August 26, 2016
Here are a few images to go with the Kigali narrative of August 20, 2016.
The Genocide Memorial-including mass burial site of 250,000 Tutsi and Hutu sympathizers. Many more burial sites are scattered around the country.
An artist’s depiction of the events of the genocide in 1994.
A busy street in Kigali. Note the helmet.
The divided highway to the airport. Very nicely landscaped, including street lights for safety of walkers.
August 21, 2016
Well, we have made a big change and are now sitting poolside at our first safari camp, Mchenja, in Zambia overlooking hypos and crocs in the Luangwa River.
We arrived yesterday, after spending the previous night at a charming and quirky hotel called Latitude 15. Would have liked to experience more of the place, but arrived late, dropped into bed and left early for our flight to Mfuwe, a small, but international, airport near our game park, South Luangwa National Park. Our driver, Charles, was there to greet us. Soon we were headed to the park, 25 minutes of paved road away. At the park, Charles told us we had a 2 hour drive to our camp and would make a game drive with the time if we wished. Sounded good to us. So he slowed down and made many stops along the way. We saw many more animals than one would expect on a hotel transfer. They included: zebra, impala, puku (another antelope), monitor lizards, elephant, baboons and several different kinds of birds.
At the camp, we were greeted by John, the camp manager, and Henrietta, assistant camp manager, and some of the staff. After our welcome drink and cold towel, we were shown our private chalet, which sits on a concrete pad and consists of three bamboo walls, a thatched roof and an ensuite bathroom open to the sky. There is a very good king bed surrounded with mosquito netting,a claw footed bathtub and appropriate furniture. We were invited to freshen up and come for lunch under a big shade tree overlooking the river. The place is pretty warm—hot actually—during the daytime, but there is cold beer and a small, but inviting swimming pool.
Me in the pool with hippos in the Luangwa River behind me.
After lunch we had a lovely soak in the cool, clear water and then napped on shaded chaise lounges. I had intended to start writing, but just couldn’t keep my eyes open. Besides, we have no wifi or internet here or anywhere else for several days, so no rush to get these posts out. You will have to wait and probably receive a bunch at one time. Oh well.
A typical red sunset in the park with hippos in the foreground.
Camp is not necessarily a relaxing affair. At 3:30 we were expected at the thatched, mostly open, dining chalet for tea and cake. At 4pm the game drive begins. Along the way, there is a sundown stop for drinks and salty bits. Return to camp at 8pm, clean up a bit and sit for dinner at 8:15pm. Stay up as late as you want, as there is 24 hour solar electricity at this facility. However, wake up time is 5:45 for coffee and breakfast at 6 and morning game drive by 6:30am. There is a tea and biscuit break mid drive and brunch 10 minutes after the morning drive ends at 10:30. The big downtime is from noon to 3pm. It is a routine that is easy to fall into, but will not keep you fit or trim.
We have now had 3 game drives including the drive to camp and have seen a number of animals. I won’t bore you with every sighting, but the more interesting ones include the dozens of hypos in the river just outside our chalet along with several large crocs.
Lunch at Mchenja camp on the Luangwa River.
A 2 month old kitty next to its mother.
Beyond the species I mentioned on our drive to camp, we have seen a handful of pretty Thornicroft giraffe (unique to this area), cape buffalo, genet (related to the mongoose), hyena, 1 sleeping leopard and a number of lovely birds. Over the years we, but especially Mark, have grown interested in learning to identify birds and have already seen some of our favorites: red-billed hornbill, hammerkop, white-fronted bee-eater, lilac breasted roller, fish eagle, Pels owl, marabou stork, giant and pied kingfishers, long-tailed glossy starling, Hadeda Ibis and more.
A Thornicroft giraffe browsing on a thorn bush.
Thornicroft giraffe with ox peckers riding along.
Now it is 9:30pm and we are in bed looking out at the deeply orange colored moon. After spending another afternoon at the pool, our 4pm game drive was over the top. Shortly after leaving camp, we came upon a leopard lying next to a freshly killed impala.
Leopard with a fresh impala kill.
After waiting awhile, it became clear that the leopard was not going to do much for some time, so we left it, planning to return later. John drove us onto an area we had not yet seen, called Lion’s Plain. It was wide open grassland with good visibility all around. Driving slowly, we saw 4 giraffe, several buffalo and kudu, a huge number of guinea foul and impala, wart hogs and miscellaneous birds. Suddenly, we came upon six lion in the process of preening and stretching. We watched them until time for our sundowner and drove a short distance into an open area where we could keep an eye out if they headed our way. About half an hour later, just as we finished our drinks, John heard a loud bellow and knew the lions had caught a buffalo.
It took 8 lion to get this buffalo down and 40 minutes for him to make his last groan. Tragic end for the buffalo.
Quickly we kicked up and headed toward the sound. Sure enough, we found the lions, now increased to eight, all attacking a full sized buffalo. It was down, but still alive when we arrived. The lions surrounded the dying animal and were clawing and gnawing on one part of it or another, while the largest male tried to suffocate the buffalo. It took 40 minutes for the animal to stop bellowing and make its last groan. It was hard to watch, yet impossible to look away. As the lions settled down to their banquet, we drove into the night feeling privileged to have witnessed death and life in the wilderness.
We stopped at the the place the leopard had hidden the impala and found a white-tailed mongoose parked in the bush with the impala. The leopard was not around, but our scout, Kelvin, thought it might have headed for water, so, using he long beamed light, he found it in the distance at the water hole. Hoping we would see more in the morning, we drove back to camp using the beam to search out night creatures by the light of their eyes. John and Mark managed to see an Aardvark just as it dove into its hole. For John, this was the most exciting part of the day as aardvark are rarely seen.
Back at camp, we had dinner and retired to our chalet—me to write and Mark to sleep.
Lilac-breasted roller, one of our favorite birds.
Today’s list of new sightings include: another leopard with an impala kill, 8 lion killing a buffalo, 3 white tailed mongoose(nocturnal), 2 elephant shrews (size of large mice), a few Swanson’s Francolin, an African Hawk Eagle, several beautiful Lillian’s Love Birds (a little like parrots), 2 Water Dikkop (nocturnal birds), many Gray Laurie birds, a red-billed Fire Finch, Blue waxbills, several Red-billed Ox Pickers clinging to the giraffe and one aardvark.
While we have been in this camp there has been only one other couple each day and we have done our own thing. It has felt like our own private place, complete with 16 staff.
Adventures with Julia 