Tanzania/ Zambia so far

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I am currently sat on the banks of the Luangwa River in Zambia in a place called Flat Dogs. It is a great spot right on the edge of the South Luangwa National Park and we have spent the last 2 days exploring the park. It is much different from any park in Kenya-the vegetation is unlike anything back home. Have seen loads of game, particularly elephants and have had them in the camp both days and even saw some chasing a pride of lions this morning! The pride male was fairly nonchalant in his approach towards the elephants and very nearly got flattened by a particularly aggressive female elephant.

After getting back from Uganda I spent a hectic 5 days getting ready for the big trip to Cape Town. We did a load of repairs on the car in an attempt to avoid a repeat of our Uganda trip problems. Finally got going on the 29th of August and headed for Tanzania with Rich and Nick. Tony joined us later in Zambia. We did two long days down to Iringa in southern Tanzania on amazing tarmac roads-put the Kenyan ones to shame! The landscape is amazing down there, particularly when you pass through Mikumi National Park and then the Ruaha river valley and we actually camped one night there amongst the baobabs. It seems as though the whole of southern Tanzania/northern Zambia is on fire at the moment-the local people are serious pyromaniacs and are burning off all the long grass in preparation for the rains.

We stocked up Iringa and then drove a couple of hours down the ‘never ending road’ (because it is dead straight and seems to go on forever) to Ruaha National Park. None of us had been there before and we had two nights there. It is a beautiful place dominated by big Baobab trees along the back drop of the Ruaha River. Lots of game, with lions calling round camp every night. Had a great time doing some illegal fishing in the hippo pool where the ruaha river forms a great deep pool. The place is totally packed with Tiger fish which literally go wild when you chuck them a lure. They particularly like lures which splash on the surface and they take them in spectacular sprays of water but are very difficult to actually hook. The local crocs were also attracted by the splashing lures and twice we had them chasing the lure in along the surface right to our feet. Dames was totally convinced that the croc that chased his lure was going to continue up the bank and he turned tail and ran up the bank in fright.

From Ruaha we had two more long days through southern Tanzania and eventually crossed into northern Zambia after a long and dusty drive. Had our first taste of dodgy border guys here when the Tanzania Revenue guy, who was pissed, confiscated my Carnet and locked it in his cabinet until we paid him $25 for road tax that we didn’t owe. Very unpleasant. Got down to lake Tanganyika that night on a horrendous road-was only 20km on the GPS but it was so washed out from the last rains that it took us nearly 4 hours-in low range the whole way-15hours driving in total that day! Stayed at a place called Isanga bay and had the whole place to ourselves. Its was right on the beach and the snorkelling off the point was incredible-hundreds of colourful little cichlids although the local fishermen are hammering the place.

Spent a few nights on the lake before heading South to ‘Africa House’ at a place called Shiwa Ngandu. There is a huge old house there that looks like something out of an English country estate that was built by a mad old Englishman in the early 1900s. It is still inhabited by his grandchildren but is slightly run down. Met Binks there-he arrived at 0400 in the morning on a bus from Lusaka and I had to sleep in the car by the main road until he arrived. He owes me one! Have been managing to watch a few Rugby World Cup games which is good-think our itinerary might well be planned around the big games!

Had another bumpy day across country to the Luangwa valley where we have been camped for a couple of nights. The road down in to the valley takes you down the Muchinga escarpment which is spectacular and once at the bottom you hit sandy roads and real game country. Lots of big rivers of which the Luangwa is the largest but the fishing is not great.

Zambia is proving to be an expensive place. The diesel is not cheap but the people are incredibly friendly. The place has got so much bush country and a relatively small population and you drive for miles along good tarmac without seeing another soul.

It is great to be finally underway after all the planning and with nearly 2 weeks already gone I can see that the whole experience is going to fly by! From here we are headed to Lusaka for a few nights to restock and hit the town a little. We have met hardly any other travellers yet and we are keen to do a bit of socialising. From there will be going to Kafue National Park for a couple of nights and then down to Vic Falls. Hoping to get some fishing done in Kafue. Fingers crossed we won’t have any run-ins with the notorious Zambian police!

Copy and paste this for photos!
http://bristol.facebook.com/album.php?aid=7042&l=272dd&id=503568147

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