Zambia

Friday, October 11

Today was a day I had been looking forward to for a long time.  It was finally time to go on a safari. I had this planned two other times but because of staffing issues at the hospital had to change my plans.  It also looked like I was going to have to go by myself, but we got an incredible deal and I was able to bring Melissa and the girls with me.

We left Hope’s Inn at 6 am and traveled to a hotel in Lilongwe that took about an hour and a half.  It was a beautiful new hotel that had transformed a house and it was luxury meets true Africa-very cool.  If I could replicate it for my own home I would. We had coffee and toast and then a Dutch woman, Sasha joined us and we loaded in a van for the long drive.  

We drove about 3 ½ hours to the Malawian/Zambian border.  The border crossings was interesting. A lot of cars, people, and confusion.  We went first to the Malawian border patrol and got our exit stamps. Line is a fluid term here as are the “lines”.  It is honestly a little scary just sliding your passport through the hole in the window trusting that at some point it will be returned.  Melissa has to endure a lot of stares and confused looks as people try to make sense of he with these two Malawian kids. Then you wait. The order seems random but eventually things are stamped and handed back. 

The we loaded back in the van drove 50 meters and disembarked again. Into the Zambia station. Here we signed a log and paid for our visas. It is interesting how at each crossing only US dollars are accepted. They have to be new, crisp, unmarked, and recently printed.  Just strange in an area where there are so many Europeans and few Americans. I feel like Wayne would add a paragraph here about the strength of the American economy and the power of our currency. We had been told to have proof of yellow fever vaccination or a yellow fever certificate.  So, for Melissa and the girls I had written out the recommended statement from Nkhoma hospital that they were each free of yellow fever in their health passports. They were never even asked for. We loaded yet again into the van and waited until we were allowed through the gate. Of note, no one at the gate even looked at our paperwork.

We drove through a city just inside the Zambian border.  I had not expected to see a visual difference between Malawi and Zambia but you very much could.  The roads, infrastructure, buildings, and everything seem a notch above. We drove about 30 more minutes and just pulled into a grove of trees alongside the road.  The driver then became the waiter and served up water, sandwiches wrapped in foil, chips, and apples. We ate a quick lunch, used the bushes, and headed back down the road. After a few more hours, we turned into a hotel/campsite and changed into a safari vehicle.  It was loaded down with supplies. We drove down roads for a while then turned off into the African bush.  

We finally arrived at our destination.  It the middle of the National Park along the band of the river is the base camp.  It is a new concrete slab building with large thatched roof and great lobby and dining area and bathroom.  The tents and chalets (walled tents) are along paths to either side. It was beautiful. Basic but very well decorated and nice.  Our chalet had a bathroom with running water. The water was very brown but the toilet flushed so it was great. There was a large bed on one side and two twins on the other and a sofa and table.  The three back and side walls were permanent cement and the roof is canvas. The front wall that faced the river was made of metal decorative screen panels that are removed in the day and put on for safety at night.  The river bank is a steep cliff that also is somewhat protective. You could watch impala, water bucks, hippos, crocodiles, and hundreds of birds from our room.

We settled in and had a snack and then headed off on the first safari run.  Each lasted about 4 hours. The first was an evening and then night drive. We didn’t drive 200 meters before we saw elephants and it just continued.  Breathtaking views and creatures for hours. At sunset we stopped and had drinks and popcorn. We continued the safari with a large spotlight to find nocturnal animals we couldn’t see in the day.  When we returned we had a large dinner all together. Two others joined our group and were lovely Brits. The girls did beautifully and we sang and clapped and napped along the way.

It was very hot.  We we got back to the chalet we were drenched and the air was so still.  We ended up showering just to cool off despite the color of the water. We fell asleep a little sweaty, but listening to the sounds of the insects, birds, and animals.  Hippos are incredibly loud with snorting, snoring, and splashing. It does take a little getting use to. How amazing I can say that I did.