back from the safari trip

No, I was not the game's lunch! I checked carefully before leaving the car each time and asked even the driver's permission on the paid game drives! So, yep, I am back in Lusaka, back to work. Did not really have time today to think about the great weekend. However it was zamazing! We were very lucky! We saw a lot of animals, including lions, elephants, wild dogs, different kind of antelopes, Buffalos, warthogs, all kind of birds, hippos,... just (z)amazing!

We went on Friday to Mukambi, a lodge outside of Kafue National Parc. Put our tents up in the evening (it gets dark very early in Zambia, by 18.30 it is dark night!) and went on an early (06.15) game drive the next day. Can't say that I slept very well. The camping site is not protected and all kind of animals (incl. elephants and lions) visit the camp by night. Did not feel really safe to sleep in a tent when there are lions and co. outside! Woke up several times during the night, hearing all kind of noises. Scary! one of the animals (monkey) was even touching our tent (maybe because of the smell of a snack that stupid me forget in one of my bags)... but the game drive was great! We crossed first with a boat a river, sun was just up, but everything was still very fresh. Highlight of the drive was just after a tea break (are safari something British?). Far away we saw some zebras and while our driver told the other drivers about, we got the news that a massive herd of Buffalos were just around the corner. So we pack our tea stuff and drove a few 100m. Wow, the buffalos were already impressive, but suddenly 5 wild dogs (rare!) show up. we did not know if they are after the buffalos. They run directly in our direction! beautiful. click click picture picture click click... for awhile they were standing at the water hole, but they did not dare to drink (for good reason, we just saw, before we received the information on the Buffalos, a crocko...). At one point they decided to go to an other water hole. our car was standing just in between! click click picture click click... so lucky! However, it got even better. A Puku was not standing far away from the water hole, and for a moment it looked like the wild dogs would go after it, but than a warhog (very strange pig!) showed up and went just through the group of wild dogs to everybody's surprise (incl. the wild dogs). The warhogs dared to drink, while the wild dogs were still afraid off... and maybe as well confused. Once the warhog was not thirsty anymore, it just again through the group of wild dogs. Any movement in its direction was answered with a changement of direction towards the wild dog that had dared to give its attention! amazing!

Highlight of the second day (Sunday), was the game drive at Lufupa, another lodge were we camped the second night (I was so tired that I did not care anymore to be eaten by a lion during the night!). After a longer stop at a water hole full of hippos, we saw a group of 6 very lazy lions. They nearly did not move their heads when we arrived with the car! Not scared at all and in addition they had probably a good breakfast... as they were not moving at all, I felt not scared at all, even though our car was completely open! crazy if I think about it now. I was 20m from a group of lions, without a real protection. Well, the drive seemed to be ready to start the jeep at any moment, but still would he have been quick enough?

Its very dry at the moment (and getting hotter), so animals can't hide that well. If you want to come to Zambia to see some animal, don't come during the rainy season (Nov - March). Most of National Parcs are closed and roads not usable... High season starts in June, as after March everything is beautiful green and the game therefore difficult to spot. For birds watching and visiting the Victorian falls, April to June is perfect.
So if you want to see me and if you do not mind that it rains sometimes a hour and if you love Mosquitos... feel free to come any time :) Bytheway, I still plan to see some other countries as well, so maybe rain season is a good time to see something else than Zambia. on my wish list: Zanzibar or some islands of Mozambique, Namibia and Botswana. There seems to be a very nice trip starting at the Victorian falls going through Botswana and ending in Namibia... anybody up for it???

yep, so much for the moment. I will try to upload some pictures now...

Lots of love
Mir