Story Aunt Gus and Little Bear's Adventure Book 4
- Thread starter Kathy in FL
- Start date
Siskiyoumom
Veteran Member
Thank you so much!
beaglemama
Contributing Member
Thank you, Kathy!
Lake Lili
Veteran Member
Sadie would be the best "souvenier" from the trip...
Thanks Kathy! Lili
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Another thank you from me 
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July 28 - Day 19 Chobe National Park (1)
Set off from Bagani this morning at 6 am, we embarked on a pretty long drive (approximately 8 hours). Not the longest, but long enough that the hamster needed to be kicked into submission a few times. Our destination? Chobe National Park, and it was well worth it. We entered Botswana (‘nother stamp in ye ol’ passport) at Goma border, which was also the gateway to the park. We arrived at 2 pm to take a cruise down the Chobe River – Hugh said it is one of the best ways to witness some of the park's many animals.
When we arrived, we transferred to the Chobe River Jetty to board our boat. Lev was all over the place taking photos and film of the abundant wildlife on the banks of the river. As the temperature cooled from afternoon to evening, large herds of buffalo, zebra, giraffe, and impala could be seen making their way down to the river. Hippos and crocodiles were also common sightings. Elephants frequently crossed the river to the islands where the lush green grass is available year-round.
The cruise lasted three hours despite the bit of rain we experienced, unusual for the dry season. We were provided rain gear which I made sure Benny and Sadie wore. I modified Lev’s rain poncho so that it didn’t interfere with his full range of motion, or flap in front of his lenses. I had my vinyl jacket in my pack and used that because the crinkle noise of the other ponchos was driving my APD into overdrive.
We were reminded that Chobe has the largest number of elephants in Botswana. Of course that was only after I wound up wearing some mud flung by a female elephant who obviously was having a PMS moment. I didn’t freak out about it like a couple of other females I could mention (but won’t) because frankly it was better than the poo they could have flung. I know that is more of a monkey thing, but like I said … elephant sized PMS.
We also saw a lot of African buffaloes (as in water buffaloes) and I got infected by a blasted earworm when Benny started singing (thankfully in a family whisper) a Silly Song with Larry called the Water Buffalo Song[1]. I threatened him with demented hamsters chasing him around Africa if he did it again. Everybody's got a water Buffalo; Yours is fast but mine is slow; Oh, where'd we get them, I don't know; But everybody's got a water Buffalo, ooh. I took my Buffalo to the store; Got his head stuck in the door … Oh no, not again.
There were also Puku and lechwe antelopes on the Chobe floodplains. Those things can freakin’ run when they put their mind to it. And they bound as they do it. Hippos and crocodiles basked in the sun next to the water. In addition to the other animals there were giraffes and we got lucky to see some leopards and lions sneaking around looking for a tasty meal. And we also must have seen at least half of the over 460 bird species in the park.
Back in camp I made sure our crew immediately washed up and changed into something dry, and I addressed any bug bites by cleaning them and applying triple antibiotic. The last thing I wanted to have to worry about was some kind of bug-born disease or illness. It meant we were not first in line for dinner, but I bet we were some of the most comfortable and least affected by the cool breeze that started to blow midway through the meal.
I suppose I should just confess that as adventurous as some of these locations are listed to be, some locations are really built up to bring in those tourism dollars. Take Chobe for example. Loved sighting all the animals but I had no idea how developed the areas were; there are over ten restaurants right inside and out of the Lodge. We are camping rather than staying in a lodge which gives it more of that safari feel, but just knowing that stuff is there kinda takes the shine off for me. In some places it feels a little like a tourist attraction all duded up like some of the ranches and stuff were when Benny and I were on our own at the national parks.
I shouldn’t complain. I’m really not complaining per se. I’m still just trying to wrap my head around this assignment and how I can help to write it up on the blog. I want … no insist … on being honest and that’s something that I’m not sure I can be if I’m not allowed to include certain issues. I wouldn’t call most of it fake but there is an element or thread running through some of the stops that we’ve made. Especially when they let us off and we have to walk through a gift bizarre … reminds me too much of an amusement park.
The animals are not fake. The settings aren’t staged, at least not the ones that we’ve stayed in. The people aren’t any more fake than other people doing this type of job. People are enjoying themselves and that isn’t fake. We are learning things and that isn’t fake. I suppose if I picked everything apart on any of our assignments, I could find things to complain about.
I don’t know what has gotten into me exactly. I probably have too much time to think on the long road trips. I think I just need to go to sleep and get over myself. I’d say I was hormonal except I’m not. Enough with the philosophizing. I’m going to hit the hay and hopefully have a better attitude tomorrow. Now if the Sheldon’s will just find a hole in crawl in. For some reason they are just pinging my radar and being forced to spend too much time in their company while being polite is turning the hamster rabid.
[1]
July 29 - Day 20 Chobe National Park (2)
The trip kicked off early this morning so I’m glad I didn’t resort to a caffeine tab to get to sleep last night. Between 5:30 am to 6:30 am we transferred from camp to the drive. Why were we up so early? To get a chance to see the big cats still hunting for meals in the morning. The drive lasted until about 11:45 am and we hit the jackpot. Hugh said the guides we had knew their stuff. We saw cheetahs, lions, water buffaloes, exotic birds, and two separate herds of elephants. That was cool.
At noon, we took an hour to have lunch at the swank Chobe Safari Lodge. Or it was swank by African Bush standards. It was set up buffet style so there was plenty to choose from and I made sure that Sadie filled her plate with more than salad.
“You are working those muscles; you need to make sure you get enough protein.”
“You sure?” she asked hopefully. “I’m starving.”
“Yes I’m sure. That’s your body telling you to pay the bill so it can do its job.”
“But you don’t eat much and you exercise … a lot.”
“I eat enough for me. We all have different needs. I have a slow metabolism. I wring every micronutrient out of the food I do eat. Eating too much makes me ill. I’ve learned to eat smaller portions or graze through the day. Lev and Benny both have faster metabolisms. Benny will probably have another growth spurt before we can get back to the States.” I rolled my eyes and Sadie laughed as she’d heard me complain about his shoe size already. She’s finally getting comfortable having a plate full of stuff other than just rabbit food. Someone was well on the way to giving her a complex and I plan to do my utmost to undo that damage before she goes home. To me her color is better than it was but that just might be that she’s getting more sunshine and fresh air than she got at that school she attends. Either way, I want her to go home healthier – and happier – than she’d been before she came into our lives. I haven’t said anything to Lev, but I also intend on making sure she can contact me directly, not just through the blog, in case she needs to talk. Geez, need to keep the hamster under control where she is concerned.
After lunch we did something called an Impalila Island tour. If you want to understand the bureaucracy of Africa, this is the place to do it. First, we boated in to the office, filled in our emigration forms, got our passports stamped, then got back in the boat, traveled further downstream to another office on the Namibian side, filled in another immigration form, got another passport stamp, then walked less than a mile to a village to look around and maybe buy a souvenir. Then we reversed the procedure with offices, passports, and stamping back the way we had come. All inside two hours.
It wasn’t all bad. We had the opportunity to see an authentic village and talk to our Namibian guide about local customs and way of life. But we also saw some incongruities … and yes, I used a thesaurus to pull that one out of the air. Essentially I mean there were things like mud huts with satellite dishes. Made the brain hamster confused.
The tour was worth doing once but I don’t know if it would be something I would do twice. Probably the neatest thing on the tour was the 2000-year-old Baobab tree. The strange-looking Baobab trees look like they were drawn by Dr. Seuss, with wide, fat, trunks capped by sparse branches covered in green leaves. The trunks are often completely hollow, sometimes big enough to provide homes, shops and meeting spaces for local villagers. Even more impressive, the trees can live up to 2,500 years — perhaps longer. This particular tree has escaped the partial die-off of other such trees in Africa. No one knows exactly why, perhaps its proximity to a natural water source. Either way the thing was huge and even gave me a few fantastical ideas to dream about.
When the tour was over, we got off one boat to get on another and from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm we took a Chobe river sunset cruise to see more hippos and crocodiles. My what great big teeth you have grandma.
We also saw several herds of elephants crossing the river. Why did the elephant cross the river? To get to the other side of course. Benny nearly sent the hamster into escape mode with that one. First earworms of annoying kids’ song yesterday and today … ugh. I could shoot Mr. Peeters for teaching him that ridiculous chicken joke. Now he is seeing how many animals he can apply it to. Argh. And of course Lev and Sadie seem to find it endlessly funny. Oh my gosh.
At 6:30 pm we headed back to camp for a sunset dinner. I was more thirsty than hungry but everyone else was ready for a full meal. To me it looked like a BBQ, but Hugh said it was something called a Braai … a BBQ by any other name. Lots of protein which is what my crew needed.
I haven’t really mentioned Hugh much for the last little bit but that’s because he’s been forced to pull double-duty and give Hendry a hand. How hard could it be shepherd four self-sufficient adult males? But apparently he’s just not getting it. I’ll leave that to Hugh. The less I must deal with Hendry the better and that’s all I’m saying.
Tonight everyone is excited. We spend the next three days in Victoria Falls. The hamster is nearly comatose in anticipation of some real exercise. So, I’ll turn in since I’ve already got everything packed up.
July 30 - Day 21 Victoria Falls (1)
Breakfast wasn’t complicated this morning. Mostly tea and pastries and a bit of dried fruit if you were any more peckish than that. And yes, peckish is a real word. Seriously. Heard a couple of the other group members say it so it must be. It is a silly word, but it humored the hamster to put it into storage to pull out and use at some other point. If Sadie can still giggle when I say “cool beans” I’m gonna laugh when I hear the word “peckish.” Tit for tat, or something like that.
It was a three-hour drive to Victoria Falls, after entering Zimbabwe. We are getting some interesting stamps in our passports.
As for this ever-loving driving I gotta say this is my least favorite part of this assignment. It isn’t that I’m not the one driving. I’m fine with that part as I had to learn to deal with it when we were on the Pacific Assignment. It is just that it wears on me, gives me too much time to think as I stare out at the landscape as it passes by at an amazing rate of speed. The vehicles are okay though some of the other group members also seem a little worn at the end of a long day of driving.
I’ve seen a lot of different safari vehicles thus far. Our safari has transferred from the large bus we were riding in, to a different type of vehicle and now we are like a convoy. The vehicle that we ride is a nine-passenger plus driver and guide and completely open air. The passenger chairs are in stadium seating where the rear seats are higher than the middle seats that are higher than the first row of seats. That’s been great for seeing animals, not so much when we are going at breakneck speed getting from point A to point B. Bugs in our teeth is only one of the joys.
In our vehicle is usually our crew of five (Lev, Benny, Sadie, me, and Hugh), Mr. Peeters, and the Sheldons. Oh joy. In a partially enclosed luxury type vehicle is Mr. Wight, Mr. Dutton, the Twin Wights, and Mr. Hendry. The rest of our tour group ride in a hard top so that would be Mr. Morin, Mrs. Bodycombe, Ms. Thomas and Kevin, Mrs. Murray, and the Legrands. To save the hair from getting stupid-knotty I usually wrap my hair Caribbean style using a wide, stretchy boho type head band over the top of my braid that I’ve wrapped around my head. Hair stays cleaner and doesn’t become a deadly weapon, or reach out and try and strangle anyone, especially not me. It also doesn’t interfere with Lev who sits up in the third tier with me most of the time taking pictures.
Sadie asked if I could help her do something similar with her hair. It is very fine and is a blonde so pale it looks almost white when the sun hits it. Worse for her is the hair breaks easily. The leave-in conditioner has helped the straw texture and we jury rigged some matching head bands from scarves that had been packed for her. The scarves were ridiculous, and she hadn’t been using them. I mean the girl is nearly fourteen, who would give her baby chicks and rabbits on a scarf?! Not thinking too highly of the housekeeper. Benny took one that she’d thrown away … it had all these pastel baby animals on it … and drew French mustaches and top hats on them. Then on top of that he added a monocle and a teacup. Somehow he did this with a fine point sharpie and in an hour while he was waiting his turn in the shower.
“Here. This is better than that baby stuff they gave you to wear,” he told her as he tossed it at her on his way to shower and get the boy-stink off him. Sadie just stared at it and when she figured out what he had done – apparently some inside joke on a story she told him from her school – she started having the giggles. She wore it exclusively until we finally found some “age appropriate” scarves, and she then took that one and tied it on “Daphne” who is one of her “stuffie friends.” The other is named “Chester” and is some kind of hunting dog if I had to stick a descriptor to it. It already has a top hat and monocle to wear, as well as a vest with a schnazzy cravat and stick pin.
Lunch today was on the banks of the Zambezi River. Talk was congenial and I was thankful just to be able to sit back and listen and not really be forced to participate. Mr. Peeters and the Sheldons had gotten on my nerves a bit. I don’t care for it when people are trying to pull too much of our private lives out for their consumption. Lev and I both noticed early on that Peeters was a bit pretentious and fed into their attention, but the Sheldons hit my radar for some unknown reason. I’ve warned the kids not to share what isn’t other people’s business. I’ve also asked them to not get cornered by anyone in the group … or out of the group. Every once in a while my Spidey sense just pings and I don’t know what it is … yet.
After lunch is when things started putting me in a happy place. First, we spent three hours at Livingstone Island and Devil’s Pool. The name is both appropriate and deceptive at the same time. The staggering curtain of water stretches around a mile wide, and falls almost 600 feet into a narrow gorge below. In the wet season, the spray created can rise up an incredible 1300 feet and the falls become an impressive raging torrent. In the dry season – which is when we are visiting – the view of the falls is unobstructed by spray and you can see little islets in the river below. First, our tour leader took us to a local activity center. I knew exactly how I wanted to experience this force of nature but others in the group were less sure.
I’d cleared it with Mr. Wight but hadn’t told that to Sadie but when she found out she had permission to go she looked over at her grandfather all agog and when he nodded she nearly levitated in excitement. It reminded me of how I felt when I was introducing Benny to “adventuring” despite the fact he was so young when we started.
A minibus took us across the border into Zambia to the Royal Livingstone Hotel for a detailed safety briefing before a 5-minute boat ride to Livingstone Island. Our guide navigated through the Zambezi River current heading towards the column of spray rising from the Falls.
Once we got to rocky Livingstone Island, the staff welcomed us with a traditional African energy drink – no caffeine thank goodness. First we went to the eastern side of the island to view Rainbow Falls and the Horseshoe. From there it was on to the western side to see the Main Falls, a unique view of Victoria Falls that offers a perspective completely different from that of the Zimbabwean side of the canyon. And then came the piece d’ resistance. We swam in the Devil's Pool, a once in a lifetime experience.
Our guide led us to swim upstream in a slow current and then sit at the edge of the fall’s and Devils Pool, gazing at Victoria Falls, as immense water torrents flow just feet away.
I hated to get out but only so many people are allowed in the Devils Pool at a time and our time was up. And it was Teatime. I listened to Lev and Benny’s stomachs the entire time. Oh my gosh. And Sadie got the giggles, and she didn’t care if anyone saw her at it which made my day.
After teatime we spent an hour and a half on an activity called an Elephant Encounter. We had a wonderful guide who had traveled with the elephants for incredible distances, both physically and metaphorically. I’m not sure what the elephants thought, but our guide was really elephant-hearted. He knew each of the animals in “his” herd by personality and ancestry. We were so close to the giant pachyderms that we could have reached out and touched them though that was definitely not approved. But boy was I in for a surprise.
We were standing around listening to the guide tell us about a particularly mischievous male calf when I was goosed.
“What the … ?!”
“Hold still mum.”
I turned and was nose to trunk with a certain naughty calf except for him to be a baby he was pretty doggone big. I could hold still but apparently the hamster couldn’t shut up. “You know I’ve got some friends that would consider you a kindred soul. Let’s just keep this incident between the two of us, shall we?”
And I swear if the oversized goofball didn’t think that was funny. He shook his head and flapped his ears and went back in the bushes to catch up with the matriarchs of his herd.
I looked at Sadie and Benny and said, “Just tell me he didn’t leave mud where there shouldn’t be any.”
They both laughed as did most of the others in the tour we were with. Naturally.
As if that wasn’t enough to put the hamster on a respirator, the evening meal was a sunset dinner cruise that lasted three hours. The boat we were on took us down toward Victoria Falls for a good view before turning around and heading for the sunset. It was billed as 4-course dinner with drinks as we watched the sun dip below the horizon. However you want to describe it, it was certainly delicious. It was prepared by an on-board chef and served while we were cruising along the river. The African bush was accompanied by light, African background music as well as some serenading by a few hippos singing acapella.
The food was really good and I couldn’t have been happier that is was all gluten-free. A few, light appetizers followed by butternut squash soup was the first and second course. Pan-Fried Zambezi Bream served with tartar sauce, baby potatoes in a herb butter sauce was the Main Course. And dessert was apple pie and hot brandy custard for most passengers but we were served baked apples with the custard which had me searching out the chef to say a personal thank you for his consideration.
They could have used me as a bobber I was so full. We had a minor snafu but I didn’t worry after Hugh said there is normally at least one every trip. Essentially there were some hacked off elephants stomping around where we were originally supposed to camp so we had to move to a new location (described as a budget location) and we would just have to make the best of it. I don’t know what some people were complaining about. Even the Wight’s were laughing it off and calling it an “experience.” Trust me, I’d rather “budget camp” than be elephant toe jam.
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you for the chapters, long day in town and blood work. At least today the nurse didn't use the needle like she was mining for gold this time.
July 31 - Day 22 Victoria Falls (2)
During breakfast they explained that there was going to be a group meeting at 6 pm for any new tour members. Some of the group will be around to welcome them. We’ll meet them at breakfast the following day if they show. Apparently it depends, and they may join the safari behind us. We had a full day (12 hour) activity planned for the Victoria Falls area.I made sure my crew ate hearty, including Hugh who seemed to be on the fence about sticking with us or riding herd on Hendry.
“You said our guides were good ones. Let them do their jobs and you go take care of Hendry so he’ll do his. Sucks to be the superior. If you really still want to quack, remember we have the sat-phone and I’ll carry the extra batter just in case.”
He looked at me then Lev for about ten seconds then snorted. “See you do,” before doing an about face and spotting Hendry acting less than professional with the Twins. I just shook my head. I already suspected that Hendry had a particular problem. I’d seen him playing with a poker chip like he was way too comfortable with it. It didn’t bode well.
First stop for us was a more in-depth guided tour than we got yesterday of The Falls. Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The other six are Guanabara Bay in Rio De Janeiro, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Grand Canyon in the US, the Aurora Borealis wherever you can see them, Paricutin Volcano in Mexico, and Mount Everest. Benny and I have now seen three of the seven. Lev got a thoughtful look on his face and said it would make a bodacious project to visit all seven of them. I agree but then again if you are going to dream, might as well dream big.
On our three-hour trek we learned some really fun facts about The Falls. They are the largest waterfall on Earth, measuring 5,604 feet wide and 354 feet tall. They were “discovered” in 1855 by Dr. Livingstone who named them after Queen Victoria. I put “discovered” in quotes because the natives had known about The Falls for centuries before introducing them to the first European/White. The falls can be heard up to 30 miles away. The Zambezi, which creates the Falls, is Africa’s 4th longest river in Africa and the largest flowing river into the Indian Ocean from Africa. Victoria Falls can drop more than 132,000,000 gallons of water per minute. Every year or two, at least one tourist dies after falling into Victoria Falls but at least one person – a Chinese tourist – has fallen over The Falls and survived. Victoria Falls can create a moonbow, aka a lunar rainbow, during a full moon. Victoria Falls has six gorges. The First Gorge measures 100 m. While the second gorge is the “Boiling Pot” located under Victoria Falls. It measures two kilometers long. Victoria Fall’s hydroelectric power station is located in the Third Gorge. This gorge measures around two kilometers long. The third, fourth, and fifth gorges are the longest of the six. And the neat facts just went on and on making the hamster all squirmy wanting more but it was time that we went on to the next thing which was lunch at the Rainforest Café.
The Rainforest Café was an open-air kind of place and you could hear the Falls in the background despite being surrounded by a legit rainforest. Food was good and gluten-free. And from there we were off to see the Victoria Falls Bridge that goes over the Zambezi River. It’s length is 650 feet and its height is 420 feet. The Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company fabricated the bridge in England initially before it was shipped to Victoria Falls. It took 14 months to construct it and was finally completed in 1905 which made it accessible for foot and road traffic. Today it connects Zambia and Zimbabwe.
After the bridge, we got to see another one of those big trees, a 2000 year old Baobab Tree with a girth of over 72 feet and nearly 80 feet tall. It has the original 170+ year old inscription by the famed adventurer David Livingstone.
And as I’ve snarked on more than one occasion, there was the requisite gift shop and stalls. They gave us an entire hour to “tour” the authentic African Crafts Market. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, other members of the tour seemed to get a kick out of it, but I would have preferred spending the hour adventuring. I just got drawn into looking at too many tchotchkes. Sure, some of that stuff was neat but I could also see them turning into real dust collectors as the years roll by and there are other assignments to buy stuff at and … shudder. The hamster was nearly manic at the idea of taking care of all of it and reminding me of all the housekeeping I was already facing once I got back to the River House. Argh! Why did I think of that right here when I need to relax and get some sleep?! Back to logging to avoid being a zombie Gus tomorrow.
We did a bit of a repeat by taking a Zambezi National Park Sunset Cruise but this time without food, though there were light snacks and drinks for those who wanted them (i.e., Benny the Bottomless Pit and Lev of the Hollow Leg). The sunset was glorious and Lev was in a jolly mood because he got some great film to work with. And yes, some of our group members say jolly quite often. I don’t know if I’ve ever used the word outside of the Jolly Green Giant vegetables or the fat guy at Christmas. Either way, it was two hours well spent.
Last activity was a Boma Dinner, Dance & Drums. When we got there we each were dressed in a chitenge (aka sarong) done in African prints. Then we got our faces painted. Er … yeah. That part I didn’t like but that was me, everyone else seemed to get a kick out of it. Ladies were given dots on their cheeks to signify the beauty of African women, while men received stripes defining the warrior look of African men. We were then escorted into the dining area and seated for dinner. The entertainment included mbira music, traditional dancers, a local folk storyteller, a fortune teller, a hair braider, and (of course) souvenir sellers.
Well, the food was authentic for sure. At the table we had smoked alligator tail bites (not a pun), peppered impala skewered with apricots, and bean fritters[1] with pumpkin hummus. I was a little leery of the fritters until our waiter assured me they were gluten-free by telling me the ingredients. I found out to my surprise that everyone at our table was gluten-sensitive. Not all of them were from our tour group so that’s why I hadn’t clued in to the fact we were sat together for that specific reason.
After the starters it was time to take our turn at the buffet where we were given notice of vegetarian, vegan, gluten-sensitive, or diabetic options. There were salads and some type of pumpkin soup. The main dishes were an assortment of grilled meats like beef, chicken, pork, and a wild game roast. I think it was more impala but I’m honestly not sure. There was a hunter’s stew. Zambezi bream and kapenta were the fish options. The sides included peanut butter rice (not nearly as gross as it sounds), a thick maize meal called sadza, potato wedges, garlic and herb bread (with a gluten-free option), and more sauces than I knew what to do with. There was a pasta dish, some stir-fried veggies, and bush vegetables for those that were strict vegans. The dessert table was better than she ever got at school according to Sadie. And for drinks Tanganda Tea (caffeinated), Rooibos Tea (herbal), and coffee. I stuck with the herbal tea though I did palm a couple of tea bags of the tanganda for emergencies.
The highlight of the evening was the “renowned energetic interactive drumming show” that started after we were stuffed to the gills with food. I suppose we needed to work it off some how. Guests were each handed a djembe drum and given the opportunity to participate in the drumming show by learning a few rhythms. After the drumming show, guests were invited to the dance floor. It was a little sad when I caught Sadie taking surreptitious photos of her grandfather and brothers participating while I know for a fact they weren’t even paying any attention to her at all. Sometimes I could almost like the Wights and sometimes … yeah, better be glad I am not in control of the universe.
The evening was capped off with a group of acapella singers serenading us at our table. From there we rolled to the vehicle that took us back to our tents and both Benny and Sadie were nodding off before we got there. Lev wasn’t far behind. Me? I needed a few moments to turn the hamster off and Lev understood. Now I’m ready for sleep. Tomorrow is a free day and I’m anxious to hear what Hugh has pulled together since he was kept pretty busy tonight because someone overdid the African alcohol.
[1] Akara - Bean Fritters - Sisi Jemimah
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you very much.
August 1 - Day 23 Victoria Falls (3)
First day of August. Difficult to believe we’ve been on this assignment nearly a month. But what a way to start the month. Today was a free day. That means we were expected to either just laze around and relax (uh, no, not unless you want a psychotic hamster on your hands) or schedule our own activities. I’ll tell the bodacious activity Hugh and Lev arranged after I recount what went down right as Lev and I were about to hit the hay last night.We found out that the Sheldons wouldn’t be remaining with our group. That would have been fine and dandy except Hugh also told us the nasty reason why. Chancroid. Both of them. He wouldn’t explain what that was, but Lev understood after getting pale and then Rhode Island Red in color. Neither man would allow the kids to hear about it. That left me guessing and then looking it up. STD of the magnitude of grossness no one should bear witness to much less experience. It runs rampant in Africa just like AIDS and similar STDs. And the rumor that Ms. Sheldon was a sister but also something else? Ugh. Gak. Disgusting. I knew there was something off about them, but I hadn’t been interested in getting into their business as long as they stayed out of ours. Apparently they are wealthy, half-siblings, from a nutty family (so explained by Hugh), as if I really wanted to know.
I looked at both men after looking it up on my phone then told them, “You need to talk to Peeters just on the off chance.”
Lev asked, “The off-chance of what?”
Hugh didn’t take quite so long. “Medico is already on it. Peeters is celibate by proclivity and …”
“Whoa,” I snapped. “I didn’t say I wanted the details of the man’s private life. I just want to make sure he isn’t a threat to Lev or the kids since he insists on dogging our heels.”
Hugh gave a cough. “Good. Bad enough I had to listen to them from the medico traveling with us. Damn idiots. The Sheldons, not Doc. Doc knows how to keep things quiet, but this is serious enough he is having to feel a couple of people out.”
“Let me guess,” I said sourly. “They decided to find some strange and different – or even more strange and different than they already are – since they were so far from home and away from their Keepers. Probably means we are going to have fewer free days.”
Hugh surprised me by saying, “Why? Everyone is a grown up. You buy the ticket, you take the ride.”
I looked at Hugh a moment and then relaxed. “Sometimes having a jackhole around is what is needed,” I said surprising the other two men right back. “I’ll have a talk with Sadie and make sure that Benny gets reminded of stranger-danger rules. I don’t especially expect trouble from this, but I want them armored up with knowledge just in case. However, in the interest of the legalities I’ll leave names out of it.”
This morning it all flew over Benny’s head when I reminded him, but he understood “the rules.” Sadie on the other hand was fairly embarrassed and grossed out by it. She was also old enough to figure out who I was talking about. “And they were really brother and sister?”
“That’s the story. What they were … and why … beyond that, is a subject I don’t really want to get into. I don’t know and don’t need to know. Just a good reason to keep ourselves to ourselves and given your age I said you had the right to know.”
“Thanks.”
“For?” I asked.
“Not treating me like a little kid.”
“You aren’t a little kid. You are still kid enough you shouldn’t have to go it alone, but you can’t learn if you don’t have data. If you need to talk, I’m here. Otherwise … pretty gross.”
She made a face and in a very proper British accent said, “Agreed.”
That was last night and this morning, and now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, on to more pleasant logging. Our day was filled with fun and adventure. Today was a free day that gave us a chance to focus on the activities on offer. I wasn’t privy to what was planned but when I saw Hugh eating lightly - tea and toast or similar – for breakfast I cued to it had something to do with water. Then we were picked up at 7:30 am.
Wowee!! We were going white-water rafting from Victoria Falls[1]. We paddled down the Zambezi River on a 14-mile whitewater rafting course from Victoria Falls. With a guide, we maneuvered over Class IV and V rapids in a gorge reaching depths of 650 feet.
First, we climbed into a Jeep for a drive to the Zambezi River. Upon arrival at the launch site we geared up in a provided life jacket, helmet, and windbreaker. The full safety and instructional briefing before hiking down the steep gorge to the riverbanks was to be taken seriously, more so than some expected if I had to guess.
After the safety briefing, we were all put into teams and descended into a gorge below Victoria Falls to get into our boat. And that’s when Lev and Hugh smiled and surprised me with an incredible opportunity. I did the tour in a Kayak with a guide. O.M.G.
Paddling out for the first time was extremely exciting. I had a bit of a clue what was coming but most of the others did not. Getting the first taste going through a grade 1 rapid was easy peezy compared to what was coming, but a big smile was creeping onto everyone’s face.
The guide in the back of each raft shouted instructions on what to do; paddle forwards, paddle backwards, or get down for a big rapid drop. My kayak guide was saying similar things at first until he realized I had a lot of experience and we found our rhythm to work together. Let me tell you, trying to keep up with what’s been said while being thrown around inside a big rapid can be rather comical. Watching the rafts do it was like a Chinese fire drill with everyone paddling every which way for their lives.
The rapids started off gradually, then become more and more difficult, each one a little more exciting than the last. Watching other boats flip ahead of us on a rapid is not exactly the thing you want to see before hitting that rapid and I’m thankful to say that none of our group’s rafts dumped their load. Although a few did falling out and start drifting down the river being bounced around. How it worked was if you fell out of the raft a rescue boat would come and grab you before you go floating the rest of the Zambezi by yourself. There were plenty of mini kayaks rushing as well to keep people from going solo through a rapid. All “floaters” this trip were safe and sound, although with a lot of the Zambezi river in their mouths. In calm areas people were put back in their raft.
At one of the rapids our rafts had to stop to walk around it as it is too hard for beginners, or even experienced rafters. It’s a grade 6 rapid (also known as a suicide rapid). However, my kayak guide as me if I was up for it and by that time … oh yeah baby … and I just barely caught the stunned look on Lev’s face as we shot through.
There was a stop for a short break to have lunch – for those that still had their stomach – and everyone dealt with their slightly sore arms from the paddling. Even I was a tad sore because those rapids really are something else. Then we all started off again. Between rapids there was normally a few minutes of calm water where you paddled and drifted with the current. It was very peaceful with the gorges walls high above us, and it gave us a few moments to catch our breaths before heading into the next rapid.
Rapid number 18 is the guides’ favorite. It’s known as the rapid where most rafts flip over. It is also where they take the photo that everyone wants the most. A guy on a kayak paddles ahead of each raft to get into a position to take photos. Lev said everyone was told to ignore those large rapids ahead and wave for the camera. Not long after that we reached the end.
It was unbelievable. Both the guide and I were laughing nearly the entire time! Everyone else was in a paddle raft where they all helped to paddle which would have been fun but nothing like what I got to experience. Lev played photographer for everyone from the safari and I had fun putting them on memory dots and making sure everyone got at least one good shot of themselves looking tough and one good shot of themselves looking goofy. The goofy ones were easy, the tough shots were fewer and farther between. And some of them looked positively green. Finding background music was also fun and Lev said he may have me make some suggestions going forward.[2]
They hadn’t had as much rain as normal so the dry season started early this year. They’d already re-mapped the rapids and they were all – nearly all – Class IV and V’s. At the end of our trip, to go with our sore arms we got sore legs as we made the steep climb out of the gorge. This activity was most definitely meant for the fit and active. The 14 miles on the rapids made me glad that I’ve kept up with my back and arm strength exercises.
An open bar and barbecue meal was our reward. Afterwards we returned to camp to prepare for tomorrow’s departure and most everyone that had gone rafting pretty much collapsed after that. As usual, Lev and I are some of the last to hit the hay. You know what? I’ll think I’ll take a couple of Tylenol and try and lure Lev into some privacy.
[1]
[2]
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you.
August 2 - Day 24 Bulawayo (1)
Man it was hard to leave the Victoria Falls area. Too much adventuring left to do. And I wouldn’t have said no to a second run at the rapids either. But it was time to move on to the next place, which was called Bulawayo, approximately seven hours away … or at least seven hours the way this group travels. Did I mention it was hard to leave? I certainly didn’t love the idea of yet another long ride in our transportation. Only thing I can say is that we lost the Sheldons (‘nuff said) and didn’t pick up anyone new. We will be picking up new people around August 16th or so but that’s two weeks away. We’ll also be losing some members who will be at the end of their safari treks. I’ll leave that until then.Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe. When we arrived, we did it via a city tour from our vehicle/bus. Known locally as the 'City of Kings', it has an interesting history and some well-maintained colonial architecture. Our late afternoon was free to explore, so Hugh made the arrangements and escorted us since Hendry would be remaining in camp with the Wights who needed another day to recoup from their rafting trek. Mr. Wight may be “well-preserved” for a man his age, but he is still his age. I hope I am still as active as he is but Grandma Barry and Meemo were always honest about women as they age. In their words, “It ain’t easy and it isn’t always pretty.” So, goals. I have them I just hope that I am realistic.
Hugh hit the touristy highlights of the city. First came the Natural History Museum after he learned I was not opposed to that sort of thing. Apparently Benny told him about some of our “adventures” that included museums and other learning experiences and how they were “totally cool.” This museum was also “totally cool” and fit nicely in ye ol’ school portfolio for Benny … and Sadie. It extensive geological and history displays of Zimbabwe along with illustrative dioramas of Southern African wildlife, bird species, live snake species as well as aquatic life. There were also memorabilia of important historical characters like King Mzilikazi, King Lobengula, and Cecil John Rhodes.
Another museum was next, this one the Bulawayo Railway Museum which is one of the few of its kind in the world. We got to see and experience a collection of Railway memorabilia such as steam locomotives dating to 1897 and the first locomotives used on the first railway built in Zimbabwe. The museum also has the Rhodes funeral coach which was made specifically for Cecil Rhodes by an American company; as well as the first locomotive to cross the Victoria Falls bridge, the Jack Tar. We also went into the National Art Gallery that was housed in a Victorian-era building. It wasn’t my thing, but Benny and Sadie got a kick out of it.
Old Town Bulawayo was established by King Lobengula as his capital in 1870 after the death of his father King Mzilikazi in 1868. Hugh had an acquaintance meet us there and give us a quick guided tour. Yes, money changed hands but I’m not complaining just because Hugh is trying to selectively spread it to people he knows needs it. Our guide explained its layout reflects the complex heritage of the Ndebele people. In 1881, after 11 years of occupation, Lobengula moved his capital to what is now the modern city of Bulawayo. He ordered the destruction of the old settlement by fire. In 1990, National Museums & Monuments of Zimbabwe identified Old Bulawayo as suitable as an educational and tourist center. In 1998 it was reconstructed as a theme park. Structures such as a wagonshed, the outer palisade, King Lobengula’s palace, 8 beehive huts and cattle kraal, as well as a nearby interpretive center were resconstructed.
Same guide took us to Nesbitt Castle where we got to see a 20th Century near gothic castle, built in the 1920's by Theodore Holdengarde. It was pretty and scenic with a bit of wildlife hanging about. It is a private property, but they offer a bar and pizzeria that a lot of tourists use as a stopover.
Last stop before heading to our evening digs was Makokoba, the oldest township and the first black Africa suburb in [Bulawayo]. The Market is full of unique local treats, artisanry/crafts and some antique shops. There were also the everyday kind of shops where local people buy things like meat, rubber-goods, soap, food, bulk staples, and much more. It is like a giant, chaotic flea market but if you pay attention it is more organized than you think at first glance.
It was interesting but I was not opposed to leaving as the noise alone was triggering my APD and the hamster was threatening to revolt.
I’ve appreciated the quiet tonight and now it is time to hit the hay. Tomorrow is a full day in Matobo National Park. Not sure what to expect so it will be a surprise.
August 3 - Day 25 Bulawayo (2) & Matobo National Park
Got up this morning and spent eight hours in Matobo National Park, home to a significant population of both black and white rhinoceros. It is also the site of the grave of Cecil John Rhodes[1], the founder of Rhodesia and the De Beers diamond company. Yep, that Cecil John Rhodes. Okay, that was a little snarky but I hate feeling stupid and I was definitely feeling it when even Hugh knew who the man was. Now I like me some history as much as the next semi-normal person, but whatever. I learned something and just let it go at that.As we drove to the national park, our guide explained that the Matobos area has great spiritual and cultural significance to the local people and there are many sites within the park where important ceremonies still take place.
The drive between Bulaway and Matobo was only forty minutes. First stop once we entered the park was the Bushman Cave Paintings. The hills and caves in the park were once the home of San people. The San people began painting on the walls of caves and rock shelters, using special pigments and natural minerals that have survived attacks by climate and time. We visited several of the caves but weren’t allowed to film the paintings. I picked up a couple of postcard-ish pictures and Lev film the exterior of the caves and he’ll let the editors figure out how to get other stuff.
From there we headed to the Rhodes Grave where we learned some other history lessons before heading on to some other sites like World's View, Balancing Rocks, and the Museum at Pomongwe.
After lunch we went on a walking safari; best part of the day. We saw Giraffe, Zebra, Impalas, Kudus, and many other plain game including baboons and other monkeys. The Park is home to a wide range of game, including Africa's largest concentration of leopard, which is a major attraction for the park. So far, the kids have recorded twelve species of antelope in the area, including Kudu and Eland. However, no lion or elephant – meaning that you can walk freely in the hills and explore them on your own, making for a much more personal experience. Best of the best? We got to see rhinos at close range. And I mean close.
Adjoining the main national park is a small, intensively protected game park containing Zimbabwe’s highest concentration of black and white rhino. Although their populations have dwindled elsewhere in Zimbabwe, they are doing well in Matobo, and the area offers the best chance of seeing these endangered species in the country.
It got very cold towards the end of the day. I’m glad I insisted our group bring their jackets even if they were inconvenient in the middle of the day. Those that hadn’t suffered as we drove back to camp in our open air vehicle. I’m not a fan of the cold and I’ll admit it has zapped my energy tonight. Lev was a little concerned but I said it wouldn’t hurt to get a little extra rest so that’s what we’re doing. G’nite.
[1] Cecil John Rhodes | South African History Online
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you Kathy.
August 4 - Day 26 Masvingo
Ha! They called today’s drive a short stretch. Yeah right. It was a little over five hours to reach Masvingo[1]. The tour books called this a colonial settlement – the oldest in Zimbabwe. According to our guides the location makes for the perfect base from which to explore the Great Zimbabwe Ruins[2]. The ruined city, now a World Heritage-listed site, was first constructed in the 11th century. They aren’t really sure what it was originally though they think it is the former royal palace of the Zimbabwean monarch.
According to the guide we had at the site, what is now called “Great Zimbabwe” was the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe during the country’s Late Iron Age. It was built by the Shona people and the area was originally known as “Dzimbadzemabwe” which translates to something like house of stones. It served as a royal palace and was used as the seat of political power. One of its most prominent features were the walls, some of which were over five meters high and which were constructed without mortar. There are 200 such sites in southern Africa, such as Bumbusi in Zimbabwe and Manyikeni in Mozambique, with monumental, mortarless walls but none as large and intact as those of Great Zimbabwe. These days the site is one of those UNESCO world heritage sites[3]. There’s about twelve hundred of them all around the world and it isn’t easy to get on that list.
After the tour and letting Lev take as many photos as he needed, we joined the group for a African-style picnic BBQ. Plenty of protein to go around and I didn’t really have to worry about any gluten for Benny and Lev because the chef-in-charge had been notified of any special dietary restrictions.
As part of the picnic we learned a little about the food in Zimbabwe. Due to its hot and dry climate, meats are often more common on menus than vegetables are. They tend to be served alongside staples of rice or cornmeal porridge which are both inexpensive and filling. Also, due to its British influence and proximity to countries like South Africa, Zimbabwe’s food scene can appear ordinary to anyone used to western Europe or North America. I wouldn’t have said that, but it certainly didn’t look like something alien as a few of our meals have looked.
There was one thing that gakked nearly everyone out but it was included more as a tourist novelty than as a staple. It is considered a delicacy in the country but Lev and I were nearly the only ones to try it … well, and the twins who have some imagined competition going with me. One of those “there’s nothing you can do that I can’t” sort of thing. Might be male, don’t know, don’t care, but it was kinda funny to watch them force themselves to eat a Mapone. It was even funnier to watch their grandfather try and not laugh at their “daring.”
What is Mapone? They call it a worm but according to Hugh said it is not entomologically speaking a worm at all, but the caterpillar of the emperor moth, which feeds on the leaves of the mopane forests of the country. About the thickness of a finger and growing to the length of a hand, mopane worms aren’t farmed but found in the wild as they feed. They are immediately twisted between the hands, ejecting the contents of the gut, and then either dried or boiled to preserve them. Mopane worms are then generally fried with onion, tomato and spices. Yeah, I didn’t know that part until after I ate one or I might have given it a second thought. Hugh thought he was just hilarious upon explaining it. I nearly dumped him on his can. You can guess that after the BBQ was over and we made camp that Lev and I raced each other to our toothbrushes.
Our bread for our meal was a kind of cornbread though after hearing how it was made described it seemed more like a baked mush, or baked grits. Mupotahayi is a corn bread or cake that all Zimbabweans know how to bake, most from childhood. How it is made is eggs, butter, and a little sugar or some type of sweetener are added to a pan of warm milk. The cornmeal is then added and stirred until the two come together into a texture like cake mix. Sort of like grits. It is then baked in the oven in a large baking dish, and is considered ready when it is golden-brown. A layer of “lacto” is used to cover the top and then it is baked for another 15-20 minutes.
That description of course means I have to explain what lacto is. Lacto is a form of fermented cow’s milk or curd tasting much like natural yoghurt. It is usually made through the process of allowing whole milk to curdle naturally. Also known by the names mukaka wakakora, and amasi by those Zimbabweans with South African heritage, lacto can be eaten straight, or added to crumbled sadza (another Zimbabwean dish), while it is also starting to be used as a marinade for meats.
And now that I’ve done my part to record the day and save the info to be included with some of Lev’s photos before he ships them off, I’m going to make sure we all get to bed. Tomorrow is another long road trip and I am so not looking forward to it. The long days in a vehicle make me more tired than a full-day hike would.
[1] Masvingo – Travel guide at Wikivoyage
[2] Great Zimbabwe National Monument
[3] UNESCO World Heritage Centre - World Heritage List
sheilabelle
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