Friday 16th Sept was a special day. My best friend gave birth to a baby girl and I decided to mark the occasion by doing the highest bungee jump in the world - Bloukrans Bridge, South Africa, 216 metres high. Terrifying and awesome all at the same time.
For months now, I have kind of intended to do this jump but never fully committed to it. As the day drew nearer, I began to seriously regret telling people on the trip that I would do it as it meant I couldn't really back out. Our camp site the night before was on the stunning Garden Route in Tsitsikamma National Park on the coast. The waves were crashing on the rocks and it was quite wet and wild. I secretly hoped that perhaps it would be too windy and the bungee jump would not be operating. Sadly, I awoke to clear blue skies and sunshine...it was going to happen..I would have to jump. I have bungeed before but nothing like this high and it was about 10 years ago when frankly I was much braver than I am now..something to do with getting old I think.
So with legs like jelly, we arrived at Bloukrans Bridge and Jason and I headed to the registration point (note that only two people from the truck are crazy enough to do this bungee). We then found out that we would have to wait 45 minutes so more nail biting. You then get harnessed up and led along a caged walkway under the bridge. This is the worst walk of your life - do not look down, do not look sideways, just look straight ahead. I knew if I even got a glimpse of how high I was, I might not be able to do it. Once you get to the platform area, you get briefed and advised to dive as far out as you can when you jump. If you hesitate, they will push you, you might end up going feet first and you won't get a smooth jump, etc, etc. Too much information to process when you are in a blind panic. Luckily, I was first up which was just as well - best to get it over and done with. The jump guys have the music pumping and start dancing. This is good - it does distract you from what it about to happen but at the same time you are kind of thinking I hope they are paying attention when they strap you up.
With your ankles strapped together, you hop / get carried to the edge. I imagine this is how it feels to be led to your execution (perhaps a slight exaggeration but you get the idea). At this point, I was looking resolutely ahead and slightly up (as instructed) - I was definitely not going to look down. There really is no backing out now so I just went for it. I don't think my dive was very impressive but I definitely did jump and screamed. Note that even men scream when they bungee - I think it is impossible not to. This jump is about 5-7 seconds of freefall depending on your weight. About half way down, there is this incredible moment of weightlessness when you really feel like you are flying. The jump was very smooth and there wasn't a massive jolt when you reach the end. The worst thing is probably hanging upside down for ages afterwards whilst you wait for the guy to come down to you and get pulled back up. You kind of feel like your feet may slip out of the ankle holds. In reality this isn't going to happen, plus you have a second attachment to your waist so there is a back up!
I have to say that you do feel amazing after doing bungee. It is such an adrenalin rush. Plus now I never need to bungee again in my life. I've done the highest one and there is no need to do another one ever again.
Western Sahara 2016
Saturday, 17 September 2011
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
The Wild Coast, South Africa
After a long busy day visiting Lesotho, our last day at Sani Lodge was a bit more relaxed. Most people opted to watch the rugby at the hotel down the road from our campsite in the morning, then a few of us took a walk to a nearby waterfall. There is something very special about swimming in a waterfall, especially when you've had to trek and clamber over boulders to actually reach it. The water was invigorating (a.k.a freezing!) but so beautiful and clear. It's just a shame we didn't get there earlier in the day when the sun was still out and we would have had more time to relax on the rocks.
Sunday was essentially a transit day but with a lunchtime stop in Mtatha to visit the Nelson Mandela museum and enjoy our first McDonalds meal since Egypt! It is strange being in South Africa as it is so westernised in comparison to most of Africa. Good motorway type roads and service stations rather than bush toilets. However, as an outsider looking in, one of the most striking elements is the massive divide between rich and poor, and whites and blacks. Definitely a country of contrasts.
From Mthata we headed to the Wild Coast and a place called Coffee Bay. Rolling green hills, rugged coastline and brightly painted round huts (rondavels). Coffee Bay was a strange place in that it almost seemed to be stuck in a time warp - quite hippyish. Nice backpackers though - it even had hairdryers in the toilets. A blow dry for the first time since leaving the UK over four months ago rates as an exciting event!
From Coffee Bay, we continued along the coast to Cintsa Beach where we are for two nights. Last night turned into an inpromptu party night - that's what happens when you start drinking at 4.30pm - so some sore heads today. Luckily for myself, Claire and Cherie we had booked to go horse riding so we definitely blew away the cobwebs galloping along the beach this morning. The horses loved to go fast and race each other so it was really good fun. Our last ride in Africa but one of the best..
Sunday was essentially a transit day but with a lunchtime stop in Mtatha to visit the Nelson Mandela museum and enjoy our first McDonalds meal since Egypt! It is strange being in South Africa as it is so westernised in comparison to most of Africa. Good motorway type roads and service stations rather than bush toilets. However, as an outsider looking in, one of the most striking elements is the massive divide between rich and poor, and whites and blacks. Definitely a country of contrasts.
From Mthata we headed to the Wild Coast and a place called Coffee Bay. Rolling green hills, rugged coastline and brightly painted round huts (rondavels). Coffee Bay was a strange place in that it almost seemed to be stuck in a time warp - quite hippyish. Nice backpackers though - it even had hairdryers in the toilets. A blow dry for the first time since leaving the UK over four months ago rates as an exciting event!
From Coffee Bay, we continued along the coast to Cintsa Beach where we are for two nights. Last night turned into an inpromptu party night - that's what happens when you start drinking at 4.30pm - so some sore heads today. Luckily for myself, Claire and Cherie we had booked to go horse riding so we definitely blew away the cobwebs galloping along the beach this morning. The horses loved to go fast and race each other so it was really good fun. Our last ride in Africa but one of the best..
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Mozambique to Swaziland to South Africa (not forgetting Lesotho)
Four countries in one blog post must be a record, so here goes..
From beach life in Mozambique, we headed to the capital city of Maputo. As always, it was nice to have some city time, a break from truck life, a hotel bed and the novelty of eating out and choosing off a menu.
From Maputo, we crossed the border into Swaziland. Swaziland is a tiny country which meant nice short driving distances. Unlike most African countries, it has a king. Our first stop was at a community camp where all the profits are fed back into the community. Here we visited the local school for orphans. At the school, they had lists of the children and their family situation. It is staggering how many children have only one or neither parent still living due to AIDS. This is true of much of Africa, not just Swaziland - it is not uncommon for HIV infection rates to be around 25% of the population of any one country. Aside from visiting the local community, we also went to a traditional healer, watched traditional dancing and did some hiking.
Next stop was Mlilwane game park. It is sad to say but we have all become quite blase about game viewing because we have seen so much already. Mlilwane doesn't have any of the big 5 so you can walk safely without fear of being eaten by a lion or charged by an elephant. Rather than walk, Claire, Cherie and I chose our preferred mode of transport - horse back. Really loving all the horse riding that I am getting to do on this trip - such a relaxing and fun way to see the scenery and animals. Tried out impala steak and wildebeest wors (sausages) at the camp restaurant - certainly made a change from a cheese sandwich from the truck!
Final stop in Swaziland was at Sundowners Backpackers where we spent quite a bit of time just waiting...and waiting.. for our new truck to arrive. As you may recall from previous blog posts, we cannot take Athena into South Africa because she is registered in the UK and South Africa now only allow SA registered trucks in with passengers, hence our need to change to a SA truck. So our time at this backpackers was spent cleaning Athena and packing up our stuff (although I was smart enough to book an adventure caving trip and miss the worst of the cleaning - that's not why I went but it was a happy coincidence). Everyone was sad to say goodbye to Athena as she really has been our home for the past four months. Apart from a few tough times in Ethiopia when we seemed to have breakdown problems every day, she has served us well. It would have been lovely to finish in Cape Town with her but sadly that is not to be. As all the other overland trucks we see seem to be newer than Athena, we had high hopes for the new truck. Well, yes it is newer but that it about the only positive. In terms of storage and space, it is very poorly designed so we now appreciate Athena and the thought that went into designing her more than ever. Whoever designed the new truck really didn't think things through. The kitchen equipment is stored in shelves at the back but you have to climb up to reach anything above the first shelf and there is no ladder. So we now have a new job role - the kitchen monkeys - whose responsibility it is to get out and put away the equipment each day. In fairness, it is a fun job and makes a change from roof crew that I have been doing for the past two sections of the trip. Roof crew involves getting the tents down from the roof and hauling them back up, along with firewood, charcoal and anything else we store up there. It is definitely a good work out, but you end up filthy most of the time. Still, I can't really complain given that I asked for the job. At the start of the trip, it was deemed that only men could be roof crew. Naturally, some of us girls thought this was somewhat sexist and reckoned we could do the job too. Slowly, Alison was persuaded that girls could be roof crew and at least it has kept me fit.
We are now in South Africa (our final country) where we have visited St Lucia wetlands game reserve and are now based at Sani Lodge in the Drakensberg Mountains. Sani Lodge is at the foot of the Sani Pass which leads up to the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. Lesotho is a separate landlocked country within South Africa (Prince Harry has a charity in Lesotho so you may have heard of it). The Sani Pass is accessible only with four wheel drive and even then it is pretty hairy. We took a trip up there yesterday and crossed the border into Lesotho (more passport stamps!). The views were truly spectacular - probably the best of the trip. I wouldn't want to live there though. At almost 3000m the winds are constant and it really is desolate landscape once you reach the mountain plateau. Had a drink in the highest pub in Africa - mulled wine which went down a treat given how cold it is up there.
Less than two weeks of the trip left now.. sad times.
From beach life in Mozambique, we headed to the capital city of Maputo. As always, it was nice to have some city time, a break from truck life, a hotel bed and the novelty of eating out and choosing off a menu.
From Maputo, we crossed the border into Swaziland. Swaziland is a tiny country which meant nice short driving distances. Unlike most African countries, it has a king. Our first stop was at a community camp where all the profits are fed back into the community. Here we visited the local school for orphans. At the school, they had lists of the children and their family situation. It is staggering how many children have only one or neither parent still living due to AIDS. This is true of much of Africa, not just Swaziland - it is not uncommon for HIV infection rates to be around 25% of the population of any one country. Aside from visiting the local community, we also went to a traditional healer, watched traditional dancing and did some hiking.
Next stop was Mlilwane game park. It is sad to say but we have all become quite blase about game viewing because we have seen so much already. Mlilwane doesn't have any of the big 5 so you can walk safely without fear of being eaten by a lion or charged by an elephant. Rather than walk, Claire, Cherie and I chose our preferred mode of transport - horse back. Really loving all the horse riding that I am getting to do on this trip - such a relaxing and fun way to see the scenery and animals. Tried out impala steak and wildebeest wors (sausages) at the camp restaurant - certainly made a change from a cheese sandwich from the truck!
Final stop in Swaziland was at Sundowners Backpackers where we spent quite a bit of time just waiting...and waiting.. for our new truck to arrive. As you may recall from previous blog posts, we cannot take Athena into South Africa because she is registered in the UK and South Africa now only allow SA registered trucks in with passengers, hence our need to change to a SA truck. So our time at this backpackers was spent cleaning Athena and packing up our stuff (although I was smart enough to book an adventure caving trip and miss the worst of the cleaning - that's not why I went but it was a happy coincidence). Everyone was sad to say goodbye to Athena as she really has been our home for the past four months. Apart from a few tough times in Ethiopia when we seemed to have breakdown problems every day, she has served us well. It would have been lovely to finish in Cape Town with her but sadly that is not to be. As all the other overland trucks we see seem to be newer than Athena, we had high hopes for the new truck. Well, yes it is newer but that it about the only positive. In terms of storage and space, it is very poorly designed so we now appreciate Athena and the thought that went into designing her more than ever. Whoever designed the new truck really didn't think things through. The kitchen equipment is stored in shelves at the back but you have to climb up to reach anything above the first shelf and there is no ladder. So we now have a new job role - the kitchen monkeys - whose responsibility it is to get out and put away the equipment each day. In fairness, it is a fun job and makes a change from roof crew that I have been doing for the past two sections of the trip. Roof crew involves getting the tents down from the roof and hauling them back up, along with firewood, charcoal and anything else we store up there. It is definitely a good work out, but you end up filthy most of the time. Still, I can't really complain given that I asked for the job. At the start of the trip, it was deemed that only men could be roof crew. Naturally, some of us girls thought this was somewhat sexist and reckoned we could do the job too. Slowly, Alison was persuaded that girls could be roof crew and at least it has kept me fit.
We are now in South Africa (our final country) where we have visited St Lucia wetlands game reserve and are now based at Sani Lodge in the Drakensberg Mountains. Sani Lodge is at the foot of the Sani Pass which leads up to the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. Lesotho is a separate landlocked country within South Africa (Prince Harry has a charity in Lesotho so you may have heard of it). The Sani Pass is accessible only with four wheel drive and even then it is pretty hairy. We took a trip up there yesterday and crossed the border into Lesotho (more passport stamps!). The views were truly spectacular - probably the best of the trip. I wouldn't want to live there though. At almost 3000m the winds are constant and it really is desolate landscape once you reach the mountain plateau. Had a drink in the highest pub in Africa - mulled wine which went down a treat given how cold it is up there.
Less than two weeks of the trip left now.. sad times.
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..
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...
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!
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
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