September 6, 2019: Smoke that Thunders--Two Days in Vic Falls

Vic Falls, where rainbows are commonplace. 

 "No one can imagine the beauty of the view from anything witnessed in England. It had never been seen before by European eyes; but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight."    

                                                                      ----- David Livingstone

The good news is that Victoria Falls is beautiful and the bad news is that no photograph can ever do it justice. 

Paul and I first saw Victoria Falls in 2016 in January after the summer rains and it was roaring and massive. This time it was a bit more subdued, but certainly no less gorgeous.  We have only seen the Zambian side from the air, but have witnessed the Zimbabwe side where the falls originate from the Zambesi River from both the ground (as seen above) and from the sky via helicopter. 

Bird's eye view of Vic Falls.  Note the width of the Zambesi River which cascades over basalt formations about 350 ft high.

While it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, Victoria Falls is classified as the largest, based on its combined width of 1,708 metres (5,604 ft =just over a mile) and height of 108 metres (354 ft), resulting in the world's largest sheet of falling water. Victoria Falls is roughly twice the height of Niagara Falls and well over twice the width of its Horseshoe Falls. In height and width, Victoria Falls is rivalled only by Argentina and Brazil's Iguazu Falls. Paul and I were fortunate enough to witness Iguazu two months ago and if you look back a few posts, you will see our experience there. 

The entire flow of the mightly Zambesi River exits over these basalt walls. To the far left of this photo is the famed initation point known as Devil's Cataract

Local tribes used to perform sacrificial ceremonies and when the missionaries arrived in the area they referred to these ceremonies as “devilish” and hence the name given to this cataract. I think it looks pretty heavenly myself.

If you do decide to go to see the Falls, I recommend either side but Zimbabwe side is more guaranteed to have the highest water flow. Also recommended is the walk along the opposite rim for close in viewing, for appreciating the sound it makes and for feeling spray on your face. Sometimes, you even need a raincoat!

The incredibly dry African landscape that surrounds the Zambesi. 

And if there is anyway at all to afford it, take the helicopter ride for an even greater appreciation of the Zambesi river, the gorge that makes the falls and a better understanding of how the river is a life saving feature of the landscape.

Victoria falls Bridge connects Zimbabwe and Zambia across the gorge. The Zambesi River is the dividing line for the two countries.

The shadow of the bridge near sunset across the desolate basalt cliffs in winter.

The bridge was the brainchild of Cecil Rhodes, part of his grand and unfulfilled Cape to Cairo railway scheme, even though he never visited the falls and died before construction of the bridge began. Rhodes is recorded as instructing the engineers to "build the bridge across the Zambezi where the trains, as they pass, will catch the spray of the Falls". It ended up getting built a bit further down than in Rhodes dream, but is still quite beautiful if not a "spray" experience.   It was designed by George Andrew Hobson of consultants Sir Douglas Fox and Partners, assisted by the stress calculations of Ralph Freeman, who was later the principal designer of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The main central arch is a parabolic curve.

The bridge was prefabricated in England by the Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company, before being shipped to the Mozambique port of Beira and then transported on the newly constructed railway to the Victoria Falls. It took just 14 months to construct and was completed in 1905.

The bridge was officially opened by Professor George Darwin, son of Charles Darwin and President of the British Association on 12 September 1905. The American Society of Civil Engineers lists the bridge as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

The bridge under construction in 1905.

Constructed from steel, the bridge is 198 metres (650 ft) long, with a main arch spanning 156.50 metres (513.5 ft), at a height of 128 metres (420 ft) above the lower water mark of the river in the gorge below. It carries a road, railway and footway. The bridge is the only rail link between Zambia and Zimbabwe and one of only three road links. 

Paul and I always say we are going to walk over the bridge but we haven't yet managed to obtain the proper advanced Zambian visa. Next time?

Besides seeing the falls from two different perspectives, another interesting thing to do is actually get on the Zambesi and take a float trip. There are boats of all sizes and shapes, including dinner cruises and whitewater rafting.  It is pleasant to do this at sunset. Hippos are nearly always seen and you might get lucky enough to see some other wildlife on the banks as well.

Take your pick of size and shape of boats for a Zambesi River sunset cruise

Neighborhood elephant getting his snootful on the Zambesi

Cape buffalo

The whole reason for the Zambesi River Cruise

If you prefer an airplane running on a lawnmower motor, or even skydiving, bungee jumping or you name it, somebody is probably selling the experience in, on or above the Zambesi. 

To top off all these lovely and memorable experiences at the Falls, Paul and I had dinner at the Victoria Falls Hotel in the Livingstone Room. Quite formal and unmistakably a hold over from the British era, the atmosphere was nice, the decor classic and the food and wine first class. 

I do also want to give a call out to the lodge where we stayed in the residential neighborhood of Victoria Falls, Phezulu Lodge. The staff were friendly and helpful, the rooms very nice and they had a healthy breakfast.

Phezulu Lodge

Yes! They have diet Coke!

Our room. AC included. Appreciated the moski nets as well.

The most impactful place that I've been to where I was just completely awestruck, happy, moved is Victoria Falls between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is probably the most beautiful and romantic place in the world.

— Hill Harper

Pirate of the Zambesi

Paul's Ponderings:  This was our second visit to the Vic Falls area and we kind of repeated some of the things we did the last time, but to no less enjoyment....helicopter ride, boat cruise, and, of course, the falls.   Having been at Iqauzu recently, this was pretty fun to compare....totally different vibe.   The Phezulu Lodge was pretty great and felt low key and local, but was also nice and I'd recommend it totally.   

And who knew about dining at the Victoria Falls Hotel?   Certainly not us until now.   Pretty cool old school British charm with great food.   

We found out on the way out that they'd opened a new upscale airport recently and we got the pleasure of flying back to Johannesburg on a pretty new Airbus with our hosts on South African Air.  Sort of the cherry on the cake I guess.  

Not sure when or if we'll be back this way, but give it a go if you get the chance.....

September 3, 2019: Kasane, Botswana: Warthogs on the Sidewalk, Monkeys in the Hotel, Hippos in the River and a Touch of Gatlinburg in Between

Friendly neighborhood warthog having a sprawl in the freshly watered hotel garden.

"A roaring lion catches no game."

                                                 Ugandan proverb

Botswana is a sparsely populated country in Sub-Saharan Africa that's major economy is based on diamond mines, gold, uranium and to a significant extent, tourism. For Africa, it is a very stable and economically stable place. It managed to accidentally escape incorporation by the Pommies into South Africa and was merely a protectorate, avoiding the scar of apartheid. Education is a priority to the country and consumes about 20% of the tax dollars.  Unfortunately, there is a high concentration of HIV affecting perhaps up to 25% of the population. The geography of the country is that it is mostly a flat plain at an average of 3300 feet of elevation. The Kalahari Desert and Okavango Delta are famous regions most North Americans have at least a vague familiarity with. 

Yesterday, we had to say goodbye to our unplugged existence in the Okavango Delta and fly North to the city of Kasane, which is the jumping off point for the Chobe National Park.  We have been flying on bush plains and getting a good look at the drought conditions below.  

To give you a bit more background information, the Okavango Delta is an inland swamp that forms where the Okavango River meets a tectonic trough in the Kalahari desert. Interestingly, the water is all eventually evaporated and never flows into any sea or ocean. The Delta is produced during the rainy season from waters that originate in Angola. Peak water levels are usually reached between June and August and attract wildlife.  Yet this balance can be upset by drought, and animals and people alike are heading into difficult times. Summer rainfall was well below average and temperatures soared, resulting in pans and normally perennial rivers drying out. 2019 floods also failed as there was very low rainfall in the Oka­vango catchment in Angola. These dry conditions are affecting the vegetation of the Delta and posing a risk to the wildlife. We saw plenty of animals, but the drought has definitely affected their food and water sources and caused them stress.

One other point of interest is that the area we've been in  is flat as a pancake.

The dry, flat Okavango Plain, a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE.

By contrast, when we arrived in Kasane, a tourist city of about 15,000 people on the Chobe River, conditions were quite different.

The Cuando-Lityani-Chobe-Zambesi river courses over 400 miles through the countries of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambi providing a water source for abundant wildlife (and humans.)

We were driven from the airport to The Chobe Safari Lodge, a very nice modern hotel more like a really nice Hilton resort and nothing like our tent in the bush. Warthogs and mongoose and the occasional monkey scurried over the roads and sidewalks as we made our way. The ground here is definitely hilly and it has all the earmarks of a tourist town with billboards and signs advertising lodging, restaurants and tour operators.

Every street of Kasane is a warthog crossing :)

I never thought staying in a fancy hotel would be a let-down, but after a few nights in the bush (albeit catered to in better than local conditions), you don't miss the fancy hotel room all that much.

Even though it is a fancy hotel, they need this sign!

Fortunately, once we got out to see the animals and particularly on the Chobe River in the float boats, I got over my dismay. The river is such an important and life-sustaining geographic feature, the wildlife flock to it. And you can't dislike that! I would recommend to other travellers to keep your time at the Chobe National Park to a minimum, but DEFINITELY go there. The animal life on the river is amazing. The float trips tend to circumnavigate an island in the channel of the Chobe National Park called Sedudu Island. There was almost a war over it when both Namibia and Botswana claimed this wildlife rich plot of land in the middle of the river. The dispute was settled by the Hague instead who awarded the island to Botswana, as the location of main channel of a river determines island ownership per international law. Who knew? Probably for the best as Botswana claim that Namibia would have used it to farm and it is part of their conservation efforts.

The object of dispute

I will let the photos do most of the talking here and tell the story through the captions. Enjoy!

I'll leave you with a quote about the area from a much better writer:

“The small town of Kasane stands on the high veld plains of the northern horn of Botswana, a tourist haven shouldering the economy of the small but rich country.

The town is located some one thousand kilometers north-east of the Capital City, Gaborone, with its hard blue skies and river-clear air, Kasane is a piece of paradise in this desert region; a shit-hole for the natives apparently as I was to learn, but still the place is a slice of heaven for tourists coming from outside.

At the center of the small town resides an underrated true wonder of nature. A place called Plateau from which one can observe a pack of lions stalking a herd of Zebras; wildebeests crowded together like bees; a fish eagle splashing against the slow moving river and come out bearing a fighting catfish; herds of elephants and Buffaloes grazing and browsing the green mass of flora that escorts what seems like a coiling dark green phantom.

The entire place below Plateau to the north is a wide array of interconnected channels, caressed on the sides by tall evergreen grass. The true wonder that is the exemplar of the Chobe District.

The gravel to the height of ‘Plateau’ snakes through tall, fat baobab trees rising and falling, offering breathtaking views of the dense ridges, then dipping into creeks filled with clusters of dilapidated shacks and mobile homes with junk cars and abandoned road construction machinery scattered about. It clings to more defined creeks with shallow rapids and water clear enough to drink.” 

― Thabo Katlholo

Wandering and Pondering Paul Parris

PAUL'S PONDERINGS:   As noted above, it was a sort of weird letdown when we moved here, after such a spectacular time south of Kasane in the bush.    But, we warmed up to it, particularly on the boat cruise where we saw an amazing amount of wildlife.     We started the day at 545 am with a game drive.   Probably the main new-ish thing there was a large herd of baboons on the move with babies among them being carried.  

Kasane is a small town sprawled out along a road that when going in one direction leads to the Zimbabwean border in about 10 miles or so.    It's about a 10 minute drive from the local airport, which would put many US airports to shame....very nice facility and very modern.   Obviously a gateway to the area which has a large tourism component.   

One of the more interesting parts of these African trips (or any trip for that matter) is the option to try some foods you would never see at home under any circumstance.    On this part of the trip, the item in question was wildebeest in the form of kebabs.    Lots of game meats have a, well, gamey taste that can sometimes be a little off putting.    Not so in this case!    This is like a really good red meat steak with some nice flavor....very enjoyable and cooked just right at our lodge.  

The weather here at night was much warmer than south....we needed A/C at night (which we had) versus nearly freezing in the natural vented air in our previous location.     It was very hot during the day as well, but cooler on the river (no surprise).

Botswana as a whole is a really great place to experience Africa and I'd highly recommend it.   Tomorrow we head to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, which we visited 3-4 years ago and enjoyed, so this is a return event to see the massive site of these falls off the Zambezi river, which we floated on upstream today (under another name).   

A mature male lion encountered on the morning game drive.

We got a big kick out of watching and following a large troupe of baboons.

Mama and her baby carriage

A tree climbing little one. Like a human mother, this one's told it to come down from there.

Birds do it, bees do it. Yep. Baboons do it in front of safari goers!

African vultures waiting their turn

The ever present acacia tree is a favorite of the elephants.

Monkeys monkeying around in a culvert at the hotel.

The biggest treat of the visit to Chobe National Park was the river boat float. We saw so many animals and they didn't seem to interpret the boats as threatening in the same way they did the motorized vehicles on land.

There are an estimated 90,000 elephants in Chobe national park and there is a military unit set up specifically to keep poachers away from them. 

The African openbill feeds almost exclusively on aquatic snails and freshwater mussel, but isn't too proud to also eat terrestrial snail, frogs, crabs, fish, worms, and large insects. It uses its bill to detects its prey, and can use it in such a way that it easily pries open molluscs. It likes to eat alone.

The African darter is often seen sitting along the waterside spreading its wings and drying its feathers in the wind and the sun. Because it often is submerged up to the neck, it is often called the snakebird.

 A gregarious animal, the waterbuck may form herds consisting of six to 30 individuals. I culled this lovely male's photo from his harem of ladies and babies. The waterbuck cannot tolerate dehydration in hot weather, and thus inhabits areas close to sources of water in which they can feed on grasses, such a Sedudu Island in the Chobe River. 

Elephants are great swimmers and we caught this one crossing from Sedudu Island to the  opposite shore. After replacing his mud layer to keep off the insects, we discovered elephants are NOT great climbers. Yep, he is NOT doing a yoga pose. It was funny to watch him struggle up the bank and the story had a happy ending.

Wallowing hippos with egret hitchhikers

When we saw this giraffe from the boat, I thought it was assuming the water-drinking position, which is actually quite dangerous for them and makes them vulnerable to predator cats, but it ends up it was licking the soil. The guide says that particular area serves as a salt lick.

Giraffe version of downward dog?

The yellow billed storks feed patiently by walking through the water with partially open bills and probe the water for prey. Contact of the bill with a prey item is followed by a rapid snap-bill reflex, whereby the bird snaps shut its mandibles, raises its head and swallows the prey whole. They like to follow hippos and crocodiles to take advantage of what is churned up by the larger animals.

The obligatory sunset photo off Sedudu Island

September 2, 2019: Under The Botswana Sky

Kalahari Sunset

“Most game reserves in Botswana are large tracts of totally undeveloped wilderness. There are no paved roads, fast-food stands, water fountains, campgrounds, restrooms, or any of the other “improvements” found in parks and reserves in more developed countries.” 
― Mark Owens, Cry of the Kalahari

It’s particularly difficult to describe a day in an African game reserve camp. The hardest part is knowing where to start. Should it be with the nightly lullaby frog-chorus near the tent on the banks of the Gomoti River? The frightening footfalls in the night that provoke concern about the sturdiness and tomfoolery of the structure you sleep in whilst protected under mosquito netting against Africa’s small, but most deadly animal? Coming from first world cities, you gain an appreciation for the meaning of darkness, perhaps for the first time. Or perhaps I should write about the alarm clock of disputing ducks that commences at 6 am sharp?  

Maybe it makes more sense to concentrate on coming and going of  the light--- the gradual morning crescendo of silver from the east that outlines the resting kudu’s horns and eventually produces his shimmering shadow in the calm, receding waters. Or was the golden sunset better? Watching the hippo family breaking eyes barely above the river’s surface as the giant orange orb of sun drifts down below the horizon.  Possibly I should concentrate on the feast of the eyes that is a daily routine here for the animals making a life here in the Moremi Game Reserve. They seem entirely exotic and wild, but they are, in fact, merely going about their day. It’s almost laughable in a way to imagine switching places . A Land Cruiser full of zebras, elephants, impala, warthogs and screeching baboons roving by my house, stopping in the kitchen to watch me eat eggs, staring me down as I walk to the hospital, marveling at our team’s ingenuity in  the operating room, or  “oohing and ahing”  as they snap photos of life and death in the emergency room with their cell phones and cameras. And the whole while I ‘d attempt to run away or at the very least, shun them. In some ways, it makes me ashamed to disturb their routine. But the struggle of their lives and the integrated dance of sound and sight set in the backdrop of African sage and the shallow life-sustaining river is more temptation than I can resist. 

And so, I'm going to let a series of photos tell a story that is too large for words... or even images. And maybe bigger than the expansive human imagination.  All the advice I can give is this: COME TO AFRICA.

“You know you are truly alive when you’re living among lions.” 
― Isak Dinesen, Out of Africa

Paul's Ponderings:   Wow, what an incredible couple of days looking at wildlife and scenery in Botswana.   I can't recommend the area highly enough.  We saw an abundance of wildlife with the help of the great staff and drivers at our lodge and could easily have stayed a couple more days.   It's been quite warm here during the day, even though it is winter, but at night quite cool.    After spending two days at the Moremi reserve, we now move up to Kasane and some no doubt new experiences there.   More to come.....

SETTING

We are staying at the Mmadinare Bush Lodge--which means the Mother Buffalo. And we have a motherload cool tent on the Gomoti River banks where we constantly see wildlife. 

We are in northern Botswana, near the Zimbabwe border on the Gomoti River which noticeably recedes daily in the drought.

BEASTS

A Cape Buffalo herd on the move. Our drivers said this member of the "big five" is the scariest to them, as it gives no warning prior to attacking the jeeps.

The Tsseseb. An animal I didn't even know existed, but a pleasant surprise on the game drive.

The hyenas usually travel in pairs or groups.

A close-up of a potentially dangerous fellow.

The impala are frequent sites, to the point you rarely get excited about seeing them. They often travel in herds of 20-30 females with one lucky guy lording over the harem.

This guy is a "lonesome loser." There are way more than two girls for every boy, but only the toughest buck in the lot gets the privilege of the ladies.

A magnificent kudu on his lunch break

These "river horses" are responsible for more human injuries than any of the other mammals. Fiercely territorial, they enter the water early in the morning and waddle out at night.

Team Zebra

Yes, this is in fact an elephant scratching his bum on a tree.

Apparently, the tastiest leaves are far overhead

Baby elephant walk

Wildebeest in migration after sunset

There were so many animals, many of them shy and retreating. And then there were the lions who tolerated us at very close and somewhat uncomfortable range with a significant amount of ennui.

Male twins ousted at about two years of age and now learning hunting skills on their own.

A lazy lion pose

We saw quite a few giraffes but these triplet brothers at sunset were a particular joy.

The African Wild Cat. About the size of a big housecat and its ancestor.

We saw baboons in many places, but especially along the river getting water. We also saw them running  in droves out of trees in the morning. They sleep there at night as partial protection from the big cats.

The bat eared fox is the size of a small fox. And too cute!

We only saw the bush baby at night.

I am sure I am forgetting one of the beasts we saw. As far as the "big five" go, we did not see leopard or rhino.

BIRDS

There was absolutely no shortage of birds, many colorful ones we don't see in the states. It's very hard to get a photo of the birds as they enjoy flitting about just in time to completely ruin any photograph, but here are the more common or in some cases, least jumpy species. This doesn't even start to cover all the available bird life in the Okavango Delta. 

The fish eagle greatly resembles of American Bald Eagle. We got the pleasure of watching one catch a fish, but that happened too quick to get a snapshot.. The nest in pairs. The female is larger than the male

MR Ostrich was NOT happy to make our acquaintance and made quick work of leaving the premises.

The remaining photos are not mine, but I did want to share some shots of either very common or unbelievably beautiful ones. We actually saw all these and more.

The African hornbill was everywhere and frequently barely got out of the way of the Land Rover

The glossy starling was one of Paul's favorites. The iridescent color shifted between black and shades of blue.

The lilac crested roller is the national bird of Botswana. It really is this gorgeons.

The pied kingfisher. There was one that hung out on the porch of the dining area of the lodge.

The secretary bird was quite funny to watch and apparently seeing one is right up there with seeing a unicorn.

Storks feeding on the corpse of a baby elephant. Apparently they die of Anthrax sometimes in this area. We were so sad to see this scene. To show the balance, however, vultures and storks have a meal for about a month.

It was a rare pleasure to see all these animals in their native environment. 

Pirate bird out of native environs enjoying the sunset, Botswana style.