WheretheMalawiarewe...?

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23/5/10

After yet another long day driving we arrived in the capital city of Malawi late last night. As with every time we end up driving round in the dark things went wrong. A truck of that size is not easy to manoeuvre, and getting lost and the resulting 3 point turns are no fun. We arrived too tired to deal with our own tents and gratefully accepted the offer of an upgrade to ready made cozy bedded tents for the pricely sum of $1.

Up again at 5.30 today. These early dark mornings are loosing their novelty. 30 minutes into the journey and we're climbing up slight hills at 15km an hour, before pulling over and trying to solve the never ending power problem. We waste thirty minutes at the side of the road and set off no faster. The truck is definitely on it's last legs. People are starting to get irritated. We leave an hour before any other truck and arrive hours after them. Activities and exploration time is cut short due to never ending drives. We are experiencing Africa only through a truck window. Getting up at 5.30 so we can make 400 km in a day is silly. There is now talk of hiring minibuses. It is really hard for Gareth and John, our guide and driver, it's their first trip with this company and they are having to deal with a dying bus.

Malawi, country number 5 on our tour. It has been called Africa for beginners, with it's wide range of activities, beautiful scenery and apparently the most helpful and friendly people on the whole continent. Not sure the first Western explorers to arrive here would have agreed, missionaries who came here to do their stuff. Hundreds died for every Malawian that they managed to convert to Christianity. Malaria is pretty rife here.
 

Malawi is a relatively small country, 900km long and between 70 and 150 km wide. A lot of this area is taken up by Lake Nyassa which separates the country from Mozambique. With a population of about 14 million in such a small area, it has one of the highest population densities in Africa. The towns we have been through have had vibrantly hectic streets; people milling everywhere, markets bustling and music and singing. As with Zambia, kids appear every time we stop to watch us, and can be seen sitting in the dirt barefooted and in rags. They shout 'Mazungu', meaning white person when we pass. You can't help but be affected by this sight when you see it so often. It hurts me that they have so little and we have nothing to really give them that would make a difference. In the past we have been told not to give kids pencils are pens as gang leaders often make kids go out and practice begging then take whatever they get. We've been told that doesn't happen here and that they are just grateful for anything that they can take to school. With an average GDP of $170 school equipment doesn't come high up on the list of priorities.

Contrary to all appearances, John says that as far as African countries go, Malawi is now doing ok. In 2005 there were drouts and famines that crippled the country but it has recovered for now. Life expectancy is about 40.

One interesting fact I've learnt about Malawi...the first president here, President Banda who had control of Malawi from 1966-1994, had some rather curious habits. As with many African presidents he leaned towards the dictatorship style of leadership, but his eccentric behaviour went as far as wearing ganster clothes and hats, waving a flywhip around and having dancing girls follow him around whenever in public, all dressed in clothes made from cloth with his face printed on it. They were there to chant praises at him.

The longest day...

22/5/10

Just got back from South Luangwa. Got back isn't really the right term really, as we never left the bus and we're on our way to somewhere completely different, but we are back to some kind of civilization, and more importantly back to tarmac.

Our journey to South Luangwa started slowly. As I have mentioned before, the roads in Zambia are crap, even those lucky enough to be covered with tarmac. We started at 7.00 and had only done 150 km by lunch and then broke down soon after. Repairs took a long time and we still had 130 km off 'really bad' dirt roads to go. At first bouncing and bumping along the red dirt roads that were under construction was almost amusing, everything got rattled off shelves and across the floor. You drive past small thatch huts that kids run out waving and shouting from, makes you feel famous. The people here have really dark skin and when they smile it literally lights up their face. The kids we pass are all happy with nothing more than a wave and you are rewarded with this huge great grin. This along with yet another amazing African sunset and we were almost distracted from the bumping for a while. With the onset of darkness however, there came a lack of waves and smiles and the journey began to get irritating. Three hours later and even the most mild mannered on the bus were becoming highly strung. Huge potholes that whip lashed us from side to side and constant rattling that shake the bones and gets inside your head.. no stopping, no breaks, 6 hours in all on that dirt road. It was like Chinese Torture. To make matters worse we were driving in the dark, and in remote places things always go wrong when it's dark. When we eventually reached the entrance lane to where we were staying, confusing signs and us not really being able to see much after having our brains shook loose for a day resulted in us going the wrong way. After wasting another hour battling through gulleys and a track built for narrow 4 wheel drive vehicles, 3 wrong turns, 2 fallen tree blocked routes, an incident requiring sand tracks, and we were lost in the middle of a forest in a game park. Our guide Gareth was not amused when we insisted enough was enough and we really now needed a toilet stop. It took us 7 hours to go 130 km. 

The reason we went through this huge ordeal was to visit a game park with a big reputation. Not only is it reportedly one of the best places in the world to spot the elusive leopard, but is also one of the least visited parks you can find. Wonder why that would be then...

One game drive can be much like any other, and I'm not going to bore with too many more details. That is apart from to say that South Luangwa is the Jurassic Park of game parks. It is not the flat open planes from the TV, but it is huge and it is beautiful. With a river, small planes, forests, ponds, lagoons and coursed with winding waterways, it's the perfect image of a game park. We didn't see anything new there, no leopards or lions, but the concentration of animals was incredible. It was the game viewing I've always imagined, giraffes blocking the road, piles of hippos snoozing in green stuff, baby elephants next to the car. We even had hippos nudging tents at the stunning riverside Wildlife Camp. The only bad thing about being there was the fact that we were 6 hours away from the nearest tarmac and had to go back the way we came. 

 

As you travel through Zambia you are constantly reminded of how poor the country is. Dan was followed a kilometre back to camp by a kid who had asked for a pen and was willing to do a 2 km round trip just for a pen. At our most recent grocery stop lots of left over stale bread was given to the guys hanging around our bus. It's quite humbling to see men get so excited over slightly mouldy bread. You quickly realize how privileged we are. Apples with a few bruises that get looked at and then put back by everyone on our bus are seen as a real treat by kids with no shoes. Life expectency here is 33. 

Zambia... the beginning of the decline of Benji.

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20/5/10

Zambia…seem to have developed narcolepsy since we have left Livingston. Struggle to stay awake for more than twenty minutes at a time on the bus. Not sure how it is possible to sleep so much, in the words of the Lonely Planet ‘Zambia’s roads are crap’. We have just suffered a breakdown. Our truck 'Benji' is starting to crack under the pressure. With the amount of shaking and rattling we’ve done today it could be any number of things that have shaken loose.

With all the sleeping it’s been hard to see the country. Bit annoying really as it is quite a different landscape to what we have been trough so far. The rolling hills are thick with trees and the roads winding up through them remind me more of Central America or Indonesia. From the few lucid moments I’ve managed, the other difference that’s quickly apparent is the increased population. Zambia has about 11 million people, a great deal more than the last two empty countries we’ve been through. There are small thatched rondhavel compounds everywhere. Kids, cows and coats wander along the side of the road. It’s hard to find a private bush stop toilet, within minutes some curious sole has popped out through the bushes, wandered over to take a look or ground to a halt on a bicycle by the side of the road. Over 50% of Zambians are subsistence farmers, people spread out all over the place living off the land and leading a very basic life. Zambia has had its share of problems, and in recent years has been one of the poorest countries in the world. People earn about $60 a month. Driving through the small towns you can see religion and experiences reflected in shop names. The “Good Struggle Grocery”, “Faith is my food” restaurant, “Jesus is my way” grocery, and my personal favourite; “The Hangover Clinic”.

We have been driving for 3 days to get to South Luangwa Game Park. We have been told that the drive is well worth it when you get there. Whoever said that hasn’t been along this road recently. Due to its remote location it is one of the least visited game parks in the world. It has been a long drive. 1200 km in all. In the trip itinerary we were supposed to make the journey in two days, but as we had not others joining for the next leg we left a day early. Broke the marathon journey up and had the bonus of a campsite with zebra wandering through it.

Zambia

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18/5/10

Zambia… been in Zambia for 5 days. One trip has ended and the other has begun. Seven people have left us and now we are nine. Usually more would have joined us, but luckily they didn’t. strangers would probably struggled to fit into the group. We know each other’s quirks and habits, irritations can mostly be avoided as we are comfortable enough with each other to get things off our chests. We also now have more space to spread out. Nick and I are still sitting together, as are our favoured neighbours Gordon and Carol. We thought about moving as our position in the bus means that we are baking in the sun for most of the day as we head east, but sitting next to the humerous an mellow Canadian couple helps us keep calm and laugh off frustrations. Besides, Dan decided he wanted to spread himself over both sides of the isle, and is now occupying the last four remaining seats. Dan is our only American. He is an ex airforce and commercial pilot. He has been trying to learn English slang to help him ‘blend’ and not stick out as the American guy.

The cross over time between the two trips was spent in Livingston, south Zambia. We had 5 days to relax, get organized, do washing and get our fill of adrenaline rushes with a whole heap of activities on offer. We decided to skip the activities. Mainly because they were really expensive, we can do it cheaper elsewhere, but also because the only unique thing I wanted to do was fly over the falls, and this is no longer possible. It is possible to go in a helicopter, but at $150 for 15 minutes without guaranteed window seat it seemed a bit pricey. A microlight flight was cheaper, but you’re not allowed to take a camera. If I’m going to put myself through that much terror then I at least want the shots of the view. As for all the other activities, a disproportionate amount of them involved doing stupid stuff while swinging around on the end of a rope, and that’s never really been my thing.

We did of course pay a visit to the mighty Victoria Falls. The horseshoe shaped trench that makes up Vic Falls and stretches between Zambia and Zimbabwe has to be one of the top 3 most iconic waterfalls in the world. You can hear it thundering from about 5km away, and can see the cloud of spray above from even further. It is awesomely powerful and is locally known as ‘The smoke that thunders’. It is also known for being misty, but at this time of year the Zambeezi River is at its highest and 500 million litres of water flow over it a minute. Frustratingly for us the spray is so great that little of the waterfall can be seen. You know you are standing in front of one of the most impressive sights on earth, and you’ll likely never be there again, and it’s like someone has draped a big white cloth over it.

What we did see of the falls was incredible. We took the underwater housing and walked deep into the spray along the ‘Knife’s Edge’ trail. The spray was so heavy it was like walking in monsoon rains at their worst. We got drenched, our shoes and socks full of mud and sand. Sadly, and illustrating the poverty of the country, a craft seller later tried to swap a 10 inch wooden carving for those same dirty wet socks. The market traders are desperate and pushy, all chanting ‘it’s free to look, touch, touch, it’s free to touch’.

 
Livingston itself is the first place we’ve been in Africa where I’ve felt intimidated and uncomfortable. There are so many people trying to get you to buy things, exchange cash or give you something. I am ashamed to say I avoided it totally. We were staying at a beautiful riverside camp called Zambeezi Waterfront. It looked posh but it was mainly used by overland trucks. We had the misfortune of our one night of dining at the bar being the night of the England Australia 20-20 World Cup final. There was a group of teenage/early twenties Brits and Ausies who were waving flags, had painted flags on their cheeks, sand yobbish sporting songs and then vomited all over the toilets. Nice. Another annoyance in the camp was the herds of blue balled monkeys that caused chaos. One sat in the tree over our food prep table, looked at me, looked at the food, looked at me again then poohed just as I worked out what was happening and snatched the food away. They’ve learnt that by doing this they get the food when people throw it away.

Botswana to Zambia....

Getting on the internet is a nightmare, my apologies that this is so slow to update.

14/5/10

Botswana...done 3 days in the Okovango Delta, then a 600 km drive up to Chobe Game Park. Botswana is how I always imagined Africa to be. There are no fences around the game parks, the animals just wander wherever they want. You drive through towns with herds of elephants grazing on the outskirts, warthogs hang out outside supermarkets and on the hotel lawn, and mongooses scutter around the campsites. Our campsite was on the banks of the Chobe River, and after spending 15 minutes standing at the water’s edge taking photos of the hippos there, we got warned that there was an aggressive mother and calf, and a croc hanging out, all 10m from our tent.

For our sunrise game drive in Chobe we split into 2 groups and went in the tub like viewing vehicles. We all had high hopes for lions, hippos and elephants. If there’s wildlife wandering on the main roads then the game park should be heaving. In the first few minutes of entering the park we saw fish eagles, maribu stalks (one of the ugly five, huge great carnivorous birds), a ‘thunder’ of hippos (probably the coolest name for a group of animals ever come up with), and lots of impalas. Then we had a rush of trucks and cars coming towards us. Lions had been spotted in another area. We followed back the way we came towards the gate. It was easy to see the area where the lions were hiding, the 15-20 cars bunched together were a slight give away. We were at the back of the group that had clustered so tightly they had blocked the road and we couldn’t see anything. Our guide started to maneuver out of the way when a lioness and her 5 cubs walked out behind our truck. We went from being in the worst spot to being in one of the best, much to the dismay of all the trucks parked in front of us. There was a lot of shouting and telling us to move, but in their haste to see before they’d wedged in so tightly that there was nowhere for us to go. We got to watch the cubs as they tentatively wobbled across the road. The other half of our tour group didn’t get to see and they were pretty disappointed with the whole drive. No cats, no elephants, no giraffes. Apparently their guide kept stopping for 15 minutes a time to show them the same kind of bird which we’ve all seen many times before.

The evening river cruise was much better for all. There are 60,000 elephants in Chobe and that morning we’d not seen any of them. From the boat, with cold beers and another great African sunset, we got to see huge herds of elephants drink, swim and play at the river edge. As well as big bulls, teenagers and mums, there were also some really small babies. Baby elephants and baby lions in one day, a successful safari day.

Have now just made the border crossing from Botswana to Zambia. The two countries meet for a stretch of about 100 metres, and then only on 2 sides of the huge and fast flowing Zambeezi River which is full of hippos and crocs. To cross the river you get on a ferry that is big enough to hold only two trucks. It takes about 20 minutes for the ferry to make it to the other side and about 20 minutes to unload and then load before returning. With 2 ferries running and crossing midriver they must only make about 24 crossings a day. There were about 100 cargo trucks parked in a queue waiting to get on the ferry. Thankfully for some reason we went straight to the front but we still had to fight to get on. Not sure how much must have been paid to jump the queue, and I did feel guilty about it, but some of the trucks had been waiting two weeks. That definitely wasn’t part of the plan.
Botswana is supposedly the least corrupt of all African countries. It was a British protectorate until 1966. In 1967 the second largest diamond strain in the world was found. The GDP went from $200 a year to fifth in the world within two years. The government then invested a lot of this wealth into the country. Not sure it went to the schools though, as we saw a group of school kids waiting for the ferry to take them on a daily journey to a better school in Zambia.

Overnight on an island

12/05/10

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Guma Lagoon is a tranquil resort that sits on the edge of a permanent lake in the delta. With swimming pool, horse riding, and a huge wooden dining deck to the water’s edge, it was one of the posher places we’ve camped. We even got to eat at a table for a change. We stayed there for one night before being taken in tub like speed boats 10km further into the delta where we would meet the mokoros. Mokoros are traditional canoes made from hollowed out tree trunks. These are then ‘driven’ by a skilled poler who stands at the back and punts with an 8 ft pole. 

 
 We were taken, kitchen and all, in the mokoros three hours deeper into the delta. We went through narrow channels cut into the tall elegant papyrus grass, lily pad gardens and spiky plants that covered us in bugs. It’s a really peaceful and relaxing way to travel, but at the back of your mind you’re always aware that you’re surrounded by hippos, elephants and crocs in a boat that sits only 10 centimetres out of the water. On the way to the camp we stopped at an island with elephants. We were warned not to talk, to tread lightly, and to stay in a close group behind the guide. The guide and mokoro men were clearly very nervous. It was a little daunting standing 30 metres away from such large animals. You have no chance of making it into and away on wobbly mokoros if they charge.

Arriving at the chosen island to camp on we found it was actually an elephant’s toilet. The size of the deposits means it doesn’t take many elephants to make a whole heap of mess, literally. This didn’t seem to bother those in charge and we tried to set up tents between the mounds. Nick then spotted 3 bull elephants about 20m away from us in the bush. Having watched the mokoro men around the elephants earlier we expected to be told that we’d need to move islands, but we were just told not to wander. With camp set up and lunch finished we found that unlike usual we had some time to kill. The long driving days take their toll and we all were happy with the chance to rest. It soon became clear that nobody was going to get to snooze due to the extreme racket coming from the Botswanan or ‘Swanan’ side of the camp. It is considered rude in Botswana to speak quietly when in a group as it means that you are speaking badly of someone. As a result we had 15 men sitting in a circle shouting at each other. This detracted somewhat from the relaxation qualities of being out in the bush and away from civilization. To make it worse, they all seemed to have so much to say to each other, they hadn’t stopped talking all day.

Going out in the mokoros for sunset was about the only time that the men stopped talking. Instead they looked around nervously and were reduced to hissing, clicking, whistling and pointing fearfully into bushes. They seemed scared of their own shadows and constantly looked over their shoulders. Their fear convinced us of death by hippo at any minute. We kept hearing them grunt but we never saw them. There were quite a few elephants feeding and wading between islands, and one bull elephant mock charged us when we startled him. A mock charge involves head shaking, ear flapping, and a bit of noise. This doesn’t sound that scary, but when you’re confined to a tiny hand powered wooden boat it’s reasonably terrifying. All the elephants were good to see, but it would have been nice to catch a glimpse of a hippo or croc, after all in the nature programs the delta’s full of them, our expectations had been high. Later that night there was a hippo heard grunting behind the tents, but that really wasn’t the encounter any of us were wanting.

Left Guma this morning and made it back to the truck to find it had been fixed. So fixed in fact that John had managed to get a speeding ticket. We now rattle along at a far more respectable 75 km an hour. That was of course after we eventually managed to get going having freed ourselves from yet again getting stuck in the sand.

Also… seem to have survived the brush with the dodgy hot dog.

Sticky days

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11/05/10

Have been away from the bus for 3 days on the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana. Nice to have time away but was grateful to return to comfy seats. Also relief to be back to tarmac roads, until the next sand patch that is. We have had days of getting stuck. First we got stuck driving into the campsite after a 14 hour day. Got a tree between the wheels that our driver John had to saw out. John looks a little like Clint Eastwood and has a slow, strong accented way of speaking. His knowledge about people, places, history and geology so far have been amazing. He has seen everything so many times but doesn’t seem to get bored with it. He is completely unfazed by anything. Even after a tough 14 hour day, and then having to hack a tree out from under the bus, he calmly climbed on the bus and proceeded to tell us all about the scenery we missed while driving in the dark. He is never too stressed or busy to give us advice and he never stops fixing the bus. In fact, as I type, he is under the stationary bus now, trying to wedge the compressor, that has sheared off its bolts, back onto the engine with a stick. Apparently this is our best hope to get us the 100 km to our next destination. John is never happier than getting some quiet time and finding some space to go off alone with his binoculars and bird book.

The following morning in our trials of getting stuck, we packed up to leave camp early so we could get a head start and proceeded to get stuck when trying to turn the bus around in sand. Would have been relatively simple to solve if the sand tracks hadn’t got caught on the underside of the truck and bent like a sheet of aluminium when the bus drove over them. We got out the sand, demolishing the rock border of the path on the way, but then had to spend a long time getting the heavy tracks flat enough to attach back on the bus. We then drove all day, bus seeming to get slower and slower, motoring at 55km per hour, into Botswana and down the side of the Okavango Delta. We stopped in a small village and transferred luggage, tents, kitchen and food for three days from our truck to an even more tank like one. The 45 minute drive on to Guma Lagoon Resort needed to be done in 4x4, but one that has wheels 4 ft tall. We left John with our bus with the aim of getting the engine fixed, while we rattled and bumped off, gears grinding and with diesel fumes pumping into the open sided truck.

As we followed the sand track through the village it quickly became clear why we need a 4x4, and one so big. We were to spend most of the 45 minute journey driving through water. Our confidence in the vehicle was shaky from the off, and when we entered the first big stretch of water we ground to a halt and the back left wheel sunk 3 ft into the sticky mud. It took them a surprisingly quick 20 minutes to free it (the slightly inadvisable African technique of winching it up on a jack and then driving off the jack), before we waded out and got back on it. We set of with great trepidation. Not quite sure how, as the water sometimes made it 4 ft up the truck, but we made it to the resort without further incident.

Angry elephants and chilled rhinos

07/05/10

This morning we left Etosha and are now driving to our last camp stop in Namibia, 500 km on in the Caprivi Strip. We then have another long drive after that to take us to the Okavango Delta.

Yesterday’s drive within the park between the camps was not as exciting as promised. We had been told to expect lots of cools stuff later in the day as we got further in the park. Instead it actually felt like we were leaving the animals behind, that is apart from springbok which are even more prevalent than zebra, yet certain members of our group still insist on shouting stop for, and must have near on 500 photos of them. There were a few birds on the drive, but it’s hard to get excited about a bird when you’re expecting a rhino. Out of desperation I think, our driver suggested we go back out after setting up camp to recheck the local waterholes. We were all really hot, tired and burnt, and most would like nothing more to start drinking by the pool, but I think we all felt that if we didn’t go something good would be spotted. It’s like those dive trips, you really can’t be bothered to get back in the water for a fourth time that day, but you know if you don’t a hammerhead will show up.

We drove around the waterholes and they were all empty. This is the end of the rainy season and the seasonal lakes and rivers have filled, so animals normally dependant on the waterholes can go elsewhere. Our last stop was a beautiful natural pond. We arrived and found about 11 giraffes milling around. One posed nicely for a reflection shot in the water, while two others even started to mate. Our driver told us later that they were actually 2 boys. Didn’t know giraffes were amongst the mammals that were that way inclined. You learn something new every day. There were also lots of springbok, impala, and elands. Elands are the largest antelope, and are more like cattle than all their other more graceful relatives. While we were distracted with them a bull elephant snuck up on us from behind. He was quite small and was obviously suffering an adolescent day, flapping his ears, shaking his head and stamping his feet. He stomped directly for us before conceding to our bigger mass and veering away, all the while eyeballing us. He then went to take out his anger on everything else smaller and skirted the waterhole stomping towards all the other animals until they ran away. He left without even having a drink, and continued to stomp off towards the forest, backside showing, tail flicking angrily. If he had had a door, he would have slammed it.

While all this was happening, a very calm and confident black rhino sauntered (as much as something built like a tank can saunter) over towards the water and then calmly posed, very obligingly on the opposite bank to drink water. The shots of him and his mirror like reflection in the water had all the cameras going. We stayed at the waterhole with the sun going down behind us until we realized the time and had to rattle, bang and hiss off as fast as we could to get back before we got locked out. A dull day turned into one of the best days we’ve had.

……

Now nearing the end of the longest day on the bus so far, have been travelling for just over 12 hours with 2 more to go. Perhaps the tired brain accounts for the potentially huge error in judgment just made. Stopped at a dingy petrol station and maybe it was the news of another 2 hours driving that prompted us to buy a soggy looking, cling-film wrapped hot dog. Ate it, enjoyed it, then heart sank at realization of potential and highly likely food poisoning to come…

Game parking...

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06/05/10
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Driving through our first game park where we have been based for at the last 2 nights. We have been staying at a campsite 18 km in and have done morning and afternoon drives from there. Now driving through the park to a different campsite 75km further in. We seem to have left all the animals behind. No more herds of springbok or zebra.

When we first entered the park gates, within minutes we had seen zebra, wildebeest, warthogs, springbok and oryx. This all supported my idea that once in the park we’d have hoards of animals wandering around us and obligingly posing for shots that’d instantly male me look like a pro wildlife photographer. Everyone’s seen the pictures of cheetahs climbing onto the bonnets of cars, and elephants walking right up to vehicles. Entering the park through the big gates and fence actually felt disappointingly like we were entering nothing more than a big zoo. I had had it in my head that being in a game park would give me a chance to see the Africa of old, that which is undamaged and unchanged by peoples poaching and encroaching habitation, but the fences took an element of wildness away.

On the first game drive it quickly became apparent that Etosha is no zoo, and there would be no animals posing patiently by the side of the truck. Etosha is about 200 km wide. Seeing animals is a lot more hit and miss than I thought. Apart from zebra, which appear to be everywhere, you have to search hard for animals, and you also have to be lucky. On the first day everything seemed to be on the horizon, or at least a lot further than my eyes are able for. Also a lot further than our 250mm zoom lens was able to capture. Definitely no wildlife photographer of the year award for me. Thankfully the posh campsite we were staying in had its own waterhole. You got to kick back and relax with a bottle of wine while watching bull elephants, zebra, giraffes, jackals and even 6 black rhinos. We slept in the tents with the territorial calls of lions about 100m away. Going to the toilet in the middle of the night was a test of character.

The second day’s drive was far more successful, with us catching more things closer to the road. We even got to watch a lioness stalk and chase a herd of zebra. The height of our truck gives us a great advantage over other cars and game trucks. We can see further and spot things easier amongst the long grass. It does however rattle, bang and hiss with open roof hatches and hydraulics as we go over rough roads. It kind of puts an end to any sneaking up on animals.

Being on a game drive is surprisingly tiring. Sitting trying to be patient and squinting into the sun for hours, trying to see stuff that’s got the distinct advantage of years of evolutionary practice to perfect the art of camouflage, can be tense and give you a headache. Watching a zebra herd pick its way round the bush where the lion was hiding, they could all smell was wrong, they just couldn’t see why. A 2 month old foal stopped just feet away from where the lioness was. We were all desperate to see action, but really didn’t want to see the baby get it. A wildebeest fine, a cute baby zebra no. The lioness watched the herd from her hiding place for about 30 minutes before giving chase. She missed, but then walked right by us so we could get the pics we’d been waiting for.

Our body clocks have changed. Breakfast at 6 am many days, in bed before 9. We are in teams to do duties, rotating between cooking, washing up, cleaning the bus and a rest day. We are now getting to know the group well enough to begin to feel frustrated with those who regularly don’t pull their weight. One lady in our team watched us wash up the other day while she took photos of flowers. Her only acknowledgement to this fact was to say “oh, are we washing up?” and she went back to her flowers. This is the same woman who wandered around a 500 metre area of bush the other day taking pics, lost her phone and then expected everyone to help her find it. It was found and she got back on the bus without a thank you. Very gracious indeed.

On the way to Etosha we stayed overnight at a cheetah farm. This is a big conservation area where they rescue and breed cheetahs. They have three ‘tame’ cheetahs that live in their garden and play with them and their dogs. They also have around thirty more wild cheetahs in the larger conservation area. Tourists get to walk around with and stroke the tame ones, then take a ride in the back of a pickup truck through the conservation area and watch the wild ones being fed. They have to feed them once a day as it’s impossible to introduce and control any prey that is introduced to the area. Cheetahs hunt both for food and for fun, so they would kill everything within weeks. Seeing the 'wild' ones is completly different from seeing the tame one. Thier eyes look like those of a different animal.

Stroking a cheetah is like stroking a sports motorbike. They are highly strung, built for speed, and vibrate with a loud bass like purr. They were tame but we were warned that one gets stroppy when it’s had enough petting, and another was young so it was likely to take a fancy to things and chew them. It set to work on Mark’s boots at one point. Seeing cheetahs in this setting is slightly false, but like the tigers in Chiang Mai, it’s an interaction and viewing opportunity that you’ll get no other way.

One observation made so far of the animals we’ve seen, is that zebras and giraffes behave just like the characters in Madagascar. Zebras all seem to mirror not just in looks but in behavior and expression. Giraffes are completely ungainly and terrified of their own shadow. It took 3 of them over 3 hours to pluck up the courage to make their way down to the camp waterhole yesterday.