Day 15, Thursday 5th May, Cathy and Beatrice
What a cold night!!!! Sally’s mother had told us that at 4am we could see the space station and by coincidence around 4 both Marlis and I checked and saw nothing – try tomorrow a bit later?? Perhaps??
As soon as the sun gets up, the morning starts to warm and by breakfast the thermometer has risen to a more respectable level. Beatrice and I have fried bread with cheese and onion and feel happier about things. Meanwhile Marlis was having Avocado and muesli- together!!! As mummy says: you gotta do what you gotta do!
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| Botanical Garden |
Sally had told us that we could walk very nicely up to the top of leopard rock but we could not find the path and so we continued on to the leopard rock hotel and golf course and had a wonderful walk there. First we went up to the hotel itself to ask for permission to walk on the golf course. We asked the receptionist who owned the hotel and he said Lonzim but the place is managed by Lonrho. Obviously Lonzim is at least in part Lonrho. Interesting to see that Tiny Rowland’s organisation is still going strong in Zimbabwe. The place is superbly furnished, leather sofas and chandeliers adorn the foyer which is dominated by a huge window giving on to the jungle-like hill behind. It all looks fantastic, really classy! But there are no guests..at all!
A fed up looking golf professional drives around the course on a golf cart, trying probably to drive over pedestrians and gardeners trim the fairways and tend to the flowers. The place is like something out of a fairy story, waiting for the handsome prince to arrive.
The views from the golf course over to the mountains are really lovely, the aloes are in flower and being visited by sunbirds, we see a monkey that is not a vervet, a s…. and we sit in the sun enjoying coffee and cake served by a sweet but rather confused trainee waiter. Daddy was not making the trainee’s life any easier, since he was being daddy aka joking around and using sarcasm… which not very many people understand.
The cake is quite filling and we decide that we don’t need lunch particularly since we intend going to Tony’s coffee house in the afternoon for more coffee and cake!
We decide to visit the Botanical Garden next, it is very close to Hi Vu (gosh I hate that spelling) and so Beatrice and I walk down to the entrance while Marlis and Chris drive down in the car. We two have to wait a bit, actually quite a while, for them to arrive, I think that they thought we would walk more slowly. The entrance fees are the usual high parks charges even though Marlis is by now an honorary Namibian. We leave the car outside since to take the car in costs ten dollars!!!
The garden is very lovely, a bit strangely tended, the lawns are well cut and cared for and the azalea and camellia bushed are trimmed as closely as in a tea plantation, not really useful since they are trying to flower. (mummy’s going crazy about all of this…of course) A few have been overlooked by the super-keen gardeners and are loaded with blossoms. I have visions of a gardener armed with a mechanised bush cutter, carried away by his cutting power. I think mummy’s thinking of something like Edward Scissor-hands.
The best bit of the garden is the cycad forest, green and damp and moss covered and smelling deliciously of leaf mould. We wind along between the trees and bushes, the sunlight filters greenly through the leaves and the occasional flash of red (mummy stopping every 2 seconds to take a photo!!) brightens up the view. Very beautiful especially for us normally green starved Namibians (although of course this year…. Is very different!!).
We sit for while by the lake, Beatrice and I taking photos of everything that moves or does not move. After a while we feel that Tony’s coffee shop is calling and we leave the gardens to find out what Tony has to offer.
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| Cake!!! |
Well!!! What can we say??? Tony’s coffee shop must have been made for Beatrice. We park in a shady car park that gives us no idea of the place that we are shortly to experience. The building is quite new and set in an orchard with a sunlit lawn in front. The large glass windows are set into stone surrounds and all of the paintwork is white. The effect is very light and bright and the windows are framed by gold coloured curtains. The furniture is dark wood and there is a lovely arrangement of proteas under a pale coloured oil landscape but the cakes, the cakes ……..
We looked at the menu and the waiter told us what everything is (in detail!) and my stomach is definitely awaiting the onslaught of chocolate. We finally decided after long contemplation on (don’t worry I won’t go into detail..that much..) a piece of orange and coconut cake (sounds odd but just ask mummy, since it was her nr 1, that it was fabulous!), a piece of chocolate, marzipan and apricot cake (Marlis’s favourite by far!) and the complete best, so fantastic it was like a chocolate lovers dream all in one mouthful…yes I’m talking about myself. The chocolatiest chocolate cake ever (also known as rebirth by chocolate)- all served with fresh cream and served with an edible flower and a beautiful chocolate decoration… and that’s just the cakes! Mummy had a Prince of Wales tea- apparently very nice, Marlis had a coffee cardamom (an Arabian speciality), daddy had a normal but very nice filter coffee and I had a…..(pause for dramatic effect) … truffle hot chocolate!!- basically melted chocolate and cream- a firework in your mouth- it was like liquid pudding, but nicer! Delicious! No delectable!
After that… I died. No not quite but I was definitely full and content with life and I was not the only one!.. but I do think I was the worst off- don’t worry I didn’t mind!
Tony himself is wonderfully camp and has become something of a Vumba institution! He is very companiable and charming and tells us stories about his favourite customers. We have a lovely time, as do a table of Muslim girls tucking into Tony’s creations.
The rest of the evening is rather an anticlimax. We are no longer hungry but have some salad to offset the richness of the cake. We sit in the house and chat, enjoying not being frozen outside as we were last night. 15 degrees is a lot better that 7!!
Day 16, Friday 6th May 2011 Chris
At 05:00 Cathy and me have to go to the loo and we finally see the international space station above the horizon in the east, that we have been looking for for days – we were told to look for it at 04:00. Very bright. Anyway, it’s a cloudless morning. Zesa is on and I’m the first to take a hot shower in the house at 06:30. When I’m back at the camp, just before 07:00 the sun is already giving a welcoming warm glow – so I don’t need a jacket anymore – even though it is 12◦C in the shade. The view over Mocambique is glorious – when Sally comes by over breakfast I tell her that no 12-star hotel can beat this view. She agrees.
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| Nyanga |
After drying the heavy dew off the tents we pack and leave around 09:30. Down from 1700m to 1000 (in Mutare) within 20 minutes. I’ve finally got Eckart’s GPS operational – therefore I’m now finally accurate regarding altitude – Danke, Eckart! We pass through Mutare, but we need nothing in terms of shopping.
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| Pungwe gorge |
We reach Nyanga around noon and we treat ourselves to tea and scones (ever so posh!) at the Troutbeck Inn. Under ownership (or mere ‘management’?) of the Sun Hotel chain, we have to assume that they are taking a long-term view. The place is virtually empty and with everything in perfect shape, they must be financially loosing heavily at the moment. Later we drive up to the National Parks Office, and in view of another ice-cold night at almost 2000m we decide to take a chalet at Mare Dam at US$20 each at SADC rates. Here the old world is still intact: the attendant is with us within minutes and lights the donkey for hot water. Zesa is on and hence the electrical appliances: kettle and lights and battery charging. Very few people come here: the last ones a month ago.
On the spur of the moment we decide to stay here one night only and to drive to Harare on Saturday already. Meeting Alex at the airport lunchtime Sunday. Cathy has identified an economical camping outfit in Harare (Hatfield). The Regional Arts Festival should still be on over the weekend in Harare – Cathy got sponsored to go there a year ago and wouldn’t mind having a brief look at it this year.
We don’t unpack but decide to drive down to the Pungwe gorge without delay. The track is quite rough in many places so the 30 odd kms take over an hour. On the way back, my 3 women have to walk short steep bits: the Kombi would have done well with low ratio here. But it works out without having to burn the clutch. The highest mts of Zim, Inyangani, are towering to the east spectacularly.
Back at the chalet we light the fireplace in the lounge and the wooden stove in the kitchen immediately. Abundant firewood! Cooking on the wooden stove, but it takes a fair while to heat up the oven itself. A pleasant warm evening indoors. Luxury!
Day 17, Saturday 7th May 2011 Beatrice
We almost slept in today, well in comparison to all the other mornings!
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| Inyamgombe |
Everyone said that they saw this fantastic fog over the lake, but I rather stayed in bed, funny that isn’t it? Anyway so when I finally did get up, mummy and I went to the car and surprised an entire herd of about 6 Waterbuck. It was a very nice surprise for us and a nice start to the morning. Afterwards we had breakfast we decided to take a bath in turns, so we let Marlis have a bath first, but only cold water!! I didn’t quite want to believe it and tried, and hey-presto hot water!! So I had a luxurious bath and slowly packed up. Once we were all clean and packed up, we set off for yet another water fall, but this time not quite such a terrible road, but that does not mean it was great!
We parked the car at the top and began to wend our way to the bottom. Marlis stayed in the car, because of the steepness of the walk. And yes it was … fun. I helped mummy a bit and we eventually made it to the bottom. What a waterfall! I thought it was very spectacular, with its steps and tiers. After we made it to the top again we set off for a fairly long drive to Harare.
We stopped en route at a garage that was as mummy called it ‘a whited sepulchre’- aka it looked great on the outside, real posh, but inside… Anyway, we continued and stopped at the roadside to buy some roasted mealies. After we had munched our way through them, Marlis and I made some sandwiches for the rest, which was a bit hard, since cutting avo on a bumpy road is not exactly easy.
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| Harare |
We made it! Harare at last… but now we had to find the camping site. Did I mention? There are absolutely NO street signs!! Mummy was going ballistic, basically losing her mind, Daddy getting more and more frustrated and getting really annoyed, me frantically looking for a map on the internet and the car (with all of us in, not to mention!) driving around and around in circles…. What joy!
After asking various and copious people we at least found the street- but wrong we were! The street Twentydales rd exists twice, the ends quite far from each other! Luckily we asked a guy and he pointed us in the right direction. But I did wonder how they made any business the place says it’s for Backpackers- but how on earth one should get there? Especially after the last bit of road..if one can call it that?!
Nevertheless we made it and were greeted warmly by the helper Laz. Once we set up camp and relaxed a bit Mummy and I went swimming. The pool itself was very nice but the water was rather bracing… mummy learnt not to jump in while breathing and we spent the rest of the sunlit hours relaxing.
Afterwards we had a very nice meal made by Laz, with a fabulous salad and no bones in the fish, very tasty. Too bad about the décor, it looked a bit like (I’m sorry to say) an awfully cheap Mexican restaurant.
Soon after we went to bed and one heard daddy’s snoring mins later.
Day 18, Sunday 8th May 2011 Cathy
Today was the day that we picked up Alex from the airport. We got up, breakfasted, struck camp and hit the trail with our by now, customary efficiency. The shower was a bit scruffy but hot so nobody complained.
My mattress, bought in Francistown, collapsed in the night leaving me sleeping on uncushioned concrete. Chris gave me the foam mattress that he was using over his air mattress but this is not a long term solution, a new mattress was needed but on a Sunday? We also needed milk and various sundries and Beatrice needed a long sleeved shirt for Mana Pools to discourage mosquitos.
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| Alex's Arrival |
We were kind of getting used to a certain amount of driving around in circles although Chris had remarkably memorised some of the routes, which helped a great deal. We located the Braeside Spar which was recommended by Marileen the owner of Boulder Creek but before we settled to shopping we drove a few times through the city centre to have a look at the place. Lots of new building, signs of investment but also signs of the problems people are experiencing. Lots of people walking around on the street mid morning with no clear sense of purpose. Lots of other people trying to sell airtime, or tomatoes to each other. The taxi rank was packed with taxis and customers. We spotted a Nando’s a lunch possibility. We bought our shopping at Spar but found no Chinese shops open for mattresses, darn! However as we drove through Hillside we passed an OK Mart, newly opened and amazingly it had a camping section and in the camping section amazingly there was a selection of mattresses, the fold-up variety! We bought two in case of either Marlis or Chris’ air mattress failing. Not only that but they had long sleeved shirts for Beatrice – luxury!
We celebrated our purchases with lunch at Nando’s, saving some for Alex. Chris even found a parking place outside and an obliging security man to keep an eye on the car. The building had no water so we did not eat off plates and I mistakenly ordered lemon and herb which Chris and Marlis did not like. Oh dear, maybe I should leave ordering up to them in future.
We drove to the airport with about half an hour to spare before Alex’ plane was due. I was rather worried about him having a problem with immigration, following the Beatrice debacle, but we could watch the arrivals hall from the restaurant and to my relief he got through immigration OK and his bag arrived as well – what joy!!! We waved at him enthusiastically from the restaurant and he waved back! It was lovely to be able to greet him and find out how much he had enjoyed Germany (a lot).
We immediately hit the trail for Chinoyi on the road to Mana Pools, at least we thought that we had, but with the chronic absence of road signs we discovered as we passed Mazowe that we were actually on the road to Bindura – aaargh!!! Somewhere we had missed a turn. The only workable option was to return to Harare and start again, an 80km detour.
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| Chinovi Camp |
Eventually we did reach Chinoyi just before nightfall and were directed to the Orange Grove Motel which also has camping, just outside the town. What a nice place, a lovely camping ground on lawns in amongst tall mature trees, the cassias in flower, hot water in the taps and a very enthusiastic and charming manager (with three missing front teeth – we speculated about this) who introduced us to his security guards and assured us of a safe night.
We were quite full after our Nando’s and so we ate only Abendbrot and tucked into the Castle beer (Alex has developed a taste for beer in Germany) and Mazoe.
In the night an Afrikaner couple from South Africa came to camp but they moved on in the very early morning, Vilanculos to Chinoi to Victoria Falls and back to South Africa for next Thursday. Chris says that the wife looked a bit fed up. With 14 hours driving a day I would too.
Day 19: Monday 9th May 2011 (Chris)
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| Chinoyi Caves very blue! |
Chinoyi at 1200m altitude this was probably our last cold night, with the possible exception of our time in Hwange. By the time we got going from the lovely campsite, it was after 9 o’clock. We still needed ice blocks, diesel, and general shopping, which took a lot longer than expected, being sent from pillar to post. Finally we got off to the blue Chinoyi caves, just out of town. Unfortunately we were in a bit of a hurry by now, especially because we were told that it would take some hours of bad gravel road after the turnoff from the tar road.
The caves are fantastically iridescently blue. The kids and Cathy were well rewarded by an even better view, when they rushed ahead to see the dark cave.
The trunk road to Chirundu (leading on to Lusaka) is quite full of big trucks: fuel, copper, etc. part of the Beira corridor. Not many places to overtake safely, so it is quite time consuming. Finally we reach the escarpment down to the Zambesi valley – some 500m down. I recognise the lay-by concrete table and bench (now somewhat demolished) that we sat on 39 years ago, on our July ’72 Zimbabwe trip with Mutti, Max & Eckart.
The gravel track is seriously corrugated, with potholes, so you can’t even use speed to lessen the punishment. No choice but to grit your teeth and think of the time it will be over. After 30km we get through the 2nd gate and we are told that the track is now getting better, which it generally true. But lulled into a false sense of speed (security) I hit a pothole, obscured by the long late afternoon shadows, but it’s not too bad. As we are getting closer to the river, the mopane bush is turning into a massive park landscape and we are starting to see more and more animals. The ubiquitous impalas, but also waterbuck, zebra, kudu, warthogs. No elis or buffalo yet.
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| Sundown at Mana Pools |
The camp is, as in ’72, directly on the banks of the Zambesi with a beautiful view over the high mountains on the Zambian side. As expected, the campsite is less than 10% full, but well-cared for, without money to replace un-repairable items. As it is getting dark the sounds of the “jungle” are increasing, some quite close. The hyenas and hippos are the most audible. As Beatrice is cooking (bolognaise sauce in the potjie over the fire) I spot the reflecting eyes of a hyena some 10m away (reflected from my head lamp), but when we are all looking, it has disappeared already.
Lovely mild evening (first in a long time), but astonishingly no discernible mozzies. No need to rush to the tents for some warmth. We even hear the ‘roaring’ of lions throughout the night.
Day 20: Monday 10th May 2011 (Beatrice)
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| Mana Pools Camp |
We all woke up early, really early. . except for Alex and went for a game drive.
It was the perfect time! We saw loads of elephants, more than enough Impalas, a few herds of Kudus, quite a lot of Warthogs and dozens of birds. Fantastic!! Later we found out that the Impalas were in the mating season, which would explain why the Impala males were fighting a lot- if you can call it fighting. It was more like tug of war but without string. When the one moved forwards the other moved back and so on and so on until one gave up and eventually ran away. And the elephants were as big and yet graceful as always. Took loads of photos! And mummy took even more!
After the leisurely drive, we came back to camp and had breakfast, by this time Alex had made an appearance. Today in general was a very relaxed day, so up until about mid afternoon we sat around camp, read a bit, slept a bit, strolled a bit down the river bank and in general were rather happy.
So when mid afternoon did come, we went on another viewing tour and this time Alex included. But at that time of the day, they weren’t quite as active. Yet it was still very nice! At the end of the day (including the trip in the morning) we had a complete count of 15 elephants!!! 4 buffalos and to our surprise 3 hyenas! And the rest were just too many to count.
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| Elephant |
The sun set was really beautiful and so Alex started on cooking potjie. – what joy watching someone cook and one does not (well to some extent) need to move a finger.
When we were having our dinner, the most extraordinary thing happened. We were all eating the potjie when Marlis said she heard a rustle.. no one took it that seriously, since rustles are plentiful in the ‘wild’. But we turned around and what we saw…..(tension is building)… an elephant came walking past our camp, about 3m away from where I was sitting! Just trying to get to where ever he had to be. I think that, that was just the cherry on top of a very nice day.
Day 21: Wednesday 11th May 2011 (Alex)
So hi firstly, it’s me first time writing the dairy these holidays. Well anyway today I tore myself out of bed this morning, to go with the rest of the family for a game drive through a part of the park. We saw buffalo, tons of Impala, Hippos, Zebra and Elephants not to forget the Waterbuck. It was a wonderful drive and we drove through a forest of dead trees, mummy’s theory is that they all died because of flooding. Then after returning to camp and having breakfast we, Marlis, Beatrice and I, got ready for a canoe ride on the Zambezi.
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| Dead Trees at Mana Pools |
Once the guide, Vincent, arrived we all got into the canoes. Beatrice and I in one, Vincent and Marlis in the other and guess what, Beatrice and I as we always do had a fight. We started bickering a bit and so our paddling was not as good as possible. So in the end we all got into one boat and Vincent was the only one paddling, as we were crossing the river three hippos decided to have a look at us and came up a bit close to the canoe. There were also another four hippos closing in from the other side and so Vincent got a bit uneasy and paddled to an Island. There we got out and took a walk hoping that the hippos would move away and that the wind that had come up would settle. So after waiting for about 40mins we decided it was not going to get better and so all got back into the boat and made our way back towards the other shore.
On the way over we were suspicious because we could not see the hippos at all. The river was streaming quite strongly and the wind was causing the water to form waves. It was a challenge but Vincent powered the boat further and further over the torrent. As we reached the centre Vincent stopped the canoe for he was not sure where the hippos had gone.
Suddenly there was a huge splash as humungous hippo bull launched himself at the canoe and all I could hear was the crunch as his massive jaws closed in upon the centre of the canoe. It all happened so fast one moment I was outside the other I was soaked and flung into the deep water of the Zambezi. I could not see any of the others all I was focused on was getting to the other side safely. As I reached the riverbank I looked back and saw that all the others had survived and were swimming towards me. I cried for help, but then saw that a couple of long logs were close to them. It seemed to Beatrice that they were logs and was about to grab hold when I realised that it was a CROCODILE. So without so much as a second thought I pulled out my Swiss army knife and stabbed the crocodile. After taking the other three under my arm swam to safety, yet as I was getting out another crocodile grabbed my leg and pulled me back into the water and as I just managed to resurface I glimpsed to my horror that there were about 5 crocodiles around me. I grabbed my knife and singlehandedly managed to fight my way out of the River……. Well I think this tale has got a bit out of hand and by now you can tell that it’s not the truth. I probably got you up to the part with me fighting of the 6 crocodiles singlehandedly.
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| Ale, Beatrice & Marlis in canoes, before being eaten by crocodiles. |
Now the truth is that a hippo did come up quite close to us on the way back to the other bank, but Vincent paddled us over fast enough to avoid the happenings that I went into so full of detail. After the near death experience we needed time to recover so the rest of the day was spent reading and eating Haribo. Later in the day we went for another game drive and saw tons of elephants (we scared a young one who visibly jumped nd then trumpeted at us) along with all the previously mentioned animals in all we saw 28 elephants that day along with the previous days count. In the evening mummy cooked a scrumptious meal of spaghetti, onions, cheese and bacon. That night I slept well. =)
Love Alex
Day 22: Thusday 12th May 2011 Mana Pools to Kariba (Cathy)
This holiday is rapidly becoming the holiday of the hippos. Particularly after the children and Marlis’ near death experience yesterday and the serenade that has accompanied many of our camping evenings. This evening at Kariba the hippos are around us grazing like dangerous cows as we eat our supper.
We packed quite reluctantly, at least I did. I really enjoyed this stay at Mana Pools. I even liked the visits that the animals made to our camp, the elephant racing past our dinner table on the way to the river, trying not to be noticed; the hyenas rootling around looking for left overs, the monkeys and baboons, like troops of social misfits loitering with intent and of course the hippos, noisy when in the river and almost silent when on land.
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| Lake Kariba Damm Wall |
We drive away from the camp through the mopane forest, so beautiful with the sunlight glancing through the leaves and the grass growing thickly between the trees. Beatrice tries to spot one more elephant, her tally so far is 29 and she would like to make it a round number.
The road to the gate is quite dreadful, we discover that there are though, degrees of dreadful; the first section to the first control gate is simply dreadful while the second section to the final gate is dreadful almost beyond description considering that is the main road to the park. We stop a couple of times to photograph particularly nice Baobab trees and I notice the elephant highways that have been worn through the thick bush, but despite the odd rest by the time we get to the end of the gravel road we have shot the rear shock absorbers. So much for Dakar quality.
We turn onto the road for Kariba, the car rocking gently like a boat, slightly retracing our tracks into the hills and see voluminous smoke in the distance. By the colour and quality and burnt toast smell we can tell that it’s a bush fire. As the smoke intensifies and we can see flames, we come across three disconsolate figures standing in the road. Are they looking guilty or am I projecting with hindsight? They smile sheepishly and wave us on. Are they sure? The drop down the mountainside by this time is precipitous, visibility is very bad and flames leap on either side of the road. It is very hot, particularly on Beatrice’s side of the car. We drive on gingerly. There is a lull in the fire for a while and the smoke clears but ahead of us we can see that it is even worse. Now I know how those Australians felt as they made their desperate escapes last year. We decide to carry on since by now we have fire behind us and fire in front of us so there is no choice. As we emerge from the smoke for the last time we pass three petrol tankers on the way to the Zambian border – good luck chaps. Possibly the three protagonists were burning the verges and the fire got out of hand. We see that the verges have all been burned at the side of the road as we drive towards Makuti. We pass a couple of old burned out vehicles on the way. One of them is a petrol tanker.
We stop for a drink at the Makuti Hotel and as always are treated with the friendly respectfulness that one comes to expect in Zimbabwe. I had forgotten how delightful people are here and how very well spoken. Returning to Namibia will be a bit of a shock.
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| Alex & Chris enjoying a sundowner on Lake Kariba |
The road to Kariba is very lovely, winding through forested hills and offering occasional views of the blue mountainous distance. We eat lunch in the car and eventually see the blue of the lake between the hill tops. Kariba town is strung along the lake shore and we are not entirely clear which road to take. We see a group of ground hornbills mooching along with total disregard for cars or people. I think of dodos. Zebras are grazing along the side of the road like goats do in Botswana.
We continue downhill towards the harbour and see a sign ‘viewpoint and information’. At the end of a short road we find said information office manned by a very helpful young woman and also said viewpoint where we can see the dam wall. It looks quite small to be holding back such a huge volume of water. The young woman tells us where to find a nice camping place, which is the best supermarket and she also tells us that on Sunday they will open the sluice gates to lower the dam level – exciting! Apparently Mana Pools is not taking bookings beyond Sunday because of the danger of flooding.
On the way to the camp site we pass Beatrice’s 30th elephant, busy picking through a rubbish dump for titbits. The animals here are definitely urbanised, just a bit larger than most urban animals. The camp site, Lomagundi Lakeside, is fine, belonging to a local boat club, a bit overwatered and therefore damp under foot but with lots of trees and best of all a floating deck where, having bought a drink from the bar, we can sit enjoying the ultimate sundowner view of the lake. Not too bad really! Another ‘Life’s Tough in Africa’ moment! As we drink the hippos lurk in the water grunting, preparing for their evening’s grazing next to our tents.
Day 23: Friday 13th May 2011 Kariba (Christof)
The night was filled with the sounds of hippos next to us, in the far distance a township disco. Till about 03 a.m. when ZESA packed up – the hippos , in the darkness got bolder and soon a staff member drove past us to the lake shore to switch on the generator for the whole camp – then the hippos disappeared, but the mechanical thud of the generator dominated.
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| Map of Kariba |
Otherwise a relaxed morning in the camp – shifting the table occasionally to stay in the shade. We know that we’re here till Monday morning (to catch the ferry to Mlibizi) – 4 days! So there is really no need to rush anything. Much later we’re driving into ‘town’ (a very elongated affair spread over various bays over 10 km of shoreline). Bit of shopping at Spar: selection is modest, but at least Beatrice can stock up on her coveted ‘hot chocolate’ again.
Then on the hunt to find the place where the ferry is supposed to leave on Monday. Not easy: as seemingly anywhere in Zim all metal signboards get/got stolen. Fieke told us ‘to melt them down to make coffin handles’. It takes us a fair while and asking at least 5 times until we find the place. Although the office is shut, an old crusty Rhodie suddenly appears, being most helpful. We’re lucky, only 24 people (and their cars) are booked for Monday – the ferry is built for 72. So it should be quite uncrowded: the promised hot showers should be fairly accessible and there should be enough room on the floor to spread the mattresses. We’re given a guided tour of the ferry. Good! That is sorted out then.
I ask the old crusty where we might get fresh kapenta (those tiny fish that get salted and dried in the sun) and by luck that is just next door. By further luck they still have some that is not on the drying nets and we buy a bag full for US$2. Back at the camp we shallow-fry them, after rinsing the salt out: a perfect bar snack a la scampi, goes down well with a fresh ‘African’ cabbage salad.
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| Kapenta |
I’ve got an irritation in my right eye: Cathy applies eye drops and a pirate’s eye-band.
Later in the afternoon we go swimming in the nice big swimming pool in the grounds. By 4:30 we start meandering to the floating bar, some 75m from our tents (the effort!!). Marlis and Cathy are very conscious of the mosquitos and apply gin&tonic liberally as prophylactic. It gets dark early: by 6 o’clock its really dark. All the lights go on and boats come and go, I find it very mediterranean. Later we still watch the BBC world news on the big flat screen in the bar – they’ve got the full bouquet!
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