Blogs from South Luangwa, Zambia, Africa - page 3

Lion bonanza starts. In our evening walking safari we see lions, rather Brian does and he’s exclaiming to me ‘they're just there..there.. can’t you see!?’. Well, in my defence, lions are sand coloured and they’re lying on sand! There’s four young males sitting leisurely in the middle of the river and later a cub and its mum emerge from a hidehold where they’ve dragged a recent kill. Since we’re walking, Brian and the scout are very careful not to encroach on the lion’s space, they pay particular attention to whether they’re flattening their ears or taking too much interest. But they don’t. It amazes me that eons of hunting have made lions fearful of humans so they don’t even express any interest; without guns we would be such easy pickings - walking ungainly and torturously slow ... read more

During siesta today Glen took me out for a spot of illegal fishing (Illegal as it is a national park so all animals are technically protected and also he shouldn’t really take guests out, in case they’re get eaten by crocs or drowned by hippos, but I’m a special case - it’s obviously clear that I’m an old hat at all this bush stuff!). It’s land fishing, so we each had a rod of line with bait (steak) attached that we spun then released - I was aiming for the croc in the middle of the river, but watched at it plopped ungracefully a few feet away. Had a great time though - I was essentially feeding the fish my bait rather than catching them, but Glen caught one fish that we released back as it ... read more

Haz has booked me in for 6 nights with Norman Carr Safari bush camps. The first 3 nights are at Kakuli. Kakuli sits perched on a river bank, and what an introduction it was! Minutes after arriving we’re watching a lion on the sand bank half heartedly chasing some impalas. There are only 4 chalets in the camp. All chalets overlook the river filled with crocs and hippos. And on the opposite side of the river the Kakuli lion pride resides. The other four guests are on their morning safari drive so have a few hours to kill before joining them for brunch. There’s no much to do but sit watching the wildlife from my private, covered viewing area, binoculars in hand. I can spot 7 crocs, huge ugly things. Rafts of hippos, which are probably ... read more

Don’t do much. The temperature is hot, hot, hot at 36 degrees, still tolerable as it’s not humid. Still I sleep and potter around the doc’s lodge. Sundowner with Palo and Haz, we go to a brilliant site to watch hippos and drink wine and G&Ts. Back to Flatdogs for dinner. Friday nights, though by all accounts this is a quiet one, attracts the ‘valley people’ - permanent or semi-permanent residents; hosts, directors from other camps, volunteers (e.g. carnivore perseveration society) and other residents. It’s a very small circle, everyone knows everyone’s business. It does feel like conversation revolves around gossip about each other. A lot of the conversation goes over my head but I'm intrigued by the 'valley people' especially; they've made their home here, given up their lifestyles in generally more developed places for ... read more

Background I'm joining my sister Hazel in Mfuwe, Zambia, for the last month of her 3 month stint as the doctor for the local clinic and safari lodges. Arriving It did enter my mid to send Haz a reminder that today was the day to get excited about - I was arriving at 1300 hrs! But in the end I didn’t and Murphy’s law she’d pencilled my arrival for 2 days hence. Luckily after touching down in Mfuwe, a Norman Carr Safari guide, there to meet guests, thought I was Hazel (had the same experience in Lusaka), the good doctor, so struck up a conversation and finding me alone, unloved, and abandoned arranged for me to join another car that was going in the right direction (well there’s only one road). If we spotted Haz on ... read more