Trip Report #27 (29 - 31 July):

We have irrefutably established that the EQ of our Volla is below average.  We pass more kombi’s than we can manage to keep count of and we are childishly excited, taking numerous photographs of  especially funky prototypes.  Oddly, the Silver Bubble does not catch on to our mood and as we begin to negotiate Tsumeb’s intersections and traffic signs, the clutch dies :-(

At least we are stuck this time round in ‘Namibia’s prettiest town’.  We limp to the nearest backpackers, shunning the safe yard parking option for a sidewalk-based launch position.

Wise move as it turns out.  The next morning Carl-Hein is escorted (I will have you know!), by Nico our first contact mechanic, to the local VW expert in town.  It is only with the help of local brawn that the Syncro covers the last 200m into Franco’s Executive Auto Repair shop. 

New master and slave cylinders had to be ordered from Windhoek and we had bought an extra day in Tsumeb.

The day spent in Tsumeb is surprisingly eventful!

1.) We meet an interesting UN project team from Luanda doing landmine clearing in Angola and have an impromptu coincidentally-shared brunch. 

2.) I spend a few hours in the local FNB branch to sort out some bank stuff with incredibly friendly and helpful Namibian bank officials struggling with their not-so-helpful South African counterparts. 

3.) And to top the day, dinner is a bizarre but fabulous event in a bakery, pizza cum video store run by a vivacious Italian girl (Francesca), her sullen, wheelchair-bound German hubby (Barend), their well kept Jack Russell cross breed, their aristocratic cat as well as a diverse stream of friends who pop in for a quick hi and drink.  We are informed of what our pizza selection will be and I am allocated a scrumptious kudu salami pizza! and Carl-Hein an Italian Sausage and home-made chilli pizza that had even me drooling.

Regards M-L

Trip Report #26 (28- 29 July): Ngepi Camp

Driving into Namibia reminds me of arriving in Amsterdam after backpacking through Europe – faintly familiar and comfortable. 

We share the Protea Hotel run Zambezi Lodge Campsite with Sam Nujoma’s extensive security detail and watch from our camp chairs the formal procession and VIP guest arrive.  Safe sleeping tonight. 

With characteristic hospitality we are invited to a braai by Vernon, a young South African/Namibian who is working on a short term road construction project in the area and opts to camp with Ogies, the cutest Jack Russell girl, rather than pass his time in hotels (understandably). The party grows with the kameeldoring fire and include visits from police officers who exchange stories of Zambian Mokoro raids (fables of chest freezers being liberated, precariously balanced and exported on  Mokoros!) on riverside properties for meat and braai broodjies. 

For the first time in weeks we wake up to the sound of roosters rather than Fish Eagles.  Zambia is less than 10km away and backtracking our steps is extremely tempting.

Fortunately our next stop is Ngepi Lodge which the Lonely Planet claims to be the best backpackers in Namibia.  We take the gravel road less travelled via Linyanti swamps and marvel at the engineering road building excellence with the memory of our experience in Mozambique still fresh, but beginning to feel imagined/exaggerated and impossible.

Ngepi is indeed fabulous, fun, environmentally friendly and offers wake up calls by Fish Eagles. The bird life is truly impressive, helped on by a natural forest floor cover which provides lots of food for the birds.

 

 

 

 

 

Best toilet on trip.

 

 

Apparent split bathrooms. 

 

 

 

 

The inside.  Note the lock on the men’s side.

 

We would have liked to stay longer, but our holiday time is running out and Namibia is vast with much left to see so we push off to Tsumeb – reportedly the prettiest town in Namibia.        

Regards, M-L

Trip Report #25 (26 - 27 July): Livingstone I presume…uhhh…can you help push the bus?

Mvuu Lodge to Livingstone is a long but easy drive except for roughly 80km under construction just before Livingstone town.  The quarterly government issue Zambia Review states in excess of 58% of roads in Zambia are now in a good condition (up from 20% when the infrastructure development programme started).  I guess it was inevitable that this road should also have a 42%.

We are headed to the magical Jungle Junction Bovu Island 30km outside of Livinsgtone and on route to the Katima Mulilo border crossing, but as we drive into Livingstone the syncro stalls and …three guesses …refuses to start.  The starter motor apparently.  Run starting proved easy enough with help from the locals, but now we needed accommodation somewhere close to help.

For the first time on our trip we experience peak season and find Fawlty Towers, Jolly Boys Backpackers and their recommended alternatives in town jam packed.  With a well coordinated and nifty run start manoeuvre we make it to Bushfront just outside of town and set up camp in a perfectly quaint camp spot. Bizarrely, we are greeted by Joost and Caroline, neighbouring campers from Mvuu Lodge! who identifies the distinct and uncommon-in-Africa sound of the VW kombi, and incredulously recognises our vehicle (rather than ourselves).

Dinner is whole bream shared with Simba the local ginger cat. 

Breakfast at Rapsody’s in an all South African shopping centre opposite the very efficient and Afrikaans Bennet’s Auto Repairs Shop.  This drill is becoming overly familiar. Luckily the starter motor is only dirty from dust roads and gunk and the wait here short lived. 

Note the “Importing of all spares from SA” as an specialization.

 

We do visit the falls and the curio shops in a stubborn insistence on seeing sights other than auto repair shops. 

 

The falls from Zambia.  Water level is not as high as it gets, but the river is flowing over the full rock face, yielding an artificial rain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s wet (rain from falls)

 

 

 

We pass the turn off for Bovu Island with disappointment and head for Namibia.  

Our moods were lifted by this pink cravat wearing policeman.

 

 

Maybe our Volla will feel more welcome in a country where VW Kombis are revered and will stick with the programme. 

He had better as at this point we are tempted to ditch this trip and head home for two weeks of car-problem-free holiday.

Regard M-L

Trip Report #24 (24 - 26 July): The opposite of Mana Pools

On the bank of the Zambezi, opposite the legendary Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe, lies Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park (LZNP). Seeing that any Zimbabwe border crossings are right at the bottom of our wish list at present, we have been keenly investigating opportunities to visit the Zambian answer to the Mana Pools. Information about this newest of Zambia’s National Parks is scarce and that which is scrounged from the internet, books and picking the brains of hosts and their contacts seem to indicate high end lodges, exorbitant prices and poor accessibility by road.  In fact, the refraining response points to canoe safari’s being the most preferred way of exploring this part of the Zambezi.  We toy with this idea, but our time is running out and three days isthe shortest trip that includes this area.

But, at Pioneer Camp in Lusaka we find an enticing glossy brochure for Mvuu Lodge just 18km short of the LZNP gate offering exclusive, but affordable camping facilities, clear directions that seems doable and day canoe trips!

Elly Camp, Mvuu Lodge, LZNP is therefore where we excitedly head from Kafue.

 

 

 

 

O yes, as we have to pass through Lusaka again, Carl-Hein stubbornly insists we stop to collect the claim forms to recover our 39% import duties/taxes.  He gets totally snookered by incompetence, new officials and new facts entirely inconsistent with the instructions received on Monday.  When navigation of the pillars and posts of this maze leads to the Commissioner who is only ‘maybe’ available we cut our losses and head out of town.

Mvuu Lodge is everything the glossy brochure promised it would be and more.

The 18km road to the Park entrance is difficult and slow and guests from game drives return disappointed.  

Ferry crossing to get to MVuu lodge.

(This is before the road gets bad)

 

 

The LZNP is also plagued with poaching (losing 40 elephant in the past year alone to poachers!) and for reasons unknown, a diminishing population of carnivores. 

Elly campsite (Mvuu) right on the Zambezi.

(Private gas fired bathroom, private washing basin)

 

 

View of Zambezi from Mvuu cocktail stoep.

 

 

We opt for a canoe trip when told of elephant river crossings with trunks held high and great sightings from a river perspective.  Unfortunately the day of our canoe trip is windy and overcast so wildlife sightings are few and the navigation of choppy, croc filled waters is nerve racking.  We do however get front seat viewing of the numerous luxury lodges along the river bank!    

Mana Pools are in fact no longer four (mana = four in the Shona language) pools since the construction of the Kariba dam.  The remaining attraction is the diversity and density of wildlife on the Zimbabwe side.  Crossing fingers that the newly formalised Game Management Agency on the Zambian side with the blessing of the local Chieftainess will promote responsible game management and infrastructure upgrading to rival the legend of Mana Pools.   

 

Leaving Mvuu we had to yield to some locals.

M-L

Trip Report #23 (22 - 24 July): KKKKKold Kafue

Zambia really is expensive.  And this view is echoed by locals and fellow tourists alike.  I can speculate about the possible reasons for this i.e. landlocked status, high custom charges/import duties as we have already discovered, high influx of international tourists and expats paid in Dollars, but whatever the reason/s, the costs are high and it is getting to our dwindling budget. 

We camp in Kafue in one of the very few affordable lodges/camps North of the main road to the Western Province.  We target the North as it offers more open plains and the opportunity to see Cheetah, Wild dogs and scenery that differs from what we have seen so far. 

The Mayukuyuku camp comes recommended by Flatdogs and has great facilities (camping and otherwise), a glorious setting on the bank of the Kafue and is completely empty due to late cancellations (fortunate for us, less so for the camp).   It is located in the National Park itself and park charges for the duration of our stay exceeds the total costs of our three night accommodation, game drive and drinks at the bar. 

We are spoilt rotten with our dishes being done for us, fire made for us and laundry done at now additional charge.  Most impressive though is the environmentally conscious operation of the camp.  For the first time we are obliged to separate waste and see evidence of waste reclamation and renewable energy sources everywhere. 

The 0600 game drive happens in blistering cold weather as we set out (again) to see wild dog and cheetah.  The wild dogs, cheetah and most possibly the late  cancellations are smarter than we are and stay in bed this morning.  We do however see lion, elephant, chameleon warthog  (they are distinctly dusted by the colourful soil of their burrows ), an African Finfoot, a corpse of a porcupine and a variety of antelope. We are also introduced to the notorious black cotton soil that makes this area so very inaccessible during the rainy season. 

We do not recover from the chill in our bones till midday. 

Mainly because of the weather we decide against any other activities (more morning or evening game drives, safari walks or boat rides on offer) and we spend the remainder of the day and the next lazing around our riverside campsite from sun spot to sunspot.  We are in good company with a pair of crocodile on the opposite bank, a pair of Cormorants and a pair of Egyptian geese on the little island opposite us doing the exact same thing. 

Pss, we are finally up to date with our blogging.  If only we can get these blogs loaded.  Only satellite phone reception here.

M-L

Trip Report #22 (19 - 21 July): Another Black Hole…Lusaka

Black holes suck things in.  They are both rare and numerous in our very vast universe, but I have found my second one… Lusaka.

Leaving Flat Dogs we stayed one night at the “Dean’s Hill View Lodge” in Chipata.  Here we discarded two back-packers from Slovenia to go on their way to neighbouring Malawi and a lower cost of living.

The road from Flat Dogs to Chipata was all pretty bad corrugated gravel and I am really tired from fighting with the again deteriorating VW accelerator pedal.  I fall into bed at about 1600, only waking up to find Mari-Louise going to bed at 1930.  I do not budge.

We wake up early the next morning (no kidding) and set off for Lusaka.  My back starts to cramp from the pedal being as wobbly as a child’s soft toy and Mari-Louise takes over for the last half.

The road from Chipata to Lusaka has no gas stations and we have to stop to utilise our emergency jerry can of 20l of petrol.  We pass a completely bashed up Hyundai Getz on the other side of a gigantic pothole with four passengers surprisingly unhurt.  We leave them food and water and report their mishap to the nearest police control point (for the first time pleased to see one).

We reach Lusaka starving and head straight for the Ocean Basket, which we knew, from prior intelligence (thanks Anita), existed. 

We finished lunch and find our campsite on the outskirts of Lusaka…Pioneer Campsite.  Pioneer is really very nice, but since we are determined to leave the next day I subconsciously do not notice it.

Here is our plan for the next day:

1. Get up pack
2. Drop Mar-Louise at Shoprite to…..shop 
3. Pickup vehicle parts from DHL
4. Leave for Kafue

This is what actually happened…

0900:  Leave Pioneer Camp and head for town

0915: Drop Mar-Louise at Shoprite and continue to DHL office in centre of town

0940:  Arrive at DHL and enquire about package sent from South-Africa. Get told that DHL only takes packages in from clients at this address and do not distribute from here.  Apparently DHL delivers and if you have no permanent address you represent an anomaly to their business process.  They check and inform me that my package has been latched onto by Customs.  “Where is customs?”,  I ask.  “Next to DHL at the airport”, comes the answer.

0950:  Despite not dispensing packages the DHL does a brilliant job of finding me change for one of their confusingly large denominations of currency, in order for me to release my vehicle from the paid parking next to Shoprite.

0951: I develop a suspicion that this day might not go 100% according to plan. 

10:15 –> 11:15:  Meet up with Mari-Louise and supervise shopping.  Leave for DHL at the airport, which is annoyingly close (5 min drive) from where we started the day.

11:15 –> 11:30:  I am informed by DHL that my package has attracted customs charges and furthermore that DHL is unable to get it from customs (something about a computer hold up due to some thing or another).  So they have handed my package over to local agents.  Charges?  39%

1131:  Now pretty sure that earlier assessment is accurate.

1155: My agents have gone to register my bill of goods which gives me time to gather my thoughts.  Upon their return, I decide to challenge these huge costs and walk to the Customs building with all 4 my agents in tow.  I get to speak to what seemed like the second in command.  I explain to the main that I am a tourist in Zambia who is simply trying to fix his vehicle, a VW, for which there are no local agents.  The man seems to have some empathy with my situation and gives the papers a once over.  He informs me that I attracted these costs because my total costs exceeded $500 by $16.  Basically if you stay below $500 and the import is personal in nature no duties are attracted.  He goes on to indicate that this is such a small amount the whole thing should be able to be reversed if I make a formal query.  “Finally some common sense, I thought”, hoping naively that he is going to override whomever made their greedy scribble of a signature on my papers dooming it to customs.  “Sorry no, this was signed by the station manager and only she can override it.”

“Where is she” I ask.  “Next door” comes the answer, “but will only be back by two”.

“S#$%^&t”

1200 –> 1345:  Listen to our Dune audiobook and eat our lunch sandwiches, which was supposes to be eaten somewhere close to Kafue park.

1350:  I arrive at the station manager’s office only to find out that she is not coming back to the office.  My ever helpful agents usher me into the cubicle of one of the customs officials and I take up the argument anew. This guy (lets call him John) informs me the the regulation exempting people from customs below $500 only applies to residents and since I am not a resident there is now way he could help.  I direct John’s attention to a A4 announcement scattered amongst the many on the nearby notice board publically communicating the $500 limit regulation.  “It says nothing about residents only” I say.  At this John pulls out his memory stick and start searching for the regulation.  (Memory stick, I know, but that’s another story).  Having found it he happily scrolls to the relevant section and find to my amusement and his embarrassment that he is wrong.  “Great, now all we have to do is get someone to ignore the $16 with which I over declared (3%)”, I thought.  John turned his embarrassment into victory when pointing out that the $500 limit is not negotiable as “its stands here in black and white”.  It was at this point which I pointed out that, according to the document title, the document was in draft and how could we really be sure of anything.  I was sure I could win the ensuing he-said she said contest around the authenticity of the document, but reckoned that it would only be for my own amusement and would probably not help to get my package releases.  So I appealed to John’s side of what is fair and right and … He informs me that I could take out an TIP (Temporary Import Permit) for my parts which would then relieve me from paying the 39% import costs.  And for only 50000 Kwacha as opposed to 1 100 000 Kwacha tax, I was so relieved, that I had nothing sarcastic to say about why this is only mentioned now.  “Where can I get the form
, I say.  “Head office in town”, John says.

1430:  Drive all the way back to town with Mari-Louise to arrive at the tallest building in town: "Revenue House".  Parking is something right out of a nightmare and I leave Mari-Louise to navigate the parking lot while I see the assistant commissioner.

1445: After determining that the assistant commissioner is not at the office and will only we back by Wednesday (today is Monday), I finally got seated in front of an official, lets call him Peter.  Peter calmly tells me that John has provided me with false information and that a TIP would cost much more, therefore making the option rather mute.  Peter then informs me that there is a claims process which I could follow. This would obviously imply that I first pay the money and then get it back from SA via the post using whatever paper work nightmare was required.  It would also involve me getting the guys at the border to check that I am taking out the parts, a procedure which I sincerely doubt they are familiar with.  So I change tack and go back to the $16 over $500 issue.  “Surely somebody must have the authority to authorise this”, I say.  Peter calmly informs me that only the assistant commissioner could do that and that he will be back on Wednesday.  If I was to come back on Wed…… AHHHH!!!!

“Peter, help me help you, so that you do not have to steal my money!”, I say.  Silence.

“Fine just give me the claim form then”, I say.  Resigned to go back and pay the money and get the hell out of Lusaka.

“Sorry, the guy that deals with claims, is not here at the moment” comes the answer.

1545:  Thoroughly dejected I find Mari-Louise in the parking lot looking more uneasy than I would have expected.  Turns out with all the parking gymnastic that she had to perform that the accelerator pedal has completely come apart, rendering the thing unable to apply any force on the cable.  I leave anyway using equally impressive foot gymnastics to will the, now flying pedal, to my will.  I realise that I really need these parts desperately and so we go back to the airport and customs.

1615:  Arrive back at airport and give my agents the go-ahead to process the paper work.  First I had to visit Johan again to play on his feeling to push us up the queue.  This, to his credit, he willingly did.  With my part in this done I retreat to the car to let my agents earn their money.

1715:  Finally we have our parts!.  I immediately fix the pedal to the cable and leave for … Pioneer camp.  Immediately it becomes obvious that that cable is not returning properly prompting me to not temp fate any further.  I decide to find a mechanic to fit the new cable the next day.

[Please note no photographs for the past day.  We have come to recognise this as a sure sign of a crap day.]

The next morning we leave bright and early to find  the mechanic shop suggested by the Pioneer camp management.  Hensons, initially looked pretty dodgy, but we were met by the manager who immediately made us feel at ease.  The estimate was three hours, which suited us fine as we were walking distance from the 2nd best shopping centre in town.

 

Hensons’ also do 4X4 rentals.  The vehicles have their registrations pop riveted into them to deter theft!

We spend most of the morning in a rather large, tourist trap, of a coffee shop.  Mar-Louise found it by chance, which saved us from having coffee at the only other spot, which was exposed to the ever deteriorating weather. Perfect!

I find the bus at Hensons ready to go, so go we did. 

This bumper bashing, due to a Taxi just taking off, did not even incite as much as a raised voice.  Run of the mill, it seemed.

 

I realised that the whole accelerator assembly should have been changed long ago as now, for the first time, do I have proper accelerator control.  I should have followed my gut on this back in Johannesburg, but I did not.  A very expensive mistake.  Maybe this can be the one big life lesson I return with.  ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR GUT, IT IS CHEAPER THAN THE ALTERNATIVE.

We leave for Kafue park on a perfect tar road and turn right into the camp onto the best 5km of gravel road I have ever driven.  It is weird how two consecutive days can be so completely different.  Another confirmation of the Zen of travel.  

We are met by a cheerful crew at the Mayukuyuku camp on the banks of the Kafue river and quickly settle into a slothenly routine.

ciao, Carl-Hein

Trip Report #21 (16 - 18 July): Flat dogs, Gilbert and the Leopard

We are informed on our arrival at Flat Dogs Camp that walking without a torch at night is prohibited and that night watchmen will accompany us everywhere.  We are requested to be vigilant at all times and reminded repeatedly (reinforced by signage everywhere) that wild animals are dangerous. 

I shrug it off as a marketing ploy for international guests having heard this before at other game reserves.  Anyhow, having to walk around with a night watchman does not sit well with my restlessness and stubborn independence.  I’ll try and remember to take a torch.

For my sins I am stormed by an elephant on morning #1 as I leave our tent to join Carl-Hein and our guide for an early morning game drive.  I also get cornered the same morning for an hour and a half in the kitchen by a grumpy elephant bull.

The view from next to the refrigerator

With resignation I cut unnecessary walking about, do vigilance and stick with Joseph the night watchmen from here.

This time of the year the camp offers a range of pods and fruits whilst the rest of the woodlands are succumbing to winter.  Three resident bulls, including Gilbert, a huge bull with no tail and perfectly even tusks, spend their winter break here annually with several more groups of elephant meandering through, stopping for a quick snack on route.  With the camp located on the river bank, Hippo also graze through the camp every evening. 

I realised to what extent I have been desensitized to the reality that these seemingly docile giants are far more than the friendly caricatures we see on tv and are in fact real and wild animals. And I recall stories of foreigners getting out of vehicles for close up photographs of Lions mating – with sudden insight I understand their ‘stupidity’ :-)

Crossing the Luangwa River into the reserve

South Luangwa is the first game reserve in Zambia opened to visitors by the local Chief Nsefu who collected the entry fees.  This inventive and progressive operation of tribal lands as a modern day game reserve is attributed to the chiefs association with Norman Carr, a local ranger and legendary conservationist known throughout Africa. 

It is said that as a result of this long exposure to game viewing, the animals here has grown tolerant and almost oblivious to game vehicles and therefore sightings are numerous and often up close and personal. 

We do four game drives with Allan, our enigmatic, seemingly sullen, knowledgeable guide with an incredibly dry sense of humour.  We see Leopard on three occasions literally next to the vehicle. We see lion twice, again next to the vehicle. We see a newly born bush buck still wet and gooey and faltering on his just-born legs trying to keep up with his mom.  We see the very elusive Aardvark. We see gigantic crocodiles, overstuffed from dinner, sunning themselves in preparation of more hunting.  We see giraffe and zebra unique to this area and clearly different from the South African versions :-).  Baby elephant, baby hippo, baby baboon, hippo chomping away on Nile cabbage never budging from the convenience of their ponds to have to graze on land.  We see a variety of birds including the very rare Pel’s Fishing Owl. And many more, far too numerous to list.

This is Africa at its absolute abundant wilderness best. 

Flat Dogs have discontinued camping during the peak season in favour of the high end accommodation options they offer. So we are FORCED (tough life) to live in relative luxury in their tented camp.  We spend roughly a quarter of our entire holiday budget here on game drives, park access fees, dining, accommodation and socialising with the wonderful team running the camp.  Without any regret. 

On Saturday we delay our departure with a last early morning game drive to look for wild dogs.  We have never seen them in the wild before, have always wanted to and there has been sightings during the last few days.  It requires a bit of dedicated driving to an area more suited to wild dogs, but this is not our lucky day.  The highlight  this morning is the rickety pontoon crossing that takes us on a faster route, outside of the Park and strict speed limits, back to Flat Dogs.  

We leave the camp after a last yummy lunch at the restaurant and drive straight into winter. 

The weather, which had been wonderfully balmy, even during night game drives, turns rapidly.  I guess the cold front is heading to the camp also, but in my mind the change in weather really embeds the warm fussy feeling I have for this place.  A special thanks to Jess, Adrian, Edward, Allan, Cathy, Paulo, Nelly, Sam and all the night watchmen :-) for making this such a memorable experience.  

We only travel the short, shoddy gravel road trip to Chipata from where we can tackle the long stretch to Lusaka early the next day.  

M-L