That’s right, the blog is being updated once again. This particular update has been waiting to be posted for a year at least and is full of photos, as befits yet another full day of safari.
The management apologizes in advance for the poor quality of the words, however, and assures the readership that the writer and producer responsible have both been sacked.
It was another early morning: Dave and I found ourselves up for a 0600 drive into the park. This time it was a packed car and an all-day drive – a 12 hour safari!
And once again we watched the sun rise as we drove in. I’m not exactly a “morning person”, so this had novelty for me in addition to the cool factor of “sunrise over the African jungle”.
We saw a lot of animals early on, but it tapered off pretty quickly. I guess they heard us coming.
Straight off, we saw more giraffe. Our goal, indeed our hope for the day was to see buffalo and maybe more lions and leopard.
We went past the deceased elephant from the day before and saw a bunch more vultures hanging out on and around the carcass, which was now copiously decorated in bird poop.
The lions (both brothers and several females) were sleeping off their meals nearby.
Our driver tried hard to find us the animals we were seeking, but to no avail. He did pick us out quite a lot of lovely flora and fauna, however.
As the sun got low in the sky, it seemed like it was around time to leave the park. However, our driver apparently got some sort of “intel” and quickly swung the Jeep around and gunned it towards what he hoped would be an interesting sight.
Sure enough, at least one leopard had just scored a fresh kill of some variety. I don’t have it recorded what exactly it was, but he seemed to be happy enough with his meal.
The next morning was our second earliest start yet. We were outside around 0300 to take a cab the few miles in to town (it isn’t safe to walk, due to the wildlife in the area).
Once in town, it was an 0400 bus to Lusaka via Chipata.
On the way, we recognized Jo, a Scottish girl from the train from Dar to Mbeya in Tanzania. She was now traveling with a local friend, and we all got a dorm together in Lusaka.
In the evening, the ladies invited us to a night out with some more local friends. Dave was understandably tired and stayed behind, like a sensible chap who’d gotten up for an 0300 taxi. I was a fool and said yes. We stopped at a bar/club and drank and talked there, and one of the guys tried to teach me some dance moves.
I woke up in my dorm bed, upside down, with my feet on my pillow. I had a bit of a hangover, but considering everything, it really wasn’t so bad.
Next time: a coach to Livingstone, I presume.