|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
383km |
Meals
mince with rice |
Weather |
Kafue NP, Zambia
Witt & Jen |
09 August, 2004 |
Lufupa Campground |
14°36.873’S
x 26°11.316’E |
Odometer: 30875km |
Sunny, 95(F)
degrees |
|
After saying goodbye to the sisters and giving
a donation this morning we headed east out of Mongu. We stopped in Kaoma
for diesel where Jeff and Jean offered a lift to a police officer and we
picked up a guy clutching a bit of brake line and a couple of bottles of
brake fluid who needed a lift back to his broken down truck. Jeff and
Jean’s rear shocks have failed completely and their landcruiser bounces
quite a bit. They’ve decided to head straight south to Livingstone to get
new shocks. Jen and I headed North in Kafue NP. We arrived there at about
430 and after a quick dinner headed out for an evening game drive. The
guide had a powerful spotlight and we saw several species we haven’t seen
before including a sharp’s grysbok, a porcupine, a jenet, a mongoose, and
a few others. Fortunately the tsetse flies that plagued us on the drive in
disappeared after dark. According to the guy at reception we were unlucky
enough to be only the third game drive in two weeks that didn’t see a cat. |
|
Sunset on the Kafue River |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
0km |
Meals
Barracuda on the braai |
Weather |
Sodwana Bay, South Africa
Graham & Connie |
9 August, 2004 |
Camp site at Sodwana Bay |
27°32.885’S 32°40.012’E |
Odometer: 41984km |
Warn, Sunny, 75(F)
degrees |
|
And another day of relaxing and diving. In the
afternoon Slade, Krissy, Henry, Paula, Connie and Graham went for a walk
along one of the nature trails. It was nice even though we didn’t see the
promised hippos and crocs. Back at the camp site we saw banded mongooses,
vervet monkeys and a red duiker. Graham (not Jackson) went spear fishing
again. This time he got a barracuda which was fantastic on the braai.
Krissy, Slade and Graham (J) arranged to go out with a dive boat in the
morning to 2 mile reef to do some snorkeling. |
|
The kids enjoying picking fruit
on the nature walk |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
420km |
Meals
Chicken, Leftovers |
Weather |
Near Luska, Zambia
Witt & Jen |
10 August, 2004 |
Pioneer Campground |
15°23.734’S
x 26°27.079’E |
Odometer: 31295km |
Sunny, 94(F) Degrees |
|
We awoke early and after tea
and rusks set off on a game drive at about six am. We drove for about
three hours but didn’t see much that is noteworthy. We discussed staying
another night, but the exorbitant cost of the park drove us out. We ended
out spending $140 for our twenty four hours in the park. At the gate we
met a German backpacker named Flo. He was looking for a ride to Lusaka, so
we squeezed his pack in the back of the landy and headed out. The road to
the capitol is mostly good tarmac with one 10km section of bat potholes.
After dropping Flo at a backpacker’s in town, we found Pioneer camp about
20km from the city. We heated some leftover chicken tikka for dinner and
had an early night. |
|
We passed a
cotton depot on the way to Lusaka |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
266km |
Meals
Barracuda on the braai |
Weather |
Pennington, South Africa
Graham & Connie |
10 August, 2004 |
Venter Household |
30°22.907’S
30°41.345’E |
Odometer: 42411km |
Warn, Sunny, 70(F)
degrees |
|
Got up early to get camp packed up so we could
go diving. Unfortunately we were to be disappointed. When we got down to
the beach it was quite windy and the sea was choppy. The skipper of the
dive boat said he wouldn’t take any snorkelers out. So we headed out of
the park, or tried to. Unfortunately the park officer decided that we
needed to pay more for our stay, even though we had paid all in advance.
It was a huge fight, but eventually we walked out and made it out of the
park without paying any extra. It was a very disappointing end to a nice
stay. On the long road back to Pennington, Slade’s Land Rover lost 5th
gear, so that made to long drive even longer. We got back just before
dark, and had a quick meal before turning in. |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
50km |
Meals
borewors, broccoli |
Weather |
|
Near Lusaka, Zambia
Witt & Jen |
11 August, 2004 |
Pioneer Campground |
15°23.734’S x 26°27.079’E |
Odometer: 31345km |
Sunny, 87(F)
degrees |
|
We headed back into town this morning to do
“city” stuff. Our first stop was the embassy of Mozambique where we
applied for a visa. Next we visited a few auto parts stores before
locating one with Landrover parts. I bought a new half shaft for the right
rear, which nick said was becoming worn. Strange, as both rear halfshafts
were new in the UK. I also bought a couple of wheel bearings and a hub
seal, but couldn’t procure a tool for the hub nuts. This set us back about
$150. Next up we headed for the customs office to get our temporary import
permit (form CE-5) extended, as we’ll probably be in Zambia a little
longer than the thirty days they gave us. The lady in the office explained
that she couldn’t extend the permit since it hasn’t expired yet. I
explained that we wouldn’t be in Lusaka when it did expire, and how was I
supposed to get it extended when we’re out in the bush? No amount of
cajoling would convince her to sign the form and we left empty-handed. If
it comes to it, we’ll change the date on the form ourselves. Next stop the
Zambia State Insurance company to buy another 30 days of 3rd party
insurance for $6. Starving, we headed for a fancy strip mall out of town
and had lunch a Nando’s. The PostNet there has internet access, but it was
full and looked pretty slow. We headed to the Arcades, an even fancier
brand new strip mall another few kms away. We located a nice internet café
with a fast connection and wireless access for the laptop. We spent an
hour or so sending website updates and catching up on emails. We next went
to the Super Spar and bought some stuff for dinner, which we cooked on the
braai back at the deserted campground.
Jen and I both very much like Zambia so
far. All of the people we’ve met have been very friendly, especially in
the bush. The kids all wave and there isn’t much asking for money. Even
Lusaka seems very safe for a medium-sized city. |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
0km |
Meals
Steak & kidney pie |
Weather |
Pennington, South Africa
Graham & Connie |
11 August, 2004 |
Venter Household |
30°22.907’S 30°41.345’E |
Odometer: 42411km |
Warn, Sunny, 75(F)
degrees |
|
Slade decided to try to fix 5th gear in Sid.
In order to facilitate that he and I and his dad worked on cleaning up
that garage. That took most of the day, and then I worked on web updates.
We are trying to get a ship date from Nathan at Pangaea Expeditions. We
went over to Slade’s mothers place for dinner which was excellent. Still
waiting to find out about shipping. |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
40km |
Meals
borewors, broccoli |
Weather |
Near Lusaka, Zambia
Witt & Jen |
12 August, 2004 |
Pioneer Campground |
15°23.734’S x 26°27.079’E |
Odometer: 31385km |
Sunny, 83(F) Degrees |
|
Jen and I went for a run on the dirt roads
surrounding the campground this morning. The weather was cool and we
passed a few small villages (just collections of grass huts, really) along
the way. The people all smiled at us and said hello. The kids seemed
pretty curious as to why two Mzungu (white people) would be running
through their village. We headed into town at about 11am and went to the
national museum. The highlight of the rather small collection was
newspaper clippings from the early twentieth century that really show how
white settlers thought about the local population. There was also
interesting material on Zambia’s struggle for independence. We went back
to the mall for lunch (at Subway!) and more time on the Internet. We
should be able to collect our Mozambique visas tomorrow morning. We’re
also waiting for new ATM cards to arrive from the states, so we’re
planning to drive up to a chimpanzee orphanage in the copperbelt region
for the weekend, then return to Lusaka to pick up our cards on Monday or
Tuesday. |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
149km |
Meals
Chops and mash |
Weather |
Pennington, South Africa
Graham & Connie |
12 August, 2004 |
Venter Household |
30°22.907’S 30°41.345’E |
Odometer: 42560km |
Warn, Sunny, 75(F)
degrees |
|
Connie and I went to the Pavillion mall in
Durban to check email. Mainly to see if we had any shipping information
but also to send web updates. Unfortunately for some reason the file
wouldn’t transfer. We dropped film off at a place in Durban to be
developed, and saw Spiderman 2 with Krissy and Slade in the evening. |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
475km |
Meals
Leftover stirfry |
Weather |
|
West of Chiliaombwa,
Zambia
Witt & Jen |
13 August, 2004 |
Chimfunshi Campground |
12°21.466’S
x 27°33.231’E |
Odometer: 31860km |
Sunny, 86(F)
degrees |
|
After a brief stop at the internet café (it’s
fast and cheap and we can’t resist) we picked up our passports at the
Mozambique embassy. We hit the road at around 11am for the long drive
north into the copperbelt region. The drive was mostly good tarmac with a
few exceptions and we arrived at the camp just after dark. There was a
sign at the campground warning of hippos and crocs and we were a bit
nervous about where to park the car. We found a spot and after driving up
onto some bricks to level our bed we made a quick dinner of last night’s
leftover stirfry and spend a couple of hours on Don and Sylvia’s (the
owners) verandah. |
|
Our campsite on the Kafue River |
As we ate dinner, this spider
decided he was hungry too. |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
0km |
Meals
Calamari, Cape fish potjie, sushi |
Weather |
Pennington, South Africa
Graham & Connie |
13 August, 2004 |
Venter Household |
30°22.907’S 30°41.345’E |
Odometer: 42411km |
Warn, Sunny, 80(F)
degrees |
|
We spent the day at uShaka Marine World with
Krissy and Slade. It is a large aquarium and water park. Still fairly new,
some of the shows are a bit unpolished, but it is a fun way to spend the
day. The aquarium is under a mock up of a ship, and all of the rooms are
styled like rooms in a shipwreck. We watched the dolphin show and went
back for the seal show. Unfortunately the seals weren’t cooperating and
the show was cut short. |
Watching the show at uShaka The dolphins were cooperating ...but the seals were not!
Watching the show at uShaka
|
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
475km |
Meals
Pasta, T-Bone steaks and pizza |
Weather |
|
West of Chililabombwa,
Zambia
Witt & Jen |
14 August, 2004 |
Chimfunshi Campground |
12°21.466’S
x 27°33.231’E |
Odometer: 31860km |
Sunny, 86(F)
degrees |
|
When we looked out of our tent this morning we
were awed by our beautiful surroundings. The campsite is on the banks of
the Kafue. A mist hung over the sill water as the sun rose and gradually
burned it off. We headed to the chimp orphanage this morning after
breakfast and got a quick orientation from Sylvia. The orphanage was
started in 1983 when Sylvia’s mom took in an orphaned chimp. Today the
orphanage spans a couple thousand acres and is home to over 70 chimps. The
animals for the most part have been rescued from defunct zoos, circuses,
and poachers. They are first socialized into groups in the “orphanage.”
After a couple of months they are moved to the “project” which consists of
three large (250-500 acre) fenced enclosures. Each group of a dozen or so
chimps has it’s own enclosure. Because the chimps’ natural habitat is
being lost, there is no way to successfully re-introduce the chimps into
the wild, so those at Chimfunshi will live out their lives at the
sanctuary. Several of the young chimps in the project were born there, and
we were fortunate enough to see a four-day old youngster clinging to his
mother’s belly. Sylvia and Don very much love animals, and the place is a
veritable noah’s ark housing rescued dogs, some geese and even a hippo
named billy who has been living at the orphanage since it was rescued
after it’s mother was shot by a poacher. We drove out to the project where
Craig, a fifth generation Zambian who has spent his life as a wildlife
ranger, showed us around. We saw the chimps being fed their lunch of fruit
and watched them socialize and interact for awhile. Back at the orphanage,
we saw several of the younger chimps being bottle-fed, and even got to
play with one who by virtue of her ability to escape from cages gets to
run around outside. Back at the campsite we made dinner of grilled T-bone.
The steak is from Zambeef and is some of the best I’ve ever had. We met
two Dutch girls volunteering here on an exchange program, as well as a few
friends of Don and Sylvia’s, and sat out on the verandah talking until
late. |
Billy doing what hoppos do best Corinne, the escape artist Jen gets friendly with Corinne
|
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
0km |
Meals
Sosaties and borewors on the braai |
Weather |
Pennington, South Africa
Graham & Connie |
14 August, 2004 |
Venter Household |
30°22.907’S 30°41.345’E |
Odometer: 42411km |
Warn, Sunny, 75(F)
degrees |
|
Helped Slade start the process of pulling the
gearbox out of Sid. First job was to remove all the expedition equipment.
Fridge, water tank, drawer system all came out. Then we took some rubbish
from the cleaned garage to the local landfill. Knowing that he was about
to pull the car apart, Slade hadn’t put much fuel in, and we ran out on
the way back from the landfill. Luckily it was downhill most of the way
and we were able to coast home. We then started taking the floor panels
and transmission tunnel out. |
|
Stripping Sid |
Slade finds a lot of space! |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
463km |
Meals
Chicken Tikka Masala |
Weather |
|
Near Lusaka,
Zambia
Witt & Jen |
15 August, 2004 |
Fringilla Farm |
15°00.262’S x 23°09.525’E |
Odometer: 32323km |
Sunny, 92(F)
degrees |
|
We departed this morning at
about 930 and spent the whole day driving back toward Lusaka. We stopped
for lunch of nchima (corn meal cooked with water, some grilled chicken,
and some sort of green veggie) at a truck stop along the road. We pulled
into the campground at about 5 and started dinner. It looks like we’ll
have the place to ourselves tonight! |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
0km |
Meals
Fish & crayfish on the braai |
Weather |
Pennington, South Africa
Graham & Connie |
15 August, 2004 |
Venter Household |
30°22.907’S 30°41.345’E |
Odometer: 42411km |
Warn, Sunny, 75(F)
degrees |
|
Spent the day pulling the gearbox out of Sid.
We put him up on ramps and lowered the gearbox out with a coffin jack. It
worked very well, but took most of the day. We checked out email hoping to
have some shipping news, but there was none. Slade had gone spear fishing
with Henry early and had caught a large fish and 4 crayfish. So we had a
braai over at Slade’s grandmother’s house and the fish was superb! |
|
Now that's a fish! |
|
August 16.... |
