Green vistas, red huts and colorful people
The size difference with Botswana is mainly in the green landscape and the amount of people and lots of children. At the water pumps, in the villages and along the road. The area is hilly with trees full of mangoes, we see packed bicycles and people walking. Everywhere are people, they sell stuff, walk or cycle from a to b and often look surprised at our car after which a big smile comes out. A beautiful country where we have been enjoying delicious food for 2.5 weeks.
Victoria Falls
We started at the Victoria Falls, which are also very dry at the end of the dry season! It was therefore possible to get completely on top of the waterfall. Under the guidance of guides, who know exactly where the current is strong and not strong, we could see 120 meters down from “Devils pool”. A magical sight! We camped here again in a nice spot where we could spot the hippos from the tent, and we met many nice people where we drank Mosi’s (the local beer) and exchanged stories.
The experiences on the way in Zambia
In Lusaka we obviously went back to a local garage (yep, it’s getting a bit standard now 😉 this time mainly to check everything. Then we left for South Luangwa National Park. On roads varying from good asphalt, detours, graffel, pothols, etc. The camping sites also ranged from hidden gems to lakes, on a farm in the middle of the goats up to a parking lot of a hotel in a dilapidated village. At this last place we came back after a round on the site when an African spoke to us with: ‘You car has moved’. We thought they had taken a joke, but when we came closer Roel was forgotten to have forgotten the parking brake and our car was driving into the hotel’s ornamental garden 😉 The hotel’s workers had the afternoon of their lives.
South Luangwa National Park
In South Luangwa NP the first rain of the season had already fallen, resulting in a super green landscape. Luckily still low enough to spot the leopards and to be able to ride most roads. So we have been able to practice with 4×4 mud driving 😉 Of course again enjoyed all the game such as; hyenas, hippo’s, leopards, lions, elephants etc. We also did a night drive with a guide where we saw a leopard on a successful hunt for a baby impala. Fanatic!
Camping in the rainy season
We have already had the first real experience with the rainy season. Lightning, rain (unfortunately the tent is slightly less waterproof than we had hoped for), and hard wind gusts. Especially the gusts of wind in South Luangwa NP caused us to collapse the tent and sleep in the car. As you can see in the photo, we have to come up with something for that 😉 The tent is now waterproof again and the plans to make the inside of the car so that we can sleep in an emergency situation, will be after every rain shower increasingly concrete.
