It's time to drive the Koreans to Mariantal - they must take a bus to Cape Town then head home. We pack up and head on our way. Lots of horse and carriages in this part of Namibia. Mariantal isn't quite as far as we anticipated, and we had expected to just stay for the night. No chance – it is too small and a bit creepy. So we hit the store to make some lunch for the Koreans before leaving them at the bus stop. I'm playing chef in the back of the Landie, and it's getting a bit warm. I go to jump out and something goes terribly wrong.... In slow motion I tumble out and catch my foot in the slope of the road. Down she goes, excruciating pain... Sprained ankle. Oh crap. Turns out, Korean #1 is a physical therapist and prescribes ice, elevation, and rest. Yikes. Rest – we're finally going somewhere I can hike! We shall see.... we leave our friends at the local Wimpy and head towards Brukkaros. Brukkaros Mountain is an extinct volcano measuring 1,590 meters at its peak. It is in the form of a ring mountain and was formed when rising magma met ground water, superheated it and blew it up about 80 million years ago. Very exciting. We arrive (per usual) just before sunset. The place is deserted, so we explore. There is one set of campsites below the mountain, but there is also a path climbing up. The Landie goes in low gear and we start climbing. And climbing. Up we go, and there is another site. No electricity or running water, but a killer view so we stay. Great sunset, gorgeous sunrise, and another night without a tent. We wake up to a local man asking for water. Turns out, this is a community run project and he just hiked about 20 km to get our money. Wow. He does that walk every day in this heat – incredible. He tells us that the place used to have many amenities, but locals stole all of the pipes, electric lines, and fixtures so now it is very run down. This is pretty awful, particularly since this is about it for many miles around. The town of Berseba is very small and feels a bit like a military camp. The mountain could be such an asset and it is not being respected. Shame. We also learn that the crater is a short hike away. I wrap my ankle and give it a shot. Very slow going, and loads of rock but we make it. It's lovely, and starting to re-vegetate. But it's getting hot – so we turn back. And get very, very lost. I spent the entire walk looking down and avoiding falling into holes – not navigating. We end up walking/limping twice as far coming back and by the time we reach camp I am ready to sit. For a while! We enjoy a nice breakfast, break camp, and head to the coast to check out Luderitz!
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As we drive through the entrance of Etosha National Park 8 hours later, Korean #1 points and asks “What's that?” And low and behold peeking out of the bush is our first black rhino! Incredible. Such a prehistoric creature, just hanging out beside the main road. I have a feeling I'm going to like this place! And my first impression was not wrong. The campsite was wellmaintained, and we were lucky to get a shady spot next to the water hole. There was a gorgeous pool and plenty of places to sit and observe the wildlife by the water hole. There were plenty of tourists, but mostly people were considerate and didn't sit on the bench next to you yammering in loud voices – thank goodness! Most of the time was spent sitting at the water hole and taking intermissions to jump in the pool. Elephant, the sentinal giraffe, zebra, springbok, gemsbok (oryx), jackal, and more animals than I can count visit this oasis. There is even a park store complete with ice and Amarula – our days are made! One night, on the way back from the ablutions in the pitch dark, I heard a very loud roar. I freeze.... Yes, that was a lion. I hurry back to the campsite and find it empty... Oh no... where is everyone? Did they get dragged away by a pride of lion? A quick look shows no blood, so I move on to the waterhole, where a crowd has gathered to watch as a pride of lion proceed to devour a baby giraffe. Pure carnage, but I can't look away. It's incredible. There is a hierarchy of who eats first, and the lion take turns tearing away chunks of giraffe flesh (graphic ay? :) While the lions feast, the jackal linger and attempt to steal a few bites. An amusing game to watch. Meanwhile, at the watering hole – a bull elephant shows up to drink, alongside a few thirsty black rhino. A great day at Etosha and I stayed so long I nearly fell asleep on the bench right next to the hungry lions.... oops! Our next stop is Damaraland, and I think we are all a little apprehensive about wild camping after seeing all of this wildlife! Ah well, off we go! We were sad to say goodbye to Dqae, but we had a long road ahead to Namibia. We did a quick overnight in Toosha at a friend of the South African's, and brought with us another Kalahari rain. The next day we set out for Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. It's a cute city, but as I had imagined most of the 2 million Namibians living here, it was much smaller than I thought. It doesn't take long to wander around and get your bearings, which was nice since I was transitioning from the desolation of the Kalahari. There were plenty of pizza places, and also the popular Joe's Beer House. I had a go at the Mopani Worms at one place, but didn't quite manage more than 1... they tasted like squishy charcoal! The Warehouse Theatre is a cool spot that had a rock band one night, and a jazz/trivia night the 2nd time we went. There is also a restaurant nearby that has reggae night, and dancing there is a priority! The Cardboard Box wasn't great but it had a pool and wifi, two nice amenities! The party scene at the hostel never seemed to cease as it seems to be a favorite local hangout. Luckily the tent area is large enough to keep the noise away. The Chameleon had a better vibe, but not much room for camping. During our stay we also managed to pick up 2 more travelers – a Korean brother and sister on their way from Jordan to Cape Town. They had seen our poster and decided to join us all the way to Mariantal. Off we went to Etosha with a full Landie – 2 Americans, 1 South African, and 2 Koreans! When we arrived at Dqae on November 5th, we only intended to stay 2-3 nights. That was before I was motivated by their existing site map... we didn't leave until the 14th! During that time we navigated the entire farm (more than 150 km) and I mapped every pan, campsite, water tap, view point, and amenity I could find, and realized just how special a place we'd found. Our first night in Dqae we were just in time for a traditional Bushman trance dance around the fire. The area hadn't received any rain for a long long time, but the night looked promising. As the dancing and chanting continued, the storm clouds grew overhead. Will this work? About an hour or so into the performance, a miracle happened.... it began to pour. Not just a sprinkle, but a real rain – the first rains of the season and desperately needed. It was incredible, but it didn't last and sadly there was no rain the rest of our stay. It was just Kalahari hot – something new for me. There's humid hot, dry hot, scorching hot, hot hot, Sowa Pan hot.... and then there is Kalahari hot. All you can do is sit under a tree and wait for the sun to start going down. You awake at 5am with the sun, for fear of melting in your tent if you wait a minute longer. Luckily for us, there was a pool at the lodge. Yes, a pool in the desert and it was wonderful. In return for the map, the managers graciously provided a few nights lodging (real bed #4!) and some cold Windhoek lagers. While we mapped the roads, we looked for cheetah, zebra, eland, kudu, ostrich, and hyena. We found cheetah prints and cheetah cub prints, but after 9 days of scanning the farm still no cheetah. Elusive that one! One night we were joined at our campfire by a San who honored us by telling a few traditional San stories. His imitations of the animals were spot-on, and the jackal became a crew favorite. The 2 Aussies departed during this time, and we all took a trip to Maun to wish them well. On the way to the airport we ran out of diesel - we had to give them one final thrill! The South African was able to siphon from a passing truck (for a small fortune), however, and they still made it in time. On the way back to Dqae we stopped at Lake Ngami, one of the coolest and eeriest place we've visited. Lake Ngami is located north of the Kalahari and is part of the Okavango Delta. The lake has remained dry for most of the past century up until 2009 when it began filling with water. Prior to this, the community grazed cattle on this dry land - land that today is completely submerged. The community now lives part of the year here fishing. We were told that they leave the area for a few months during breeding season to let the fish regenerate - I was blown away by this! Overfishing plagues so many places in the world, and these people make a serious effort to avoid depleting the resources of Lake Ngami. Inspiring. A fisherman took us for a ride on his canoe, and I was speechless. There are maribou storks, heron, other water birds - and a beautiful flat lake. Trees that were not destroyed by the flooding still stand, and poke through the surface. In some places you can see the remnants of a livestock fence. The lake felt completely out of place in the Kalahari, yet it was surprisingly peaceful. I would love to come back and see how this ecosystem develops - we saw the beginnings of some water grasses and more will come for sure. The time spent at Dqae was incredible, and I look forward to a return visit. The lodge and land are very important to the San, and the experience has emblazoned my passion to do more for conservation through mapping and GIS. Let's do this! Waking up on a salt pan under the sun must be what it feels like to be a raisin. Woooo EEEE! Blistering hot, and after a mere 12 hours in the place my lips are beginning to shrivel. No wonder nothing lives out here! All I can think about is where we are headed next ~ to the largest pool in the Makgadikgadi! I don't think I could last a full day out here... it's just too hot. The Landie crunches its way out of the pans onto the main road, and soon we reach Planet Baobab, and the oasis that awaits. A pool! Water! Within moments, I am submerged and begin to reconstitute. Ahhhhhhhh. Next I order an Amarula on ice. There is ice! And Amarula! Is this heaven? Just divine. There are beautiful baobabs throughout the site, but the main event is definitely the large, refreshing, clean, delightful pool. We stay an extra night and indulge. By now our resources are depleted, so we head to Maun to restock and work on our social skills at Old Bridge Backpackers. It's a cute but crowded place, with a nice bar and plenty of places to relax. We are there only long enough to see what's happening in the world, buy some groceries, and check our email. The crew is eager to get to our next destination – Dqae Qare San Lodge in D'kar! I awake to my tent collapsing and shouts from the South African; “I'm blowing awaaaaaay!” I peek out, and he indeed is levitating on his air mattress with the tent billowing at all sides. We are wild camping off of Hunters Road, and the wind is relentlessly insane. I struggle to hold down the tent & watch the others do the same. All we can do is wait for a break, which finally comes long enough to get the South African back on land, move the car to break the wind, and find rocks and ropes to further secure our homes. Phew! Although a trip to Oz would really be a highlight of this adventure! We decide to stay another night, with the hopes the wind might die down and we see the wildlife and stars that brought us here. Our site is strategically placed under a giant baobab, with the valley spread out below. It's another windy day, but we still catch zebras, jackal, and antelope not far off. A relaxing day, and the wind seems to have moved on. Just as I'm settling down to sleep that night, I hear what I think is a lion roaring... Back out of the tent I go to ask the others. Yes, it is indeed a pride of lions just down the hill. Quickly back into the tent! I tell myself that lions won't bother us, but it's a futile attempt to relax. I lie there and listen – and here an even closer roar up the hill. Two prides of lions?? One on either side? What luck... I don't think I've ever been this legitimately afraid on Halloween night! Exhaustion wins over, and I manage to catch a few winks. I awake with all of my limbs but am ready to move on. Off we go to the Makgadikgadi Pans! We choose Sowa Pan for our, a seasonal lake that fills with water in the rainy season but is a vast salt pan in the dry season. Lucky for us it is dry season, and the salt pan is quiet, lonely, desolate, DRY, and simply amazing. After playing with perspective and exploring the pan, we ate like kings over a huge bush fire and went to sleep trying to count the billions of stars. Oh – and no lions! The only life I saw were wild horses that must be waiting for the rainy season. Brilliant :) As we park the Landie outside of Zambia's customs office, the rain slows and a double rainbow appears in the distance. I get the feeling we are going to like Botswana! Customs are a breeze, and we board the ferry to cross the mighty Zambezi. More rains come but upon arrival at the Botswana side, they cease and the rainbow is back. Excellent. We arrive at Chobe Safari Lodge in Kasane in time for a sundowner by the fabulous pool. It's lovely, & the many rich pensioners that surround us would likely attest. It's a huge property, and one of the nicest places we've camped thus far. But the lodge is not the main event – we are here to visit Chobe National Park, the 3rd largest park in Botswana with one of the largest concentration of game in Africa. We arrive in the Serondela Area of the park around midday to avoid the morning rush of the commercial vehicles, and stay until sunset. This area of the park has a lush floodplain surrounding the Chobe River, and is teeming with wildlife. We see at least 1,000 buffalo, 1,000 elephant, a lion, sable, many giraffe, carmine bee eaters, lilac breasted rollers, baboon, dazzles of zebra, many species of antelope... and on our way out we encounter a spitting cobra and angry and trumpeting bull elephant! If that's not enough, we are lucky to enjoy the most beautiful sunset of our trip thanks to the persistence and driving of the South African. Elephants were drinking at the riverfront as the sun set behind them. Incredible. Back at our campsite, we enjoyed hippo, tons of birds, warthog, impala, baboon, vervet monkeys, and of course the very fancy pool & sunset cocktails! One of the nights was Aussie #2's birthday, and the South African even managed to bake a delicious chocolate cake over the fire. The crew votes we stay a few days to soak up the luxury before heading off into the bush and to see what else wild Botswana has to offer! Victoria Falls is a place I've wanted to see for a long time. I love water, and it is the largest curtain of water in the world (not the highest or widest waterfall, but it has the worlds largest sheet of falling water). Pictures and documentaries of it are all incredibly powerful. But those artists don't show it to you in the dry season do they? Well, it is the dry season and Vic Falls is a trickle. What luck! The cliff and rock formations are incredible though, and this time of year the water creates small pools on the cliff's edge. Devil's Pool was a bit pricey, so we went off to find our own cliff side splash pool. Moments before diving into the largest one, a park ranger arrived to kick out the brave and fearless crew. After we all moaned and complained, he gave us 10 minutes to swim. Back in we go! At over 100 degrees, we were all thankful. I'd love to see the Falls in full flow, but its amazing to be able to climb to the edge and peer down that incredible cliff face! After that adrenaline rush, there is also a huge Curio Market where you can pick up all the wooden hippos, elephants, and masks your heart desires. Don't leave for home without your life-size wooden giraffe! The next day, the Aussies and I took advantage of a unique dry season opportunity – whitewater rafting the Zambezi! The River was in full force, with up to Class 6 rapids. We took the half day option with Buntu, and paddled 10 gorgeous and exhilarating rapids. We hopped out of the raft for the Class 6 rapid, which resembled certain death. Even the kayakers avoided it! After a morning on the river, we have to take our gear and hike out of the canyon... It's a brutal and dangerous climb, complete with makeshift ladders along some of the cliff faces. It's straight up and at times I'm not sure why I didn't do the full day rafting to take the cable car up! Thankfully, water is waiting at the top, and so is a great view of the river and canyon below. Gorgeous and well worth it. Now, let's go find out what's happening in Botswana! On a tip from a local at Croc Valley, we head towards Lusaka via the 'shortcut' road. Which turns out to mean rocks, steep inclines, dirt and sand.... in other words – perfect for the Landie :) A few minutes in, we see wild elephants and impala. Amazing. Further down the road we come to remote villages, more rocks, and some guys walking in the middle of nowhere with no water... Where must you go in the heat of the day? Every time we're on one of these 'back roads', we see someone and it never ceases to amaze me. Endurance! The shortcut doesn't get us to Lusaka, so we camp at Bridge Camp next to the Luangwa River – again arriving in the cover or darkness. A clean, quiet place to rest complete with a refreshing pool overlooking the river. We make it to Lusaka the next day to pick up Aussie #2, pay a visit to the mall to stock up, order some pizzas, and navigate the parking garage with the Landie (amusing). It's a bit overwhelming to be in a capitol city of 1.7 million people after all of that wildlife, but we make it out of the mall in one piece! A few cold, rainy nights at the Pioneer Camp in Lusaka are enough and the 4 of us – now 2 Aussies (mom & daughter), the South African, and the 2 Americans head to Livingstone. Five hundred kilometers and many hours later we arrive in Livingstone – a historic British colonial city (named after David Livingstone) with about 140,000 people and many tourists who are like to party... Particularly at Jollyboys Backpackers where we pitch out tents. After a long day on the road, we decide to escape the backpacker party and head out on the town for dinner at Cafe Zambezi. I order a local fish dish (2 whole fishes so mind the bones!) and Aussie #1 has the goat curry... complete with the liver. Yes, I'm happy with my order! Post dinner we head out to a local jazz club and catch a 3 piece Livingstone band, then a karaoke bar to sing a tune, and finally we join ½ the town for a lip synching party. Good times, but tomorrow we'll see what we came for – Victoria Falls, or Mosi-oa-Tunya – the Smoke that Thunders! Lilongwe was a nice place to restock, but there was no reason to stick around. It was a hot day on the road (45 degrees) and we found the Zambia border to be unfriendly and corrupt. We had to pay our visa fees, but the foreign exchange wouldn't buy Malawi kwacha and our fees had to be paid in Zambian kwacha... Very inconvenient. So we're forced to wheel and deal with the guys hanging around changing money for the black-market.... great. Hours later, we finally get some money and hope we didn't get totally ripped off. We cross into Zambia with a bad taste in our mouths – but there's cold beer in the fridge, the road ahead is clear, and the Landie arrives at South Luangwa's Croc Valley Camp just after dark. A nice spot right on the river, complete with bar, small pool, and billiards. During the day we sat at the campsite watching elephants, hippos, crocs, and plenty of birds visit the river to drink. One night we took a game drive into S. Luangwa National Park to look for leopard and pangolin. It was our first game drive with a commercial vehicle, and I felt like a true tourist. The park had zebra, a few small giraffe, some antelope... but the real thrill came just before sunset when we pull up beside 2 male lion. I'm about 5 feet away from those piercing eyes and deadly paws, and I'm terrified. Frozen in my seat. But our guides are chatting, and seem quite at ease. Guess this is another day in the park for them, but I still think a healthy fear is good! After a moment we restart the engine and drive to the riverbed, and I peer down to see at least 10 more lions lazing by the water. Incredible. An older male, females, and even adorable cubs. Two females are also right on our tail – a few feet from the back of the car – and they do not take their eyes off of us. We sit for a while though, and the lions go about their business. The sun begins to set, and it's beautiful – we even see an African Skimmer flitting about. No leopards or pangolin, but the lion sighting was amazing. We arrive back at camp to find the trailer moved and dented. An inspection reveals elephant tracks and droppings ... we've had visitors! Chuck Norris fended them off, though, and is still in tact. Those elephants better find another trailer to mess with! The sound of braying hippos lulled me to sleep, but an Australian whisper shouting 'Maggie! Maggie!' wakes me up shortly after. I open my eyes and just outside my tent is the biggest elephant I've ever seen – or maybe that's because it's almost sitting on me! There are two, and the Aussie is also eyeing one in it's giant behind. They are back, and enjoying our shade trees. Not quite sure what to do, I sit still and hope they wander off. Just as they begin to go, campsite security decides to come clamoring over shouting and waving their wind-up flashlights... grrreat. Now there are 2 angry elephants within stomping distance! The elephants are not happy, but luckily they storm off in the opposite direction and miss us on their way out after the guard. Phew! An angry German wakes me the next morning, complaining to the guards about the elephant droppings near their car. Guess they don't realize these are the wild elephants they came to see, and they should be thankful they didn't stomp them in the night or dent their precious rental! I'm grateful to have all my limbs, but am ready to head to Lusaka! |
ABOUTCombining a passion for travel, the desire to make a difference & a love of maps, MaggieMaps was born. PRESSUnless otherwise noted, all prose, poetry, maps and photography posted on this blog are Copyright 2013 Maggie Maps
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