Human Origins and Zulu Battles

Zambian family compound

The rains which have been causing flooding in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania were making their way south, with Zambia and Zimbabwe receiving the first significant rainfall of the season. A section of road works between Lusaka and Livingstone uses a temporary road, which after heavy overnight rain became very slippery, so the road workers were having to use a grader to push the heavily laden trucks up some of the slopes, causing a huge tailback.

Border bridge across the Zambezi Gorge

The border to Zimbabwe crosses the old combined rail / road bridge over the Zambezi gorge. Still very little water in the Zambezi, and at 8.00am I managed to cross both border posts in less then 45 minutes - all very easy. Victoria Falls Town has all the feel of a modern tourist town with smart shopping malls and lots of quality hotels, but following the road south to Hwange National Park there were very few cars, and few roadside stalls selling goods. Many locals were sitting waiting by the roadside and an occasional overladen bus would pass by.
Hwange National Park covers a huge area with many different environments and habitats, from rocky hills, through dense forested areas to open savannah type grasslands and feels very undeveloped, though there are several camps and picnic areas where people can stay.




Gathering Storm Clouds

Wildlife densities seemed relatively low compared to some of the other parks, but that may be as a result of more vegetation obscuring the view. I booked a couple of the picnic sites to camp as they are in more interesting areas than the main campsites, and the first night we were rewarded with a spectacular lightning display to the north, east and south, while the sun set in the west giving an ethereal light to the whole proceedings.

Dramatic lightning with elephant

As it got dark, a herd of elephant arrived at the local waterhole unfazed by the proximity of some of the lightning strikes.

Khami Royal Palace

Bulawayo is a sad shell of its former bustling past, with few cars on the roads due to fuel shortages - none of the central fuel stations had any petrol or diesel, and large swathes of the industrial area closed, so no jobs for the locals. 20kms west of the city lie the ruins of Khami dating from 1450 and was the capital of the Torwa Dynasty for 200 years and seems to have taken over after the demise of Great Zimbabwe. Very few visitors go to this site which has the stone ruins of several platforms including the royal palace, with others appearing to be for cattle kraals and housing for the commoners.
Returning to South Africa after another easy border crossing I visited several locations where remains of early hominids have been found. Along the (now dry) Limpopo River lies Mapungubwe National Park. Made a World Heritage site due to hominid finds in the caves, as well as to preserve one of the few undisturbed mopane forests so loved by elephant. A gold rhino from 1100 AD has been found here.

Gold Rhino  from Mapungubwe

It also encompasses the junction of three countries, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa.
200kms south the Makapane World Heritage site protects a limestone cave system where thousands of 3 million year old fossils have been found. Excavations on site have uncovered remains of Australopithicus occupation from 3.2 million years ago, including the earliest evidence of the use of fire from 1 million years ago. The site also houses a cave where the Voortrekkers massacred a local tribe in the 1800's and a more recent lime kiln for processing the mined stalactites.

Makapane Valley

At the associated Sterkfontein Caves near Johannesburg a museum displays the Australopithicus skulls and associated artefacts discovered in the numerous caves of the area now called the "Cradle of Humankind".
With a week before returning to the UK for Christmas I headed for the Drakensburg Mountains, only for the rain to catch up, preventing any serious walking, but at least filling some of the dry waterfalls, so I diverted to visit some of the famous battlefield sites, notably the battle of Isandlwana, where British forces were routed by the Zulu, and then the subsequent heroic defence of Rorke's Drift. Fascinating to see.

Memorials on Battle site at Isandlwanda

The final visit before parking in Johannesburg was to the battle of Blood River, where the Voortrekkers, having pulled their wagons into a defensive Laager, inflicted a major defeat on the attacking Zulu.
The site has become a major focus for reconciliation and a site of pilgrimage with a ceremony on 16th December (a public holiday decreed by Mandela in his first year in office) each year.

Recreation in bronze of the Boers Laager

In persistent rain I returned to Johannesburg to clean and pack the van before leaving it in storage until the New Year.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

Wonderful Wildlife

Hobas Meteorite

After a couple of relaxing days in Tsumeb, we also had a fractured pipe on the sir-conditioning fixed, we made our way south calling at the Hoab Meteorite. This 60 tonne rectangular block of iron / nickel is the largest meteorite found, and is especially unusual in having flat faces, and there being no evidence of an impact crater. It is believed that 80,000 years ago it entered the earth's atmosphere at a very shallow angle, so reached a relatively low terminal velocity which would have prevented it from creating a huge impact crater, and probably accounts for the angular shape.

Zambezi Campsite in Caprivi Strip

Traditional mud rondavels in Caprici

From Grootfontein we headed east to the Caprivi strip. This region of Namibia is much less developed than other areas, with traditional villages of thatched mud rondavels scattered along the road. Large areas of the strip have been designated as Game Reserves, and the remains of military camps from the 1970's are relatively common. Either side of the Okavango River lies Mahango Game Reserve. On a whim we drove into the reserve one afternoon to find a wealth of game, in fact most of the species found further south in the more touristy Okavango Delta, so it was a pleasant surprise to come across sable antelope, buffalo, and eland as well as the more common impala, elephant and warthog.

Kwando River campsite in Mudumu NP

There are some lovely campsites situated on the banks of the Zambezi and Kwando Rivers and we spent several nights moving between beautiful campsites. Mudumu National Park lies along the Kwando River and despite the challenge of some deep sand we spent a couple of nights on the river front, and were rewarded with the sight of hundreds of elephant and rowan antelope coming down to drink, along with zebra and lechwe and the resident hippos.

Welcome thunderstorms

The lack of rain through Namibia and Botswana has driven a lot of game north resulting in large numbers. As the river provides the only water for the animals they tend to stay relatively near, so great care had to be taken driving the track parallel to the river as there were often herds of elephant either crossing or walking along the track. each afternoon dramatic thunderstorms would develop and we often watched them pass to the east of us, though we did catch the edge of one.
Having heard from several travellers that Botswana is suffering a severe drought and that many of the animals are either suffering or have migrated north we decided to go straight to Zambia so crossed the border at Katima and drove along to Livingstone.

Dry Zambian side of Victoria Falls

Despite Zambia and Zimbabwe having established a special visa which allows multi entry between the countries we could not get one at Katima, but they are available at the border  in Livingstone. We ended up exiting Zambia, walking across the Victoria Falls bridge to Zimbabwe, getting the special Kaza Visa and immediately exiting Zimbabwe and re-entering Zambia. When crossing the bridge you get a view of the Zambian side of the Falls, and can see down into the river gorge where there is normally rafting. The river is so low there is no water on the Zambian side of the falls and the river is far too low for rafting.
Leaving Livingstone we drove east to Chirundu, down on the Zambezi, where it was extraordinarily hot, and crossed into Zimbabwe. The border formalities were very quick and we found ourselves driving on a virtually deserted road through an increasing number of baobabs before turning off along the 70km dirt road to Mana Pools. With temperatures well into the 40's it was uncomfortably hot, but we were fortunate to get a campsite right on the river front, so could benefit from any breeze.

Camping by Zambezi at Mana Pools

The drought is severely affecting Mana Pools. All the pools have dried up, and there is no grazing at all. So severe in fact that they are bringing in tons of hay and distributing it along some of the safari tracks in an effort to keep the grazing animals alive. Despite this there are an amazing number of animals, but again they are concentrated near the river as it is the only place to get water.
We spent two days exploring the tracks with some fantastic animal encounters, especially the elephant which walk through the campsite and stand on their hind legs to feed, with the highlight being a pack of African wild or painted dogs. We spent an hour or more one afternoon watching them as they slept in the shade, then saw them return the following morning from their hunting when they were wildly playful, chasing each other through pools of water and mock fighting. One pair were so involved with their play they almost ran into Sue.

Kariba Dam

It was a relief to find some cooler temperatures as we left Mana Pools and drove to Kariba where we planned to cross back into Zambia. The lake is pretty low, with a relatively small dam holding back a lake 200kms long and 20kms wide, it looks much like an inland sea. Unfortunately the Zambian immigration would not accept the Kaza Visa, so we drove back round to Chirundu where there was no problem.
After a brief stop in Lusaka, as Sue needed to return to the UK, it seemed the rains were at last arriving. 12 hours of rain overnight was very refreshing before Ed headed east to South Luangwa National Park. Dropping down into the Luangwa Valley was like descending into a blaze of  bright green, with new foliage on all the trees, and mangoes falling on the ground.

Leopard in South Luangwa

river front campsite at the Wildlife Camp gave lovely views across the very low Luangwa River to the park, with a chorus of hippo. Elephant, hippo, monkeys and baboon were regular visitors to the camp, but were no trouble. South Luangwa is noted for its density of wildlife, especially its leopard, and over a couple of days I was treated to many special moments, watching lion finishing eating a newly killed buffalo, small family groups of elephant, many with very young babies, and hundreds of baby impala. The highlight was finding leopard, in the daytime resting in a the branch of a tree, but in late afternoon descending to go hunting.
Needing to be in Johannesburg for mid December I am now planning to head back to Livingstone and then down through Zimbabwe to South Africa.
Below are various photos of some of the animals we have been privileged to see.

 

 

 

Carmine Bee Eater

Sable Antelope

African Paradise Flycatcher

Baby ostrich crossing

Fighting impala

 

 

 

Elephant in Musumu NP

Grazing lechwe

Musumu NP sunset

 

 

African Wild (or Painted) dogs in Mana Pools NP

 

 

Impala in Mana Pools NP

 

Wandering Hippo

Lioness on Buffalo Kill South Luangwa NP

 

Hyena

 

 

 

 

           

Northern Namibia

Northern Namibia offers some extraordinary scenery with opportunities to get off the beaten track into the desert, and the remote Kaokaland region.

Rock art at White Lady

With no time pressure we have taken the opportunity to visit some of the more out of the way places. After a couple of days round Windhoek where we were able to get the air con repaired, and purchase much needed new tyres we headed back north and west, first visiting the remarkable white lady rock paintings. This collection of paintings in a remote rock shelter, 2kms up a very hot dry valley depict a shaman performing a dance ritual as well as the more common depictions of animals. What makes them remarkable is their use of colour in the artwork.
Unfortunately the front shock absorber lower support again fractured, so we headed to Swakopmund and West Coast 4x4 who made and fitted a new bracket.

Swakopmund Aquarium

While waiting for the work to be completed we spent several hours in Swakopmund, a seaside tourist town with some lovely colonial architecture and an amazing aquarium with a walk through tunnel containing lots of local fish species. Viewing windows enable close up encounters with sharks and rays.
To get to the north we headed back up the Skeleton Coast passing the astonishing ancient lichen fields which rely on the daily mist which forms between the cold Benguela current flowing north from the Antarctic and the hot air coming off the Namib desert.
50kms inland from the coast is the Messum Crater - a shallow depression caused by a collapsed volcanic crater in the middle of the desert. Amazingly the effect of the Benguela current extends at least 50kms inland with cool nights and morning mist.

Camping in the Messum Crater

Following the dusty tracks we found the crater and camped under a nearby rock outcrop to shelter from the incessant wind. Such a peaceful location with fantastic night skies, and no-one within 50kms.


Huge Welwytchia plant

Rock formations along dry river

The track to the coast runs along a dry riverbed with some of the largest welwytchia plants which must be hundreds of years old, as well as some extraordinary eroded rock outcrops along the river edges.

Skeleton Coast shipwreck

Back along the Skeleton Coast the low tide exposed some of the numerous shipwrecks, as well as whale skeletons after which the coast is named. Such a remote place to be shipwrecked with no water to be found for 100kms or more.

Road into Kaokaland

Passing through the beautiful mesas of the desert we struck north towards Kaokaland and the home of the semi nomadic Himba tribe and the more settled Herero. Apart from one newly graded dirt road the north west is only accessible by some very rough "roads". The Himba still wear their traditional dress and herd goats and cattle, moving between grazing locations, staying in temporary stick and skin shelters. They have a base of more permanent houses of wood and clay houses round a thorny boma to protect their animals at night. It is amazing how they survive in this arid environment, have few possessions and a very light touch on the planet, yet seem generally contented.

Himba Village

Epupa at the northern point of Namibia where it borders Angola is a small dusty town on the Cunene River and has a wide waterfall. The creation of a hydro electric plant upstream means the waterfall is controlled so does not usually flood, however the power of the water flowing through the narrow gorge is amazing.
Following the Cunene river along the Angolan border is quite beautiful, with the blue river flowing between the dry thorn scrub landscape. After 5 years of poor rains the trees are still coming into leaf in expectation of the rainy season which generally starts in November.

Epupa falls

With a plan to head east towards Botswana we again crossed through Etosha for another opportunity to see the amazing wildlife concentrated round the waterholes. Thousands of zebra and springbok with some amazing viewings of black rhino and hyena.
We are now relaxing in Tsumeb while the gasket is replaced on the front differential of the van before heading to the Zambezi region (Caprivi Strip) before crossing into Botswana.

Cunene River

 

 

Tawny Eagle

Giraffe

Zebra at Oliphantsrus

Elephant at Ockakuejo

Black Rhino