Western Sahara 2016

Western Sahara 2016

Sunday 28 August 2011

Zimbabwe to Mozambique - beach hopping, whale sharks & humpback whales

Two weeks without internet so lots has happened - where to start?

Well, the boys finally got to see a lion kill and I have to say their photos are amazing. A little bit jealous to have missed that one, but you can't do it all. Instead, I went on a lunar horse ride. It is pretty unusual to be riding at night in a game park, especially when there are lions hunting elsewhere in the park. The guide assured me they were at least 3km from where we were riding, but I did remind him that we had lost the lions the previous night! It took quite a while for the moon to actually come up so for the first hour it really was pitch black and you could barely see the horse in front of you. You definitely have to put your faith in the horse but they clearly know the way - to such an extent that I just dropped the reins when we started to head back and my horse led the group home weaving in and out of the long grass and bushes. I don't think he was very impressed by the prospect of a night ride as he was reluctant to leave the stables and then super fast on the way home. It was then back to camp for the best steaks of the trip cooked on the camp fire with everyone buzzing after the various activities we'd done over the past few days.

We left Antelope Park the following morning and headed to Gweru to restock. It is very much back to basics in Zimbabwe in terms of supermarkets. We had been spoilt in the last few countries with big shopping complexes rather than local markets so some adjustment was needed. We then headed to the ruins of Great Zimbabwe and the rain and the cold. It was so miserable (again we have been spoilt recently with fine weather and no rain) that camping seemed a miserable prospect for most of us. There are times when paying for an upgrade to a room is worth every penny and this was one of them. Two nights in a proper bed - fantastic. Admittedly there was no electricity or hot water some of the time so it reminded me of being back in Ethiopia, but it still beat being in a tent in the rain. We were the only guests at the hotel / camp site. Like many places in Zimbabwe, it seemed to have an air of faded grandeur from times gone by. I guess many people have no interest in visiting Zimbabwe so the hotels are empty, but I've loved it and the people have been very welcoming.

After exploring the ruins of Great Zimbabwe (the greatest medieval city in sub saharan Africa apparently), we moved onto the Bvumba mountains. Travelling through Zim is sometimes slow going as they love their police road blocks and seek every opportunity to try and extract money from us with dubious fines (a.k.a. bribes). The mountains were beautiful and in many ways looked like English countryside with forests, valleys and gardens. We spent two very cold nights here. The day time temperatures are very pleasant but by 6pm, you need thermals, fleeces, hat, gloves, etc. Spent a great morning walking and stopping for tea and cake at the Leopard Rock Hotel - once a favourite of the British royalty and boasting the world's second hardest golf course. There was very cheap horse riding on offer at the place where we camped so Claire, Cherie and I as always took the opportunity to explore the area on horseback as well as by foot. The horses were an interesting selection ranging from a one eyed pony to an ex racehorse. There was only one decent horse amongst them which I was fortunate enough to get. My favourite horse in Africa so far - fast, lively but very controllable.

From the Bvumba mountains, we headed to the border and entered Mozambique. A lengthy border crossing as they wanted finger prints and photos. Unlike a number of the countries we have visited recently, Mozambique is not a former British colony or protectorate. It is Portuguese speaking and very tropical with a different vibe but also a great deal of poverty. Great to be warm at night again after freezing in Zim though! Mozambique is also littered with land mines due to two decades of war so no wandering off into the bushes on toilet stops..

After a day travelling across Mozambique, we reached the coast where we are now spending our time beach hopping southwards. First stop was Vilanculos and the islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago. The highlight was taking a dhow (traditional wooden sailing boat) out to one of the islands for the day. After a two hour walk around the island and some snorkelling, a beautiful seafood lunch was awaiting us. Probably the best fish I have ever tasted (grouper) and crab. I am always a little nervous about eating stuff in shells but the crab was incredible albeit very messy to eat on the beach. As always, the boys couldn't resist the opportunity to buy live meat / fish and kill it and cook it themselves so we ended up heading back to camp with a crayfish and cooking it over the fire (also very good I have to say).

We then continued down the coast to Mullangulo beach. This is a new location for Odyssey and it was so peaceful (no other overland trucks) bar a few South Africans on holiday. The coastline of Mozambique is stunning - sandy beaches, waves crashing on the shore, very untouristy and rugged. Just miles upon miles of deserted beach to walk on. I've even been motivated to get up before breakfast on occasions and take a walk along the beach. Did a couple of dives at Mullangulo. On the first dive, the entire group saw a shark except me (I think it must have been behind me as no one could understand how I didn't see it). To everyone's amusement, I also failed to see the shark on the second dive. You can imagine the jokes when we had shark to eat that night (well, at least Zoe got to see a shark today - yes, but it is dead and we're about to cook it - not really the shark experience I was looking for!). On a brighter note, it is humpback whale season and whilst on the dive boat we saw lots of humpbacks and also dolphins. When we were on the dives, you could hear the whales communicating with each other which was quite spooky.

Now we are on our third beach spot in Mozambique at a place called Tofo. For only the second time on the trip, we are spending four nights at the same location. It always flies past though as there are so many activities to cram in. Tofo is famed for whale sharks and manta rays and it is on my list of things to see whilst on my "year out" so I've been looking forward to this for sometime. Bit gutted to arrive and be told that the visibility and sightings have been very poor for the past week due to a big storm coming through. However, we went on a snorkelling trip to try and find whale sharks and we got lucky. Literally within minutes of launching the boat from the beach, the skipper had spotted a whale shark. We all jumped into the water and were able to swim with the whale shark for about ten minutes. These creatures are just huge - up to 10 metres in length - but they really don't seem at all bothered by humans. Just in case you are wondering, whale sharks do not eat meat, only plankton and they don't even have teeth so they are harmless!

We then saw a further two whale sharks so did lots more swimming with them. The third one was literally within touching distance. They ask you to only swim alongside them and not above or in front of them so that they have space but when you jump in the water and look down and find it is swimming straight at you, it is difficult to get out of the way quickly. It was altogether an awesome experience and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to see them - there are very few places in the world where you can do this.

After the excitement of whale sharks, it was time for yet more horse riding in the afternoon. A lovely ride along the beach then up into the sand dunes and through villages- the most scenic ride of the trip. The horses were very dull though. They did canter but they weren't exactly lively and fun - just typical trekking nags following the horse in front. In fairness, they weren't in the best condition and it was very hot as well. My poor horse looked exhausted by the end of the hour and an half ride.

Day two in Tofo and time for another dive. This time a deep dive (24 metres) as this would give us the best chance of seeing manta rays. Sadly it was not to be but I did see two reef sharks this time! Plus we saw more humpback whales from the dive boat and when I say saw, I do not mean from a distance. As we pulled up at the dive site and were kitting up, one breached within 10 metres of the boat - amazing! But also slightly daunting because we are about to jump in the water and I'm not sure that I fancy coming across a humpback whale whilst diving. They are just too big and lots of them have calves as they come here to breed. The dive operators do not allow people to snorkel with humpbacks but obviously if you are diving and see one, then so be it. Apparently quite a few divers have come across them on dives recently - imagine that for an experience..

Now on our last day in Tofo. A day for chilling as it was Rogan's birthday yesterday (there have been a lot of birthdays this month on the truck). I may stretch to a walk on the beach or a swim in the sea - how tough my life is..

Monday 15 August 2011

Walking with Lions, Zimbabwe

At Antelope Park in Zimbabwe you can walk with lions, play with cubs, watch lion feeding, go on elephant rides, etc - if that's what rocks your boat then great. Personally, I prefer to see animals in the wild. Antelope Park claims that their work with lions will help to increase numbers, but I'm not convinced that exposing lions to this level of human contact is a good thing. Lion numbers are reducing due to human population growth meaning that there are fewer suitable areas for lions to live and game for them to hunt. Some prides are becoming interbred due to the lack of lions in certain areas.

The method employed by Antelope Park is a four stage process. For stage one, lion cubs born in captivity are taken out on walks in the bush by their handlers so that they can get used to a wild environment. I'm not sure how "humanising" them ultimately helps, but it's a great money spinner as there are plenty of people willing to pay for the experience of walking with lions. Once the lions are 18 months they are then taken out hunting where they are driven in the direction of game and hopefully figure out how to kill (more on this later). Stage two is releasing a group into an enclosed area where there are game for them to hunt but no other predators. Hopefully they form a successful pride that can then be moved onto stage three where they live in a much larger area and effectively operate as wild lions. They no longer have human contact and will have to compete with hyenas for food. This pride then produces genuinely wild cubs which can be used for stage four which is actually releasing lions into the wild in areas of Africa where numbers are dwindling. The ALERT (African Lion and Environmental Research Trust) has been running at Antelope Park since 2005. As yet, they have not got past stage two. The last attempt at forming a pride failed. I appreciate that it takes time for lions to mature but right now this place seems to be more about making money via tourists than a genuine attempt to increase lion numbers.

Given my views, I felt it would be hypocritical of me to partake in any lion walking, cub playing, feeding activities. However, I did go on a "night encounter" in the hope that this would give me the opportunity to see lions operating more naturally (and yes, I admit it, a lion chase and kill!). The night encounter involves letting three (hungry) lions out of their enclosures and taking them out into the game park and teaching them to hunt. You would think that they would just head off into the bush but they actually stay very close to the jeeps initially. They are so used to humans and they don't really know what to do because normally an older lion would teach younger ones how to hunt. The spotters on the jeeps try and locate game and get the lions to go in that direction. The lioness was somewhat smarter than the two male lions and eventually she headed off and we lost her. The other jeep continued on with the two lions whilst our jeep tried to locate the missing lion. You have to laugh when you are sat in the middle of the bush on an open jeep with the handler whistling and calling this lion! The other jeep then managed to lose their lions so we spent quite a lot of time just driving around trying to locate them. Eventually the two male lions reappeared but then set off fast so we had to do some crazy driving through the bush to keep up. Clearly they had scented the lioness and eventually all the lions were reunited (they were very pleased to see each other again) but we still hadn't even seen any game. It was now time to head back to the enclosures. Just as we got there a whole herd of impala were seen and the lions went chasing after them. More fast driving - probably the best bit about the whole experience was being on a fast jeep trying to keep up! Anyway, the lions didn't have any luck. Impala are fast and lions are only fast for a very short distance and don't have a great deal of stamina. Once the lions reappeared, they just lay down panting by the jeeps. They went home hungry. Apparently the same lions are being taken out again tonight so some of our group are going a second time as they are convinced they will kill this time. I have to say that it is quite exciting to have lions so close to you. The handlers do have amazing trust in these lions as they were quite happy to get out of the jeep either when the lions were close by or when they didn't even know where they were.

Enough of lions, yesterday I also went horse riding. The horses were nice enough but the tack was terrible. I tried not to think about how unsafe it was when we were galloping along! It was a very fast ride (which in fairness we had requested) and we basically trotted and cantered the whole time apart from when we stopped to look at game. Got really close to giraffes, zebra, wildebeest, impala and kudu. It's a good way to do safari as you can go off into the bush whereas normally in jeeps you are supposed to keep to the tracks. We did a long gallop at the end of the ride and I am aching today. Both Claire and I have bruised and battered legs from the leathers pinching us (riding in normal trousers rather than jodphurs or chaps is not good especially when you are going fast).

To add to my aches and pains, I went canoeing this morning. I was expecting a leisurely meander down the river but we had under estimated the current coming back upstream and it was hard work so now my shoulders and back also ache. And I'm going riding again tonight. They offer a lunar ride over the full moon period so we will be riding by moonlight which sounds quite fun. I believe it is done at a more leisurely pace which is just as well because my legs won't be able to cope otherwise...

Sunday 14 August 2011

Rhino tracking in Zimbabwe

So from Bulawayo, we headed to Matopos National Park. The scenery here is very different from anything else we have previously seen - lots of  long grass, thick bush, big boulders and crazy rock formations. Apparently there are more leopard here per square kilometre than anywhere else in Africa but they are such elusive creatures that of course we didn't see any. The guide at camp said he had seen just four in the past six months. The main purpose of our visit here was to track rhinos, although we also did some walking to view some rock paintings and visit a local village. It was great fun climbing up rocks and enjoying the stunning views.

So on to the rhinos. We spent an afternoon driving round the park finding tracks and droppings so that we could then pick up a trail and follow the rhino on foot. Our guide was brilliant and so informative. Sadly we didn't ever manage to track down a rhino but then there are only 11 left in the park. The poaching of these creatures is rife and numbers are declining so quickly that if it continues then there simply will be no rhino (either black or white) left in Africa in five years time. We saw two skeletons - one had died of natural causes but the other had been shot by poachers. You could clearly see the bullet hole through the brain and the face had been hacked off so that the poachers could quickly escape with the horn.

Five years ago, there were 86 rhino in this park but in January this year alone, 11 rhino were shot and killed by poachers. There are 120 people patrolling the park who are authorised to shoot and kill anyone suspected of poaching. On average, they catch / kill around 20-25 poachers per month, but still this does not deter them. The sole reason for killing rhino is for its horn and a poacher will get about $1000 for a horn. This doesn't seem like a great deal of money considering you are risking your life but then the average monthly income in Zimbabwe is just $30 and unemployment is around 95%. These are desperate people. The actual sellers of the horn will make up to half a million US dollars for a few kilos. Whilst the sale of rhino horn is illegal, there is a huge black market because Chinese and Asian people believe that rhino horn is an aphrodisiac..

In an attempt to deter poachers, a few years back they de-horned all the rhino in the park. However, even this failed because a small stump of horn is left and it will ultimately grow back. The poachers were still prepared to kill even for a very small amount of horn.

Now we are in Antelope Park where the TV documentary "Lion Country" was filmed. Here for a couple of days so I'll update on that tomorrow assuming internet is still working. Off horse riding this afternoon and hoping not to be chased by lions!

Thursday 11 August 2011

Elephants

Elephants outside my tent in South Luangwa NP, Zambia

Botswana to Zimbabwe

Overlanding in the south of Africa is so much easier than the north. Short driving days, campsites with swimming pools and decent bathrooms. Toilet facilities that have toilet paper and soap is luxury indeed, especially when I think back to some of the filthy squat toilets earlier in the trip. We've even stayed in some places that don't feel the need to padlock the toilet paper - most overland campsites do this as they know overlanders will just take it if it's not locked down!

Also exciting news is that some camps recently have offered a proper laundry service - washing machines and clothes that are returned to you smelling of fabric softener. The clean clothes thing never lasts long though as we currently have a gas "crisis" and have to cook all our meals over a fire so our clothes constantly smell of smoke. I use the word "crisis" very loosely. We have lots of crisis on the truck (almost daily) - it is amusing what some people regard as a crisis and it has become something of a joke among those of us who are more laid back. In actual fact, we did eventually find some gas before leaving Botswana yesterday after spending quite a bit of time driving around Francistown - most places had sold out but we managed to get the last gas canister at about the fifth attempt.

So yesterday, we left Botswana and crossed the border into Zimbabwe. We are currently in Bulawayo, the second largest city in Zimbabwe. Last night we stayed in a HOTEL!! I think it is about a month since I slept in a bed (Zanzibar was the last time) and the past week has not been very comfortable given that my thermarest (sleeping mat for those not in the know) has a leak and deflates during the night. So a double bed with a duvet and four pillows was heaven. No point getting too used to it though as it's back to camping tonight. We leave Bulawayo after lunch and head to a national park for a couple of nights where we get to go rhino tracking. Hopefully my thermarest is now fixed as I've located four holes and patched them up (thanks Paul for your help).

Only just over a month of the trip left now and the last few countries have flown past - I cannot believe we are in Zimbabwe already with only Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa to go. I really don't want it to end!



Monday 8 August 2011

Botswana

From Zambia, we took a 5 minute ferry to cross the border into Botswana. As Botswana's main industry is cattle, they are fearful of foot and mouth disease so we had to put our shoes and the truck through disinfectant dips. We are also subject to random roadside checks and have to hide any meat or fresh produce whenever we see a check point coming up. So far we've only had a few pieces of fruit confiscated as they don't check the truck that thoroughly.

Our first two nights in Botswana were spent in Chobe National Park where we took a river boat wildlife cruise. We saw some massive crocodiles, hippos, giraffes, water buffalo and lots of different birds (although I can't get too excited about birdwatching!). The best thing was seeing a herd of around 40 elephants crossing the river at sunset. The larger elephants can wade across, but the smaller ones have to swim. All you can see is their trunks poking up out of the water so they look really funny. It was quite sad because one elephant got left behind and was quite distraught running up and down the shore calling to his friends. When some of the others realised, they turned back to go and get him so all was okay in the end.

From Chobe, we headed to Elephant Sands Camp and spent a leisurely afternoon relaxing by the pool. The tan is coming on nicely. The camp has a large watering hole which normally animals come to visit after dark, but we didn't see any elephants just some antelopes.

Next stop was Maun where we have been based for three nights. Maun is the gateway to the Okavango Delta, the largest inland waterway in the world. The water doesn't ever reach the ocean as it all just disappears into the land. We left the truck at camp and took mokoros (traditional dug out canoes) and camped on an island. It is so relaxing to lie back on a mokoro as you glide quietly through the water and reeds. We did some guided walks on the island and saw lots of elephant poo and animal tracks. No animals though but may be that is just as well as it would be a little bit scary to turn a corner and come face to face with an elephant! After dinner round the camp fire, the polers (people who pole the mokoros) and guides did some singing and dancing. The frog dance finale was a particular hit (Bruce even felt compelled to join in).. and yes, a frog dance is basically leaping around like frogs making frog noises - it was hilarious.

To finish up our time in Maun, we then took a 45 minute flight over the Okavanga Delta in tiny seven seater planes. I've never been in such a small plane before so it was exciting to do that, although I felt pretty sick after a while particularly when Jon asked the pilot to do some "fun" flying. Good to see Botswana from the air though and all the animals, including a herd of eight giraffes and lots of buffalo. Botswana is scarcely populated in comparison to many of the other countries we have visited, with a very dry arid landscape (although we are here in dry season so I guess it would be greener at other times of the year).

We now have a couple more nights in Botswana and then it's on to Zimbabwe.

Monday 1 August 2011

Indulgence in Zambia

Just a quick update before we leave Zambia and cross the border tomorrow into Botswana. The theme of the past two days for me has definitely been indulgence. All you can eat breakfasts at the Waterfront camp are great. Bread and cereal from the truck between 8.30 and 9.00 or buy your own from the restaurant and eat when you like and as much as you want - not a tough decision!

Yesterday, this was followed by high tea at the Royal Livingstone Hotel for a few of us who decided that we would like to see how the other half live. I'm surprised they actually let overlanders in as it is very posh although we did try and look clean and presentable! Sweeping driveway with zebras and giraffes grazing and a stunning location overlooking the Zambezi river. High tea was good value at just $25 for two hours of eating as much as you can. Tea served in proper china cups and teapots, mini sandwiches and quiches, and about 30 different cakes to choose from. We definitely over indulged!

Today has been a "chill" day for me. Catching up on emails and internet, followed by an afternoon spa session  at the hotel next door to our campsite. I do not exaggerate when I say it was the best massage I've ever had! And properly half the price of a similar session in the UK. Steam room and plunge pool followed by a little relaxation reading gossip mags and enjoying the view over the Zambezi. Then a back, neck and shoulder massage (definitely needed after sleeping in a tent for months), an Indian head massage and a foot massage. All topped off with the best shower of the trip. Not only was it steaming hot, but there were complimentary products to use, fluffy towels and a hair dryer. Given the fact that at most camp sites there is only a 50/50 chance of the shower being warm and the floor is normally filthy, this was absolute luxury!! My hair has not been this soft since I left the UK and my feet are actually clean for once. It won't last long - it's back to truck life tomorrow...

Not keen to leave the luxury hotel life style behind, I then bought a very expensive glass of wine (worth it though - it was good) and sat on the deck by the river trying to pretend that I was actually staying at this hotel and not camping next door. Zambian currency is crazy money. There is around 7500 kwatcha to one english pound so everything costs thousands. Life would be so much easier if Africa had one currency. It is hard to keep track of how much everything actually costs when we are changing currencies week by week.

So Botswana tomorrow. It was supposed to be Namibia but due to new regulations that are trying to force out overseas operators it is no longer possible to take the truck there. Kind of sad about that as I was looking forward to desert scenery, sky diving and sand boarding. But you can't have it all and it just means we will have more time in other countries and less driving so it's not all bad.

Microlight flight over Victoria Falls

Me in a microlight flying over Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls from the air

Photos - Horse riding & Rafting

Almost swimming on horseback in Lake Malawi
Horse riding - Lake Malawi


Rafting the White Nile, Uganda

The backwards flip!