10th JULY 2008 Luangwa Valley

JULY 10TH 2008.

Early morning call at 5.45 after a restless night mainly caused by hippos squelching, belching and grunting around noisily below the balcony. A light breakfast outside before the sun gets up and then its into the Land Rover.

Sue finishes off her cornflakes. ...............................................Just ime for a laugh before we go.

Jason drives us out of the thicker bush and through open parkland with hundreds of puku, impala and zebra grazing; unafraid in daylight as the lions will be resting. The park is 9,000 square km (Wales is 20,000 sq. km) and no one is allowed to live there except the staff on a handful of lodges. No shooting is allowed in the park and they claim to have got a grip on poaching since the rhinos were wiped out by poachers in the eighties.

The only guns allowed are those carried by rangers accompanying walking safaris.

We see buffalo ......................................................................................and hippos.

More education from Jason as we drive. He points out the sausage trees which have a fruit two to three feet long that looks like a giant peanut; tells uis about local shrubs that are used to produce colours and medicine.
At about 9am he stops on the banks of the Luangwa and we watch hippos while we have a drink. Dave and Sue see a croc slither into the river below us and then a water monitor.

Another drive across a dry river bed and then into the trees again before stopping by a gravestone near the river. Its the grave of a famous naturalist, Norman Carr, who did much to secure the game parks in Zambia and started the walking safaris.

Near the grave a couple of tables are set up under the trees and a temporary kitchen manned by staff from the lodge are serving a full English breakfast - bacon, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, sausage, toast and tea and coffee. All very civilised and we feel privileged.

Breakfast in the bush.................................................... ..... ..... ........Jason, Husseys, Durbers.

At one stage Jason stops the vehicle and stared at a bush several feet from us. We see nothing at first and then spot the rear end of an animal sticking out of the leaves. This gradually takes the shape of a lion and then it eases out, a large male. As we sit there a lioness appears then two cubs then another lioness and another cub. Suddenly we have a whole pride. Brilliant spotting by Jason.

............................................ Kris and Rob watch the pride amble into view.

We move on, a kudu bull grazes on young bushes and later spot a hippo fast asleep under a tree by the road. We watch it for a few minutes and it opens an eye but is totally unperturbed. Further along Rob spots a giraffe and then later we see two elephants lazily eating treetops.

Note - all the pics taken by Dave D.

Back at camp we decide to take the rest of the day off. Lunch in the camp, and then we spend the afternoon in our chalets watching the lagoon and and catching up on some sleep.

We wave our AMerican friends off with Jason as they go on their evening drive and then chat with Hazel and Rob for a while before agreeing to meet at 7pm in the bar.

When we arrive there is a little drinking session underway with a witty and slightly inebriated young bloke who is co-owner of a small camp. A couple of drinks on and the jeeps return and we have another good meal in candlelight.

Later Paul and Sue are reprimanded for trying to walk to their chalet without a security man.

Another great day.