9 short hill sprints.

The Rolls Royce of safari destinations

An impressive yawn by a lion on the Maasai Mara

I re-visited four different areas of Kenya (the coast, the Rift Valley, the Maasai Mara and Samburu) earlier this month and yes, Kenya is still the Rolls Royce of safari destinations. It is a vintage model with 150,000+ miles on the clock, in need of a new paint job, with worn, dusty floor mats and slightly fraying leather here and there. But the quality is still there: the engine is sound and it will get you where you want to go safely and in style.

Kenya has many problems such as a rapidly burgeoning population, tribalism, a faltering economy, corruption, congestion, lack of infrastructure, poverty and several others. Yet at its core it is still a warm and friendly and amazingly beautiful country which offers visitors an astonishing array of attractions and places to visit. Nowhere else in the world will you see as much wildlife and so many different species, in such a relatively small area. Nowhere else will you be exposed to such cultural diversity in a setting where 'culture' is interwoven with the safari experience: you don't have to take a side-trip to meet with the Maasai or the Samburu. They are where the wildlife is and continue to co-exist harmoniously. Nowhere else can you experience such a dizzying variety of habitats ranging from the Mara's sea of grass to the semi-arid woodland and scrub of Samburu, the mountains of the Laikipia region, the alkaline and fresh water lakes of the Rift Valley, the fantastic beaches in the Tana Delta or elsewhere on the coast, the true forests of the west and many others which I have not yet had the opportunity to visit.

And then there's the people. Kenya's best kept secret. Go ahead and learn a few Swahili phrases and see for yourself just how friendly Kenyans can be. On this trip I had people everywhere spontaneously taking an interest in where I was from & where I had been, and they were genuinely pleased to be able to interact with a visitor on a personal level. These were not people anticipating a gratuity or some other award: just ordinary people wanting what we all seek: the warmth that flows when one human being connects with another.

I will deal with the various parts of the trip - including the superb flights on Emirates (upgraded to Business Class all the way!) via Dubai - in separate posts to follow over the next couple of weeks or so. For now, a few of my favorite photographs of the trip.

Elephant mother and child approaching - Maasai Mara

Elephant mother and child departing...

Reedbuck on the edge of a lugga - Maasai Mara

Wildebeest with the Ololoolo Escarpment in the background. We saw several thousands of these mammals on the Mara in early October.

Close-up of Shakira, one of the 'famous' cheetahs in the northern Mara. The fame is due to her starring role (with her 3 now sub-adult cubs) in several wildlife documentaries.

A particularly handsome lion on the Maasai Mara

Maybe he was auditioning for a role in a documentary

An Orma woman and child at a village in the Tana Delta on the Indian Ocean Coast

Sheena having fun dancing with the Orma women

One of my new hobbies: birds in flight. This is an African Skimmer.

An as yet unidentified species of gull, on the freshwater Tana River.

This African Fish Eagle was so close when it took off, I needed something less than a 200mm lens to get all of it in the frame.

The most handsome of Giraffe species? I think so. A Reticulated Giraffe in the Samburu area.


We saw several large groups of Reticulated Giraffes, including this party of nearly 30, at sunset.

Samburu is very much 'big sky' country; here some clouds were building for what turned out to be a good soaking later that night.

'Out of Africa' scenery in the Samburu area.

Breakfast in the garden at Loldia Hills overlooking Lake Naivasha, Rift Valley

Flamingoes in Lake Nakuru, in the Rift Valley

A large adult white rhino on the edge of Lake Nakuru

A small young white rhino also at Lake Nakuru

Sunset on the Maasai Mara.

Two young lions drinking in the Talek River, Maasai Mara

A few members of the Marsh Pride in the Governor's Camp area, Maasai Mara

A Schalow's Turaco, at a birdbath in Governor's Camp

The first time I saw this bird was through the lens, at the birdbath in Governor's Camp. It is a Double-Toothed Barbet.

A Ross' Turaco, in the same birdbath.

This leopard kept many photographers waiting for hours, in anticipation of it descending from the tree.

Three more members of the Marsh Pride, Maasai Mara, Kenya

HARRA Cross-Country Relay

For at least a few weeks now, I've been able to run again. I am enjoying it as much as ever. With nothing more strenuous than a half-marathon as the goal (mid Jan 2010) means that training can be fun and even relaxing. No need to get up at 0500A on a Saturday morning for a long long run. Ten miles is about the longest distance I've tackled in many weeks. And that is at a leisurely pace (no Garmin involved) after reading the paper, having breakfast and enjoying a large mug of rooibos herbal tea. The closest I have come to marathoning since April this year, is wearing my Boston Marathon running cap.

Kathleen and I have been running together at least twice and mostly three times per week, including most Saturday and Sunday mornings. Every Thursday we do a track workout at Reagan High School with the Houston Striders. It is a great excuse to then go on to Field of Greens for one of the best sandwiches in town, a vegan BBQ Sandwich with some of the best french fries you can buy anywhere. They also serve large slices (we sometimes share one) of a killer vegan chocolate cake, from Whole Foods. Friendly waitstaff, and lots of other vegan and vegetarian options and even some (real) Salmon if you absolutely have to have something with a face or a mother.

Yesterday I was part of a 4 person Striders team running the 4 X 2-mile HARRA Cross-Country Relay, along some undulating terrain on the banks of Buffalo Bayou, just east of Shepherd Street and adjacent to Memorial Drive. Despite some cooler weather earlier in the week, Saturday dawned hot and humid and then some, so by 500p when the race got underway, we were running in typical Houston summer sauna-like conditions. Which means that after 1.5 miles of running hard and negotiating at least a couple of nasty sharp uphills, you are done. It was good to see some people that I had not bumped into for many weeks, and to make some new running friends in the persons of Mark Gonzales and Victor Curo, who made up the team with Jose Castaneda (we ran the Texas Independence Relay together in 2007) and myself. It was nice meeting you and thanks for coming out guys!

Elephants and Tiger Fish in the Lower Zambezi NP

August 20

Late this morning, we were our way to the Lower Zambezi for a quick 2-night stay at Chiawa and Chongwe River Camp. Our flight in a Cessna Caravan to the Lower Zambezi National Park took about 1 hr 40 minutes; our pilot dropped off some passengers for a different camp (Sausage Tree) at Jeki Airport and then continued on to Royal Zambezi Airstrip, where we were collected by a Chiawa driver. From the airstrip, it was a short drive to the Zambezi riverfront, where we walked down to a dock and took a pleasant (cool) boat trip of just under 20 minutes to Chiawa Camp. This tented camp consists of 7 tents, and it is situated on a sandy bank overlooking the Zambezi River. The tents are very luxuriously appointed with lots of nice touches, including a superb Victorian style bathtub, inside and outside shower, large bathroom area with his and hers vanities, two desks with mirrors, plenty of hanging/storage space, and 24-hr electricity with good lighting. The only slight blemish was not having hot water in the morning.

Approaching the airstrip along the Zambezi River

Not long before landing, with flaps in the down position

En route to the camp, we came across this Zambezi River equivalent of an RV towing a small car: a catamaran towing a couple of canoes.

Typical Lower Zambezi scenery with thick bush and massive trees lining the banks of the Zambezi

Interior of our very elegant room at Chiawa Camp

A quiet corner to catch up on the trip journal - does anyone still send postcards?

The bathroom at Chiawa with tub in the background

The front of the rooms is not covered at night, so in the early morning the gauze cover allows a lot of natural light to light up the room. By now, our body clocks were in synch with the day and night, so it was perfect to wake up to an African dawn. Chiawa was all about elephants. On our arrival there were a couple of elephants in camp and in fact we could not use the regular walkway to the tents, had to take a roundabout way to get to the room. Later on, during tea-time, there were several elephants right around the river dock and in front of camp, making for some exciting moments for guests trying to get to the dining area.

A part of the lounge at Chiawa Camp

The Chiawa bar with some African artifacts

There were elephants in camp pretty much the entire time we were at Chiawa

Drifting down the Zambezi

Sundowners in about as nice a spot as you can imagine

After tea four of us took a boat cruise along the Zambezi which was a really pleasant and relaxing experience, definitely a nice change of pace from all the game drives we had done to date. Just drifting down the Zambezi was a new and yet very satisfying safari activity. We had some great views of elephant, quite a variety of birds, and some far-off but nonetheless good views of a couple of Eland on the Zimbabwe side of the river.

A couple of ellies as seen from the boat, on an afternoon river cruise

A slightly closer up look

Here is a photo of a photographer trying to get a photo of an elephant in front on Chiawa Camp

More attempts at getting a photo of the photographer getting a photo...

From the water, one can approach the elephants quite close up, without them taking much notice

This one just continued to feed, using its trunk quite effectively to pluck a tasty morsel

I would not want to be this close to an elephant on foot

They can be docile one moment, and very intimidating the next

This one put up quite a show for us

Continuously feeding, not surprising as elephants devour about 300 to 600 pounds of plant material a day

We also drifted quite close to this beautiful saddlebilled stork

On this afternoon we just could not get away from all the elephants...

But there were plenty of hippos as well, such as this individual who was surprised by our approach

Plunging headlong into a safe haven to escape our attention

Success! Kathleen with the 5lb Tiger Fish which she caught

Nice one!

No fish for the guys but it wasn't for a lack of trying

That evening, we enjoyed one of the best dinners of the entire trip. After a delicious soup, we had potato fritters with onions, and a choice of beef fillet with mushroom sauce, a stuffed pork chop or vegetable kebabs with an intriguing sauce, served with rice. Dessert for yours truly was an apple crumble with a custard prepared with soy milk, while the other guests enjoyed a rich chocolate mousse. We had a most enjoyable after-dinner conversation with Grant Cumings, owner of Chiawa and its sister property, Old Mondoro, a bush camp in slightly different terrain about 1 hr away, by road.

August 21

After breakfast, three of us departed on a fishing trip on the Zambezi with our guide Isaac. Being out on the water was a great experience, even if the fishing itself was initially a bit slow. Things took a turn for the better when Kathleen hooked and landed a magnificent Zambezi Tiger fish of 5 lbs, a very respectable size. She was so excited that we are likely to try some more fishing later today at Chongwe River Lodge, where we will be staying for the last night of our safari. Both myself and Jay, a guest from San Francisco who was fishing with us, lost fish but we agreed that it was a fun experience which we recommend very highly.

More elephants in camp

Checking out the fireplace it seems


And then coming to see us off at the dock

By the time it got this close, our boats-man start to move downstream

Ready to depart from the dock, we had front row seats of all the elephant traffic on the river's edge

After yet another delightful brunch, we were boated the few kilometers upstream on the Zambezi to Chongwe River Lodge, a perfectly located lodge at the confluence of the Chongwe and Zambezi Rivers. The lodge definitely has the best of both worlds: fantastic views over the Zambezi River, the Chongwe River in front of camp and also to the left, the Zambezi Escarpment. Before it became a safari camp, Chongwe was a private family camp ground, and it is easy to see why this particular spot was chosen.

Fittingly our room – the Cassia Suite - was hands down the best of any we stayed in on the trip. It was truly magnificent with a massive central (screened) room with private plunge pool, patio and huge outdoor bathroom with shower and bathtub. Our own private butler/chef Martin was there to attend to anything we might need. We opted to have dinner with the other lodge guests that night, but had we stayed any longer, we most definitely would have opted for a private dinner. The suite was just the right place for it.

A view over the Chongwe River, from camp

And a small craft passing by

The mostly open air lounge area at Chongwe River Camp

The bar at Chongwe

A portion of the camp grounds with the dock and room # 1 in the background

The camp grounds are dominated by several huge trees, including several Winterthorns, much loved by especially elephant at this time of year when their seed pods drop

Our afternoon activity consisted of yet another fishing outing on the Zambezi, but despite our guide’s best efforts we did not hook another Tiger Fish. It was fun and very relaxing, just what we needed to really slow down the pace and enjoy the tranquility of our environment. Our last African sunset – at least for a while – was quite stunning and there was little to be said as we watched the light slowly fade away.

Our very last dinner on safari turned out to be a vegetarian meal – the main course being a fabulous curry stew with all kinds of other veggies, salads and of course excellent fresh bread. One more time, we fell asleep in an ocean of silence, with nothing other than a few hippo grunts, some frog noises and the distant hooting of an owl to disturb us.

Outside view of one of the standard tents at Chongwe River Camp

Interior view of one of the standard rooms at Chongwe River Camp

Part of the outdoor bathroom in a standard room at Chongwe

The shower in a standard room at Chongwe River Camp

The pool at Chongwe River Camp

Something nice and sweet that was served with afternoon tea in our suite

The outdoor bath in the Cassia Suite. Nature sounds included at no extra cost.

Another view of the bathroom in the Cassia Suite

Part of the interior of our room at Chongwe River Camp

The entire room is one gigantic mosquito net, so no need to worry about mozzies at night

Chongwe House as seen from the Chongwe River

August 22

This morning, we had a last glimpse of a couple of lions en route to the airstrip. It would be a day of lions by morning, transatlantic flight by night. It was a short flight by Caravan back to Lusaka, about 2 hours on an SAA Boeing 737 to Jo’burg and then the monster transatlantic crossing on Delta’s B-777, just a few minutes shy of 16 hours all the way to Atlanta. Just after midday on August 23, we were home in Houston. Al always, I was much less affected by the westward flight. One or two nights fighting off fatigue and you’re back on schedule! In an earlier blog entry I wrote, “In summary, the [Zambia] trip was everything we had anticipated and more: remote, fantastic camps, excellent guiding, great views of a dizzying variety of mammals, birds and other wildlife, amazing scenic beauty, generally light tourism traffic except around Mfuwe, first class food and drink and seamless transfers between camps and national parks. I think the photographs which I have used to illustrate these various entries underscore the conclusion. Zambia is a safari destination right up there with the best of them. Right now much of it reminds me of what Botswana was like 20 or so years ago. So go before the rest of the world discovers it.

Lions, we've got lions

Around mid-day on August 18 we said our goodbyes at Kalamu Lagoon Camp and flew 20 minutes to Mfuwe, where we were met by a Robin Pope Safaris representative, for the less than 2 hour drive to Nsefu Camp. Nsefu is the oldest photographic safari camp in the entire South Luangwa National Park, having been established in 1951. The camp is still just like it has always been, on the same superb site with the same buildings (now slightly bigger with bathrooms added in the back). It lies on a huge bend in the Luangwa River, actually quite close (down-river) to Kaingo Camp, which is just on the opposite side of the Luangwa River. Nsefu has a striking location with 8 very comfortable rondavels (round bungalows) all with views of the river. Kathleen and I enjoyed a light lunch at the bar, with camp manager Vanessa. There was plenty to see in the way of wildlife, with baboons all over the place, as well as impala, and later on also three large buffalo quite close by at the camp waterhole which is lit at night. My only criticism would be that the rooms are noticeably close to each other, so there is not a whole lot of privacy. I suppose at the time when the camp was first built this was not much of an issue and of course it would be daft to tamper with something as well-established as Nsefu.

A sign with lots of instructions, at the entrance to the S. Luangwa National Park

A dicey crossing point en route to Nsefu Camp. This road is being rebuilt so by next season this ought to be a breeze. Or maybe not.


Not much later, we drove past this small herd of elephant and got a bit of a 'look' from the matriarch


Who summarily proceeded to charge the vehicle, without any warning. Not a mock charge either

A thatched rondavel at Nsefu Camp


And this is what it looks like on the inside

Part of the library, lounge & bar at Nsefu Camp

Two members of the large troop of baboons in camp on the day of our arrival. They never got into the rooms though.

I caught up on my trip report, we unpacked and then departed on an afternoon game drive. At first it was a bit quiet but we saw some good birds, and of course when you’re stopped looking at birds, you also tend to see other things. As a result we enjoyed some very good sightings of bushbuck and kudu. Just before sunset we had a front row seat with perfect lighting, of a pair of mating lions. I did manage to underexpose the photographs, which was a real pity as an opportunity like this might not ever come around again. Nonetheless, the pics turned out not too bad. After dark, we saw several more lions, so all in all it was a most very productive outing. The area clearly has lots of game, as we had expected.

I'm trying to get some photographs of birds in flight, with limited success thus far

I'll keep working on it

This afternoon the game drive was all about lions

This female looked very alert, ready for action

She started off with a few mighty yawns

And then went and woke up her male lion companion who was dozing nearby


She had some plans

It took a bit of prompting

But eventually the old boy got the idea

Lions mating is a quick 'affair' - it doesn't take much more time than to look at this photographic sequence

I did not get the photograph of the lion lighting a cigarette

The next morning, after an early breakfast, we did a short road transfer (in lieu of a game drive) to Tena Tena Camp, for a site inspection. En route, we saw several more lions, including one very conspicuous on an anthill. Tena Tena is a lovely little camp, with a very ‘classic' safari feel. We looked at one of the large hybrid tents which had a very good view over a waterhole (or at least a marshy area), where there just happened to be a mother and calf elephant pair feeding. Naturally, we took some photographs. This is definitely a camp that would be worth including in a S. Luangwa itinerary. It has more privacy than Nsefu.

A room at Tena Tena

Interior view of one of the rooms at Tena Tena Camp

A different view

Two elephants on the edge of a dambo in front of Tena Tena Camp


A closer view of the two elephants feeding



The patio of one of the rooms at Tena Tena


Lounge area at Tena Tena


The view from the front of the camp; this is an oxbow lagoon - the Luangwa River is just beyond it

At the time we were there, one of the camp employees was setting up in the dining tent

Somehow it was no surprise to see an elephant walk into the background

This morning we also saw many of the Thornicroft's Giraffes

Some fairly big ones

To this really tiny little one

They are really beautiful animals

Even though the taller bigger animals are very impressive...

I think the young one remained our favorite sighting

The lioness on the anthill

She was calling out to other members of the pride constantly

More giraffes...


This time so close all I could get in the frame was part of the neck and head

From Tena Tena, it was just a 15 minute trip to a Luangwa River crossing point, where we took a short banana boat trip across to the Mfuwe/Central sector, and from there a road transfer of approx. 1 hr 45 pst Mfuwe Lodge and the Main Gate, to Nkwali Camp, outside the reserve. Nkwali is a very pleasant and seemingly well run camp (it also serves as HQ for Robin Pope Safaris, whose offices are adjacent), on the banks of the Luangwa River. The camp has spacious thatched bungalows with outdoor shower/bathroom, mains electricity and wireless internet – at least in a few spots. Over the short time we were there, we met some interesting people from Germany (a fellow opera lover, thanks for the hint about Edita Gruberova!) and the UK, enjoyed a really excellent lunch and dinner, caught up on some work and skipped the afternoon game drive. This would be a very good camp for a first and/or last night stay, when starting or ending a S. Luangwa trip. Camp manager Michelle was most helpful and also gave us some valuable insights into the Walking Mobile safaris. Nkwali is definitely a place we would like to return to at some stage. We were very pleased to meet Jo Pope who spent quite a bit of time with us, and who conducted us on a very thorough and extremely fascinating inspection of the Luangwa House and Robin’s House, both of which are superb accommodation options for families or small groups of friends/associates.

Crossing the Luangwa River

A game scout on hand just in case the hippos cause a disturbance


Halfway across

A couple of guests traveling in the opposite direction


En route to Nkwali we saw quite a lot of game including this puku


And several zebras including this rather feisty one

On the entrance path towards Nkwali, we came across a fairly large group of elephants

They were very relaxed and just continued feeding all around us

They are certainly my favorite animal and I continue to marvel at the texture of their hides

They just have so much character

And big ears

Approaching Luangwa House, near Nkwali


The front entrance to this intriguing castle-like edifice


Part of the living room & lounge area at Luangwa House





Interior of the main bedroom at Luangwa House


The massive copper bathtub in the main bedroom


A different bedroom at Luangwa House


And yet another one


Kathleen on the deck in front of Luangwa House


The pool at Luangwa House

A view of Robin's House


Our bedroom at Nkwali Camp

Another view from the open front side of the room

Out in the bush there is no fire department and you can't dial 911...

We kept finding tiny little tree frogs in odd areas in our rooms


This little fellow was hidden in the folds of a robe

Part of the bathroom with the shower on the right, at Nkwali Camp


His and hers vanities at Nkwali

Kalamu Lagoon Camp, S. Luangwa NP

Note to pilots: better check the runway for wildlife before landing at Kalamu...

It took about an hour and a half to drive from the crossing point on the Luangwa River to Kalamu Lagoon Camp in the Luamfwa section of the South Luangwa National Park. The mostly sandy road winds through mopane forest and scrub, where an unpleasant surprise was in store for us. Tsetse flies – and bad they were too. These pesky insects tend to be more common in and around woodland areas and they become more active in the middle of the day. We were 2 for 2: driving through thick woodland in the middle of the day. I got bitten three times, and there seemed to be nothing I could do short of physically waving them off with a handkerchief, that seemed to work. We would recommend that anyone visiting the area take a 50% DEET spray, or use a repellent consisting of Dettol (antiseptic) mixed with water and Johnson’s Baby Oil.

The view of the lounge and dining room area at Kalamu Lagoon Camp, from the parking area

Kalamu Lagoon Camp has a very pleasant setting with good views over the water of a large lagoon where there are lots of birds, hippo & various other animals to be seen. The best feature of the camp is its expansive open lounge area with adjacent pool and fireplace area. Much of the lounge is shaded by some magnificent trees.

Part of the lounge area at Kalamu Lagoon Camp

Kathleen on the deck area at Kalamu

The view from the deck area over the lagoon

The rooms at Kalamu are quite large, hybrid structures with tented (canvas) roof, but walls constructed of reeds and canvas, the end result being reminiscent of a traditional Zambian bush camp but will all the modern comforts including excellent solar lighting, hot and cold water on demand, a shower, separate toilet, large bed/sleeping area with a great view, and an elevated sitting area. The camp has 8 rooms in total including 2 family units.

A double room at Kalamu

Another view of a standard room at Kalamu

The lounge area of the room with the bathroom in the background

A family room at Kalamu; the separate 'room' with the two single beds can be closed off with a partition

A different view of the interior of a family room at Kalamu

Our afternoon activity commenced at just after 4, and we spent a very pleasant 3+ hours with Luckson, our superbly qualified guide, spending some time at various points, looking at everything around us, and particularly enjoying the viewpoint from the Kalamu Bush Camp. One of the most special moments of our entire trip to date occurred when a large breeding herd of elephants emerged from the tree line to our far right and started to walk towards the water. First there was just one. Then a second and third elephant appeared. Soon there were ten, fifteen, twenty, thirty and eventually nearly 50 elephants, including a very tiny baby. After spending some time drinking, the herd slowly started making its way across the Luangwa River, mostly in single file, a short trumpet blast being heard when the advance party reached the opposite shore. We just sat there and watched the procession, totally immersed in the peacefulness of nature. Awesome is nowadays a totally overused word, but this was truly awesome in the old-fashioned sense of the word.

Getting ready for sundowners at Kalamu Lagoon Camp - near the Bush Camp site

Sundowners are of course associated with the sun setting. And with gin & tonic, or whatever you prefer.

Not much later, we noticed a large hawk-like bird with rather pointed wings, like a lanner or peregrine, but mostly dark in appearance, almost fluttering around the edge of the water over the lagoon. By now it was well after sunset, and my first thought was ‘Bat Hawk’. Luckson had some good looks as well and between the two of us we agreed that it was really the only possibility. This was not only a life bird for me, it was a sighting right up there with the African Finfoot and the Painted Snipe. These rarely seen, mostly crepuscular birds have some peculiar habits such as catching and eating their prey in flight, which I believe is what we saw.

An elephant seen on the afternoon game drive at Kalamu

Keeping a safe distance

Very happy, we returned to camp for dinner consisting of curried potato and onions, a vegetable medley with broccoli, basmati rice, fresh green salad, and freshly baked bread rolls. Really tasty and healthy. Dinner was followed by some bananas with a toffee sauce.

The next morning we slept in until 0630 with tea and coffee served at 0700. Full breakfast was served at 0730 with eggs to order, beans, potato and onions, muffins, toast, fresh fruit salad, and oats with soy milk. Shortly afterward we left on an hour long drive through the mopane woodland destined for a village (where several of the Kalamu staff members live) just outside the National Park.

I still do not know quite what to make of the trip to the village. I am always a rather reluctant participant in this type of cultural activity, as it often verges on being paternalistic, with some degree of social discomfort being suffered by both the visitor and the residents alike. Fortunately this trip did not feel like that at all; the adult villagers pretty much took it in their stride, continuing with their day to day life, such as cooking, washing up and attending to other chores and activities. It was interesting to see them prepare some beans in a pot, as well as cutting up some fresh okra. A good vegan meal in the making, especially when served with nshima (the local staple food make of ground corn, very much like polenta but just white).

Our guide Luckson drove us around the village, and we walked around the school, some of the homesteads, and down to the river where we saw a rudimentary well (actually just pits dug into a dry riverbed where clear water collects through seepage). Everywhere we were followed around by a bunch of very happy, smiling, laughing kids. It was a school holiday so they were all out and about, relishing the opportunity to interact with some people from beyond the village. What is your name? How are you? My name is John. We were bombarded with questions and then with requests for photographs, which we were happy to oblige.

Village kids vying for a good photographic position

A small group of village children with someone's doll being displayed

The baby was somewhat overcome with our presence and the camera and needed some reassurance

Friends

This boy insisted on several pics of just himself; it was not too difficult to oblige

It is painfully clear that these people have very little in the way of earthly possessions and that they live a tough and difficult life. They do not have running water, toilet facilities like ours, baths or showers, electricity, or proper cooking facilities. Essentially they have absolutely none of the most basic domestic conveniences which we more than take for granted in the developed world. I was later told that their hard life gets even worse in the rainy season when they are totally cut off from the outside world, unable to do as much as a visit a store to buy food or anything else. For several months there are flooded rivers which prevent them from visiting Mfuwe, about 35 km away.

It is heartbreaking to see such grinding poverty in front of your very own eyes. Even so, the children hardly notice it. They are all happy and seemingly content, with great big smiles, behaving just like kids would anywhere in the world. Some are bold, some are shy and others look at you with soulful, intelligent eyes deserving of a fate better than the hand they’ve been dealt. Visiting the local community school illustrates how tough a task it is for kids born here, to break out of the harsh situation they find themselves in. The building is the most basic of basic rectangular structures, with two large ‘blocks’ and a central smaller room (headmaster’s office/library). There is no running water or ablution blocks, and all that can be seen are a few scattered old desks and some cheap plastic chairs but clearly not enough for everybody. There is no glass in the window frames, glass being too expensive. Each teaching 'block' with its bare concrete floor houses three groups or classes which are taught all at the same time, by volunteer teachers. For some reason community schools like these are not supported by the Zambian Government, other than by supplying them with the syllabus as to what has to be taught for each grade level. Kathleen and I resolved to do something to help the children at this school, perhaps by sending some books.

Exterior view of the community school at the village near Kalamu

Interior of a school room or 'block' at the village near Kalamu

A young girl with a makeshift balloon

We returned to the lodge (after having running the tsetse corridor in the mopane woodland) in a subdued mood. Lunch consisted of various bean dishes & salads, as well as a fresh green salad, risotto, and other veggies. The afternoon & early evening game drive was relatively quiet, but we had some great views of three very young elephant bulls, some barely 3 years old, wandering around all on their own; certainly a risky situation for them. A special treat was drinks for two under the stars at a table along the Kalamu Lagoon opposite camp. Afterwards Luckson pointed out some constellations and other celestial bodies visible in the southern sky at this time of the year.

One of the very young elephant bulls which we found wandering on its own

At this age they are very vulnerable to attack by lions

This little guy was quite feisty, giving us a mock charge once...

And then again, just to be sure we got the message

August 18, 2009

We were up very early up this morning at 0530 for breakfast at 0600, for a short drive followed by about a 2 hr walk with Petros. It was a very relaxing, interesting outing, our third foot safari of the trip and the best one yet. I was starting to see and hear more around me, rather than just concentrating on my footing. The most exciting part of the walk was getting very close to two big elephant bulls. At one stage we had to approach them while walking in very little cover, so we had to freeze when they appeared to be looking in our direction. Elephants have poor vision, but they are alert to movement. It worked! Soon enough we were no more than 20 meters or so from the elephants, listening to them feeding by plucking large swaths of leaves from the trees, and moving slowly and very quietly from one tree to another. Being close to elephants on foot is one of the most satisfying experiences on safari. These leviathans of the bush are endlessly fascinating. Their bizarre appearance, the unbelievable things they can do with their trunks, the delicate manner in which they can turn and quietly move around the bush, there is just no end to their ‘entertainment’ value. And when you find yourself in their space, it just amplifies everything about these animals that have kept nature lovers spellbound since they were first observed.

One of the chefs preparing breakfast at Kalama Lagoon Camp

Enjoying breakfast on the deck at Kalamu Lagoon Camp

This is when a foot safari gets exciting: elephants ahead!

Lions and leopards at Chindeni

We were up and about at 0545 on Saturday August 15, for an early morning walk in the Chindeni area. Plans changed when we got word that a large pride of lions had been spotted in the Kapamba area. Off we went driving for about an hour, crossing the Kapamba River in the process. Not long afterwards, we came upon the pride of 9 lions, one of them (a male) running with his head held high and something hanging from his mouth. We took some wild guesses as to what the item was; shortly afterwards we found out it was a fleece belonging to someone (a ranger from Yellowstone Park) in a different vehicle from Kapamba Camp. The fleece had fallen of the vehicle and was then picked up by the lion. By the time we got close enough to see what was going on, the male lions had already run into the woodland, out of sight. However we got some pretty decent photographs of several of the female lions.

Sunrise at Chindeni

Crossing the Kapamba River

The return crossing, from a different perspective

One of the three males in the Kapamba pride. This was not the 'fleece-stealing' lion.

Two of the females in the same pride

We were alerted to the presence of the pride by this female, walking across the 'beach'

Female lions are very athletic and graceful and it shows especially when they are walking

Another lion walking...


And then lying down


Starting to settle in for what may be a long rest during the warmer part of the day

To round off the morning activity, we embarked on a 35 minute walk through the woodland, with Peter discussing various interesting things en route, such as the fruit of the fried egg tree, animal rubbing/scratching posts, grape plant (vine-like plant which releases clear water when cut), tactics employed by elephants and warthogs to get rid of ticks, lucky seeds, a warthog home in an aardvark burrow, etc. It was a very interesting and relaxed walk, with a few small mammals scattering upon our approach.

Our capable guide Peter in action, with Michael (a guest from Australia) looking on

Richard and Bee (guests from the UK) listening intently to Peter

Kathleen and I visited two other Bushcamps during the siesta break: Bilimungwe, a typical Zambia bush camp, has a great location as all the others. It also has 4 rooms with a very nice lounge & dining area overlooking a permanent waterhole. We understood that the camp was due for updating, and that it might be completely rebuilt.

From Bilimungwe, we traveled a fairly short distance to Kapamba. It is likewise a small 4 room bushcamp, with large open rooms (stone walls) with enormous sunken baths. Guests are able to walk in the Kapamba River, and the camp often serves meals out on the water in the hotter months of the year.

Part of the lounge area at Kapamba Bush Camp

The dining room at Kapamba

A bedroom (double) at Kapamba

One of the twin rooms at the same camp

Different view of a bedroom at Kapamba

The huge sunken bath at Kapamba

A solar oven at Bilimungwe Camp

A nice lookout point at Bilimungwe

Inside of a room at Bilimungwe

The dining area at Bilimungwe

The lounge and dining room at Bilimungwe

Tea was taken at 1600 and we then departed on an afternoon game drive. Today’s drive was quite the opposite of the previous day: almost right away we started seeing things such as elephant, several with tiny babies, kudu, & more. One of the highlights of the drive came very early: a stunning Painted Snipe male, in great light not too far from the vehicle. One could clearly see the golden sheen on the wings. As pretty much everywhere, the Painted Snipe is a rarely seen bird in the South Luangwa; it had been seen here at Chindeni once before a couple of weeks ago, and not for 4 years prior to that.

We had several good sightings of elephant on this game drive

The elephant clearly wanted to protect its baby from any potential danger

Another elephant...

And then one that got a bit aggressive with us

Watch out...

No harm done

Once it was dark, the drive got even better when we spotted two hyenas at the base of a large tree. Peter noticed that they were active and predicted that there may be a leopard in the area. Practically right away we noticed the remains of an impala high up in the tree, with a young leopard (unfortunately obscured by branches) feeding on it. Literally seconds later William spotted the eyes of a large female leopard in the grass below and behind the tree. With the vehicle repositioned, we had a relatively clear looks on the leopard, and I got some decent photographs. At one stage the leopard tried to get closer to the tree, was briefly pursued by one of the hyenas and then scampered away.

The leopard whose cub was feeding on an Impala in a tree nearby

In the spotlight her eyes appeared to be green

We saw this civet on the way back to camp after the leopard sighting

August 16, 2009

Sunrise at Chindeni with the Chindeni Hills in the background

We went back to check on the previous night’s leopard sighting. The now rather smelly remains of the impala was still in the tree, but there were no leopards lurking anywhere. A mile or so further on, we parked the vehicle and went on a very nice, relaxing walk along the Luangwa River. The group made some interesting observations such as looking at a wild basil bush, which the villagers crush and rub on their walls, or use to relieve sinus congestion. Our guide also pointed out a striking example of a strangler fig, which had just about totally engulfed its host tree, a sausage tree.

Just another day at the office for our very capable guide Peter

Single file is the customary 'formation' for a walk in the bush, with the game scout followed by the guide, and the guests following.

There is always something to be learned from a pile of elephant dung

Taking a break for drinks, halfway through our walk in the Chindeni area

Standing on the banks of the river, we looked down on a crocodile nesting site, with the remains of some egg shells everywhere to be seen. Peter remarked on the breeding behavior of these massive reptiles; how the females lay about 80 or so eggs, keeping an eye on the site until the eggs hatch, and then transports the hatchlings in her mouth to a quiet backwater where they grow to fingerling size before going out on their own. It takes young crocodiles up to 3 months before they eat anything. They have many natural predators including other crocodiles, large fish, various birds, and the long term survival rate is only about 4 percent. On the way back to camp we encountered several elephants, including one which we had seen earlier, with a hole in his ear. I got a few useful photographs.

A last look from the elephant with the hole in its ear

The food at Chindeni was amongst the best on the entire trip; with some very creative items such as this beetroot and pear salad.

The brunch line-up at Chindeni

By midday we said goodbye to everyone at Chindeni and took a short drive to the crossing point over the Luangwa River at Nyamaluma for a boat transfer across the river. A local boatman poled us across, which took only a few minutes, and then we scrambled up the banks of the river to where our guide for the next couple of days Luckson from Kalamu Lagoon Camp, was waiting for us.