Our Round-the-World adventure

[tacototheworld]

Man, that shop is a disaster and its doors should be closed permanently. You probably have by now but I would check every bolt in the area's that shop worked on. What a disaster. That kind of puts a damper on the fun. Good job of making the best of it though.

100% agree. What’s even more scary is that they are highly rated on multiple sites including iOverlander. In fact, They are a big enough shop that they fabricate, powdercoat and export their own front and rear bumpers for multiple vehicle types. They even fabricate their own roof-top tents.

They even have such a good reputation with Toyota that they receive customer vehicles straight from the factory and do manufacturer warrantied aftermarket work, bumpers, suspensions, etc.

Our first shop experience which was the original build in the USA was even worse. And this was a 4 Wheel camper dealer, who is very involved in the Overlanding scene. I left their shop with inoperable turn signals, an aftermarket suspension that bottomed out on the flatbed on the first test drive, the lithium camper battery hooked up directly to the truck battery causing a perpetual electrical drain and finally running an inadequately sized wire from the alternator to the camper battery that was pinched under the camper. A year later this is found by another shop where the insulation had rubbed off and luckily did not cause a fire.

Along our drive however we have also found several very good shops in England, Portugal, and Gabon. You just never know.

You’ve reminded me to check the tire lug nuts cause i just had another shop do a tire rotation recently…

 

[tacototheworld]

Mozambique - part 1

Driving the sandy beach roads of Mozambique. (Note the tilt in the camper down to the left, this will become a later issue)

We entered Mozambique from Eswatini with some trepidation. We knew there was ongoing civil unrest in the north of the country and heard of travelers struggling with police corruption. But after traveling the coast of West Africa, we had learned to take many of these stories with a grain of salt. People are still living, working, raising families and going to school in countries which are rumored to be “unsafe” for travelers. We had a great time in Mozambique and, once again, it made us question our information sources and the inherent bias that goes into outsiders making these evaluations.

Despite our complete lack of Portuguese (back to our limited obrigado and bom dia) we were warmly welcomed everywhere we went, received friendly waves at police stops and enjoyed exploring endless miles of white sandy beaches and rugged forest and mountain scenery.

Overall we saw scores of police speed checks (more than we have ever seen in any country) and general police check points. We were scrupulous about sticking to posted speed limits and were only actually stopped five times. Four of those were highly professional, asking where we were going, sometimes a passport check. One time we accidentally were going 68kph in a 60 zone (looking ahead to that nearby 100kph sign), but were let off without a ticket and well wishes to enjoy our time in Mozambique. The only place we were asked for a bribe was the military stop at Save River Bridge. They were pretty persistent but so were we (lots of smiles and us saying sorry, no gift today) and eventually we were waved on with a smile .

Especially at the southern end of the country, infrastructure has been developed to accommodate holiday makers from South Africa. Roads are good and restaurants, campsites and tourist attractions abound. We easily received our visas on arrival at the border by providing proof of a booking (the immigration officer was kind enough to give us a hotspot so that we could screenshot him a copy of our campground reservation since we had not been around a printer in a while). Customs also issued a Temporary Import Permit for our truck on the spot for a $28. Total time at the Goba border, less than an hour. (It would have been only a few minutes but we got behind a busload of Eswatini soccer fans on their way to support their team in Maputo).

First roads over the border, good gravel.

Our first stop was Ponta do Ouro where we happily planned a layover day in a campground on the outside of town. We took long walks on the beach, explored the sleepy town and rested.

Whimsically decorated lunch spot in Ponta do Ouro

Downtown Ponta do Ouro

Miles of beautiful beach to walk

We were off season for South African holidays so no one around

Fully refreshed from a few days of showers and relaxing walks we made our way to the capital city Maputo to learn more about the history and culture of the country.

It is no surprise that Mozambique’s history is similar to most of colonialized Africa. In the early days, nomadic tribes populated the area. Gradually other tribes made their way from the west and a variety of small kingdoms reigned. In the 8th century the Arabian traders arrived. Relations went well, people intermarried and the local Swahili language started to blend in Arabic words and terms. In the late 15th century, the Portuguese arrived and began setting up trading posts and forts along the coast. In the 1880’s when the European colonizers sat down to carve up control of Africa, Portuguese formalized their rule of the region.

In the early 1900’s Portuguese rulers insitututed their own version of apartheid with the population being divided into the “Portuguese” with full citizenship rights and the “indigenous” who were forced to work, pay taxes and had daily restrictions put on their lives. A gradual sense of unhappiness and increased nationalism led to the fight for independence which launched in 1962 under the leadership of the Frelimo party. In 1975, after years of a scorched earth policy, Portugal finally handed over independence and the Frelimo party leaders came into control. Samora Machel was appointed the first president. (in an interesting fact, there is one woman who was married to two African presidents, Graca Machel, who was first married to Nelson Mandela and then to Samora Machel).

Casa de Ferro (Iron House) in Maputo, reportedly designed by Gustave Eiffel, built in Belgium and brought by the Portuguese to serve as a Governor’s Mansion. But the iron proved to be too hot to be habitable.

Frelimo came into power and embarked on a program of radical reform based on socialism which unfortunately failed. By the 1980’s the country was bankrupt and struggling. An opposition party, Renamo was formed with support from South Africa and Rhodesia to combat the Soviet backed Frelimo. The country fell into civil war which like many regional conflicts in Africa in the late 20th century was exacerbated by the ongoing Cold War and competing east-west idealogies. After one million Mozambiquens were killed in the war and five million more people were displaced, the war finally ended in 1992 with the official end of the South African support of Frelimo and Soviet support for Renamo.

Our two week route through Mozambique - this map only shows the southern half of the long, skinny country.

Although the civil war is officially over, Renamo insurgents continue to fight in the far northern section of the country and have a reputation for violence, kidnapping and extortion. Some of the Mozambiquens we spoke with said it was really a war over control of the lucrative gold and gas resourcs in the north.

Maputo Cathedral - Catholic church built by the Portuguese in the 1930’s. A Rome-based Catholic lay community played a key role in brokering the peace agreement ending the civil war in Mozambique.

Downtown park in Maputo

In general, Maputo felt prosperous. Infrstructure appeared to be in good shape. The downtown area was walkable with cafes, restaurants and nightclubs. Although 2/3 of the population of the country live in rural areas and depend on subsistence agriculture, Maputo is an international and economic driver. With neighboring countries being landlocked, Mozambique ports play a key role in importing and exploring to the region.

Walking history tour with local guide, Hendy. Highly recommend!

Central market in downtown Maputo, filled with spices and grains

As fascinating as Maputo was, we still don’t love cities, so made our way back to the coast. We found more remote white sandy beach at Chidenguele where we camped for the night.

Walking the beach at Chidenguele, camped at Sunset Beach Resort

We will never get over our amazement and respect for African women carrying loads balanced on their heads

Not being highly social or party people, we skipped the famous Tofo beach area and headed out to Barra at the tip of the peninsula. More camping and beach walks!

Andy always has to catch the wildlife. Then he puts it back.

 

[tacototheworld]

Mozambique - part 2

Driving throughout Africa, we are always fascinated by what people are selling by the side of the road. And by the beautiful designs the vendors create out of what they are selling.

Plastic bag tree donating the sale of cashews. They dot the roadways of Mozambique, with extra bags always tied up high in a cheerful design.

Thatch for sale, organized into sleek pyramids.

There was some strong branding at play, every village had a store or bar painted to match the logo and design of the national beer.

It had been a few months but we got to cross the Tropic of Capricorn again, this time heading north.

These beautiful young girls wanted us to take their picture, we were happy to.

On our next beachside stop we got to meet up with fellow overlanders, share a meal, stories and recommendations - always a good time to be with like minded travelers.

Ocean Pearl camp in Vilankulos

We have been on the road with Maarten and Renske for months, switching off who is ahead and who is behind. They drove an electric car from the Netherlands down to South Africa and up to Kenya. They are shipping home soon, we will miss seeing them!

Another lay over day - how did we get so relaxed? Had a super time walking around Vilankulos - and more youth requested photos!

Yes, that is a gin-based drink in a cardboard box

Bridge connecting the community across a swamp

Beautiful traditional homes of thatch

And a beautiful Boabab tree along the way

We finally and reluctantly left the coast (it is going to be a long time, maybe Kenya, before we see the ocean again). We decided to visit the Gorongosa National Park, a great Africa restoration story. With significant international and local investment, the park is being re-populated and re-invigorated with the hopes of once again being a tourism destination.

Along the way we stayed in a local community campground -Ndzou.

The park and wildlife was decimated during the civil war (similar story to Quicama National Park in Angola). But park management is turning it around. Unfortunately, self driving is not possible due to the elephant’s aggressiveness as a result of their experiences during the civil war. So we paid for a guided drive, and it was well worth it.

We were the only ones on the tour, it felt like a remote adventure

Morning coffee break - as part of the investment in the park we were driven in a brand new safari truck

So much biodiversity in the park!

And our astute guides Stanley and Clement saw vultures, went searching and found a young male lion on a kill that we were able to watch.

Brutal but real

Sacred tree in the park, ceremonies still carried out annually

And our final night! Camped at Gorongosa Adventures, enjoying an evening fire.

We really appreciate the emails, messages and encouragement from those of you out there reading our blog. We have fun writing it so that we have a record of our travels, but also want to be useful to others. We would love feedback on what is helpful. We have tried a “highlights” section (which somehow went by the wayside) and an “adventures with the truck” section (same story). Below we are trying something new - a “trip report” which is common on overlander forums to give other’s basic logistics guidance. Any feedback is appreciated and above all else, thank you for reading and coming along with us.

Trip Report - Logistics Mozambique: 13 days

Route: Eswatini/ Goba border, Ponta do Ouro, Maputo, Barra, Vilankulos, Gorongosa National Park, exit to Zimbabwe at Machipanda.

Traveling in an obvious tourist car- pickup with camper and US plates. We have 4x4 and only needed it to get out to the tip of Barra.

Entry at Goba was easy and fast, no visa needed for US or EU citizens now. Paid cash rands 240 each immigration fee and 100 rand road tax, receipts for both.

We were never searched and treated with warmth and welcome by everyone we met. Only once asked for a bribe which we did not pay.

The section of N1 north of Vilankulos had some of the worst pot holes we have seen in Africa. Slow going! Plus playing dodge car with local buses and container trucks.

Trip times:

• Goba to Ponta do Ouro (camped at Gala Gala)2.5 hrs decent roads, one gravel section
  
  
• Ponta do Ouro to Chidenguele (camped at Sunset Beach Lodge) 4 hours
  
  
• Chidenguele to Barra (camped at Barra Dica) 4 hours
  
  
• Barra to Vilankulos (camped at Ocean Pearl)4 hours
  
  
• Vilankulos to Buffalo Camp on N1 5 hours (worst road condition day)
  
  
• Buffalo Camp to Ndzou Camp south of Sussendenga 4.5 hours (still pretty bad at first and then we chose a longer route on a corrugated dirt road - the cut off from Chimbalo to avoid some of the N1)
  
  
• Ndzou Camp to Gorongosa (camped at Gorongosa Adventures) 3 hours, again really rough on the N1

We would recommend all the places we camped, lovely beaches, forests and mountains. It's been a great experience.

 

[ITTOG]

Looks like you added to the truck design. Noticed the yellow stripe and had to look back at old truck photos. Looks like it is new.

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[tacototheworld]

Looks like you added to the truck design. Noticed the yellow stripe and had to look back at old truck photos. Looks like it is new.

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

Sharp eyes. Thought the truck needed some sprucing up. No, actually some vehicles are required to have reflective tape around their vehicles in Mozambique. We weren’t sure if it was needed. We’re now hearing that its required in Pakistan

 

[tacototheworld]

Zimbabwe

Driving into a wild camping spot in the Eastern Highlands

We entered Zimbabwe with some trepidation. We expected extreme poverty, lack of infrastructure and crowds of people competing for tourism dollars wherever we went. These fears were exacerbated by memories from a trip to Victoria Falls years ago when we remembered being harangued by very persistent vendors and the fact that many of the people we spoke with in South Africa (Uber drivers, guides, waiters, hair stylist etc.) were from Zimbabwe, seeking better economic opportunities away from home but missing their country. Hyperinflation caused by the previous government over printing money meant the local Zimbabwean currency was hugely devalued and now is rarely in use. US dollars have become the most commonly used legal tender. We came prepared with enough USD to cover our expenses (mostly gas and national parks ) including a lot of smaller bills as we had heard it was difficult to get change.

Contrary to our low expectations, in Zimbabwe we found dramatic landscapes, extraordinary access to wildlife, some of the most stunning national park camping we have experienced and warm hospitable people with a proud heritage. Three places quickly became African highlights for us: Gonarezhou National Park, Great Zimbabwe, and Mana Pools National Park. USD were definitely the currency of choice and accepted everywhere from gas stations to road side vendors selling avocados. We even found that people generally had change - although in some of the oldest and most worn out US dollar bills we have ever seen in circulation.
We have gotten better at border crossings, learning that if we smile, say firmly that this is our 25th (and growing) African border crossing and we don’t need help, we get a smile in return and no more attention. Visas on arrival were simple and we had filled out the Temporary Import Permit form for our truck online beforehand so that was simple to obtain. (We have still successfully traveled all of Africa without a Carnet de Passage for the truck but know they will change when we hit Kenya.)

Top of a granite knob with a valley view for miles

But at first not all was rosy in Zimbabwe. We quickly realized we were encountering, for the first time, exorbitant East African tourism fees. Even for the most basic national park, rates for foreigners were $30 per person plus a vehicle fee, usually $15. This meant to explore a park with very limited attractions and amenities we were charged $75 for a day. Camping in parks ranged from $30 per person up to $130 per person, on top of park fees. This added up quickly and made us grumpy at the beginning. As a comparison, Kruger National Park, a world renowned wildlife destination, charges $27 per person for foreigners, no vehicle fee and camping averaged $25 for a site.

Our two week route through Zimbabwe

We understand that the country desperately needs foreign dollars and park fees are one way to get them. But we also fear that people with limited time and money to spend on vacations in Africa will end up skipping Zimbabwe as the prices are higher for less value than surrounding countries.

Chilojo Cliffs towering above the Runde River

We could not capture the beauty of the Chilojo Cliffs campsites with photos, but they were truly extraordinary. The “exclusive” site meant you had your own private spot on the river with a pit toilet and no barriers to the wildlife wandering through.

Elephant in camp!

And the sun goes down . . . lullaby of the hippos grunting all night

Still in love with the Baobab, each one so unique and magnificent. The scarring on the lower trunk is from eons of elephants eating the inner bark for food and water.

Our second night in Gonarezhou we opted for the slightly less expensive developed site at Chinguli - meaning still no barriers to wildlife but a shared campground with flush toilets, showers and a host.

Runde River at Chinguli Campground

Chinguli Camp - another beautiful site

Andy channeling his inner Bear Grills (every time we see elephant poo we think of the survival episode on his show when Bear Grills told everyone if you are thirsty in the African bush just squeeze the liquid out of fresh elephant poo)

Beautiful “tusker” (self explanatory South African term) along the road

We did a loop drive in the park but overall felt the highlight of being in Gonarezhou was simply setting up camp in extraordinarily beautiful locations and see what wildlife came to you. Despite the sticker shock, we were glad to have spend the time there.

Our next stop was completely different - our first true ancient African ruins. Described as the “heart of Zimbabwe,” Great Zimbabwe is the country’s namesake. We happily paid the $15 each for the monument (great value) and the $6 for a guided tour (worth many times that).

Home to many kings over the centuries, building at Great Zimbabwe began in the 11th century by ancestors of the Shona people, still the predominant tribe in Zimbabwe today. We spent three hours with our guide, Steven and deeply appreciated his knowledge and teachings about the site and the history of the country.

Great Zimbabwe both intrigued and amazed us - a testament to the ingenuity, talent and aesthetics of the early Shona people.

Origin of the name Zimbabwe, Zi=Big, Mba=house, Bwe=stone. Big house of stone.

Walking in the steps of kings up the hill to the king’s palace built into and around the rocks high atop a hill - an engineering feat over 1,000 years old.

Our guide Steven leading the way up “blood passage,” th only way into the fortress, a narrow walkway in the rocks designed to keep enemies out

Looking down on the “Great Enclosure” below

Approaching the Great Enclosure - home to the kings’ wives and children. The kingdom was thought to have flourished from 1200-1500 AD.

Incredible spiral walkway between dry stone walls - more impressive engineering

Entering the Great Enclosure

The classic Great Enclosure shot - including the decorative grain tower

It was an incredible site and visit. Sadly, we were the only ones there that day. Very different than exploring a European castle and fighting the crowds. We promised Steven that we would sing the praises of the monument so that hopefully more people will come.

 

[ITTOG]

Wow, where to begin. All of those photos/stops look to be life changing moments in time.

Your camp spots look amazing. When I saw the animal shot I was trying to look at previous pictures to see if I could find where it was in relation to your truck. I didn't see any resemblance so couldn't tell how far away it was.

I have never seen but am a little familiar with boabab trees. However, I didn't realize how big around they got. It looked at least twice as wide as your truck. Impressive.

Wow, what an entrance to a castle. It definitely appears to be aptly named.

Great pictures and experience. Thanks for sharing.

 

[tacototheworld]

Wow, where to begin. All of those photos/stops look to be life changing moments in time.

Your camp spots look amazing. When I saw the animal shot I was trying to look at previous pictures to see if I could find where it was in relation to your truck. I didn't see any resemblance so couldn't tell how far away it was.

I have never seen but am a little familiar with boabab trees. However, I didn't realize how big around they got. It looked at least twice as wide as your truck. Impressive.

Wow, what an entrance to a castle. It definitely appears to be aptly named.

Great pictures and experience. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks!

Unfortunately couldn't get the truck and the elephant in on the same shot. It was about 75 ft away from the truck.

Some of the diameters of the largest boababs are rivaling the biggest trees in the world, including the sequoias of California but are crazy short in comparison. I'd love to measure some of them but aren't supposed to get out of the vehicle

 

[tacototheworld]

Mozambique - part 2

Next stop, Matobo National Park, known for San rock paintings and intriguing rock formations. Also the gravesite of Cecil Rhodes (but we were not really interested in that). Unfortunately, once again we felt overcharged for minimal value. It does not escape us that we are foreign tourists with a lot more financial resources than most people in the country which is experiencing economic hardship and yet we were somehow focused on what we were spending more than usual. We know it sounds whiny. We track our expenses closely, both to budget and to plan. Zimbabwe cost us about 15% more than any other country to date - with the exceptions of Iceland and Norway. Gas, camping, national parks and food were all expensive for us. Mostly, it just took us for surprise and made us think carefully about what we spent money on. Usually we like to support smaller businesses and entrepreneurs over large government run national parks.

Our primary complaint about Matobo was that after sucking it up and paying our $50 in entrance fees ($20 each plus vehicle) when we showed up at the cave with the most rock paintings which we were looking forward to seeing, we were told it was another $20. Once again this was after bumping our way along a slow frustrating road. Oh well. We did see some paintings in another cave and called it a day.

White Rhino cave at Matobo NP, beautiful painting with hunters and rhino

Visiting ancient grain storage bins and kiln in a cave at The Farmhouse

Another beautiful painting, this one in another cave at The Farmhouse
In retrospect, we felt we saw more at The Farmhouse than in the nearby national park. To be fair we did not visit the game park section with all the rhinos as we had seen them recently in Eswatini.

So we set off for our final destination in Zimbabwe, Mana Pools National Park. It was an extraordinary experience. This time we went with the last minute rate - $30 per person for camping at Nyamepi Camp plus all the associated fees which worked out to $100 a night for the two of us. We did not stay at Chitake Springs, the most famous area as it is locked in at about $300 a night for two people with no same day rate.

Nyamepi Camp sits right on the Zambezi river. Sites are pleasantly spread out and wildlife wanders through at will. We will never get tired of camping with elephants wandering through camp and the back of the mind thrill of knowing that any animal can turn up at any time.

Nyamepi Camp, Mana Pools National Park. Gazing at the Zambezi, hippos swimming by at your feet (there is a bit of a drop off so it would hopefully be too much work for them to come up right at the campsites)

But they are only a five minute walk down the river

You never know what you will see walking around camp

Elephants everywhere

A minor setback, Andy’s camp shoes disappeared overnight. He found this one, the other one vanished presumed consumed by a hyena. (This will come up later.)

As our final splurge in Mana Pools, we signed up for a guided walking safari. Reputed to be the only place in Africa where visitors are allowed to go on guided walking safaris where lions roam free, we decided to have an adventure with a paid expert.

Our guide, Talent, was super. Knowledgeable about wildlife, he took us on a four hour walk to explain the flora and fauna of the park. He was armed, but assured us he had never had to shoot his rifle at an animal on a walking safari.

Cape Buffalo checking us out - Talent did not have us get too close

And then - extraordinary, Talent heard excited hyenas and led us to a clearing where two male lions were taking down a buffalo. We have seen similar sites from our vehicle, but it is different on foot! We hunkered down to watch the circle of life.

If you can, zoom in on the eyes of the one doing the actual killing; absolutely scary

At one point Dawn looked off to the side and saw a hippo trotting by

Andy and our guide, Talent. Hyena in the foreground, lions behind.

The moment when one of the lions decided he was not happy with us being so close and gave us a short charge. We all felt the roar in our chests. Talent calmly called out to him and we backed up.

Then in one of the most hilarious coincidences, examining some hyena scat, Andy and Talent found parts of Andy’s shoe. They really will eat anything.

Boswell, the famous bull elephant of Mana Pools, known for his tusks and for going up on his rear legs to access the best fruit.

It was one of the best mornings we have had in Africa - huge thanks to Talent and his energy and skill in wildlife spotting.

So then we were on our way, north to Zambia.

Beautiful traditional villages along the way

Andy rescued a chameleon from the middle of the road

Our final stop, campground outside Hwange. NP ( we did not enter the park as we had spent all our money on Mana Pools). We are noticing a problem with the truck that will need to be dealt with - another weight related issue. More on this soon!

Thank you for reading! Zimbabwe captured our hearts in the end. Maybe we will return someday . . .

 

[ghostdancer]

Those Olukai’s are going to be hard to replace!

 

[tacototheworld]

Those Olukai’s are going to be hard to replace!

Didn’t know the name of the brand. Trying to find a size 13 in Africa has so far been tough. We’re hopeful to find something in Dar es Salaam

 

[tacototheworld]

Zambia - part 1

Victoria Falls from the Zambian side - a much more intimate view than that from the Zimbabwe side.

In between Zimbabwe and Zambia, we dipped our toe into Botswana, re-living a visit 8 years previously when we had done a fantastic safari on the Chobe River. Botswana was our first experience driving around Africa and will always hold a special place in our hearts. Our experience back then in a truck with a roof top tent was a big inspiration for what we are doing now. But since we had already spent three weeks driving the best national parks there, we just visited Kasane for a couple of days and then went on our way.

Luckily, the fix for the tilted camper we referenced in our last blog was easily fixed in a day at a Kasane, Botswana auto shop. One of the three passenger side brackets attaching the truck frame to the flatbed had broken apart because the top bolt had come loose allowing it to act as a hammer. Now we know that it is a weak point, Andy stays on top of checking it periodically. The two front brackets are only accessable after removing one of the boxes under the flatbed. However Andy has found a workaround by squeezing his hand in and taking photos with his phone of these attachment points on both sides of the camper to make sure nothing has moved.

Here’s the broken bracket. This bracket had also broken its welds onto the frame six months earlier in Gabon.

Andy, always huge relief when we make it into a shop where there is the equipment and expertise to fix what could have been a more serious problem

Welder at Mario’s Auto Shop in Kasane, making it all better

Once we took care of business in Botswana and squeezed in a Chobe River sunset cruise, we crossed the border into Zambia. Another slow border, but all went well.

Zambia was not a country that grabbed our hearts or minds. As we have said before, we never know if we are left feeling uninspired by our experiences in a country because of our own energy levels, a lack of taking the time for engagement, or other random factors. We were still feeling the pinch that started in Zimbabwe of high fees for tourists, so started off feeling a little grumpy. Plus we had just come off of another fix on the truck due to it’s weight and driving bad roads and we were still seeing consequences from inept work done by the Cape Town 4x4 shop. This meant that we were slightly nervous and jumping at every strange noise we heard driving rough roads.

We struggled a little to find those “wow” moments in Zambia. For us, those moments of excitement and connection usually come with pulling out our phones and wanting to take a lot of pictures. Unfortunately, our Zambia photo album is slim. Similarly to Cameroun on the west side of Africa, we are completely willing to admit that our lackluster experience was totally on us, and that there is a lot that we could have missed or left unexplored that would have turned things around.

Happy and relieved that the truck is solid again

Our two week route through Zambia - close to 1500 km

Our first stop in Zambia was Livingstone. Previously British controlled Northern Rhodesia, Zambia obtained independence in 1964. Much of Livingstone felt like crumbling remnants of a it’s namesake and a colonial past. But it still had classic African charm in the newer design elements and, of course, in the people.

Stocking up on vegetables from the sidewalk market

Modern coffee shop where Dawn happily sipped a latte while Andy went off searching for auto maintenance supplies.

We had visited Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side when we came to Botswana 8 years ago, but decided we had to visit it from the Zambian side too.

Looking down on the great Zambezi River - Zambia’s namesake

Andy doing a ZimZam - one foot in Zimbabwe, one foot in Zambia on the bridge over the river

Baboons in the park were the most habituated to people that we had ever seen. A solo woman making her way down the trail to the Boiling Pots asked to walk with us to ward off any aggression.

Victoria Falls - just gorgeous

Andy wanted to capture Dawn with the halo of light

Victoria Falls National Park

We visited at the end of the day and the park was serene and beautiful. Very different from the chaos typical of the Zimbabwe side.

When we were in Livingstone we were approached by Joe, the manager of a Christian mission organization with a facility at rapid 14. He invited us out to camp at their campground and we gladly accepted. It was a beautiful site and a lovely evening. Joe invited us to eat dinner with the students (tacos!!) and we enjoyed hearing all their stories. As a bonus Andy was even able to use the facility’s auto shop to change the oil.



A Side Note on Truck Stickers

We have been gradually accumulating stickers and reflective tape along the way, trying to keep ahead of different country’s regulations. At all costs we want to avoid giving the police an excuse to fine us. Below is a pictoral representation of everything we have to date.

Country of origin sticker - required for some parts of Europe and Africa

Left Hand Drive sticker - required on the east side of Africa, where everyone drives on the left side but have Right Hand Drive vehicles

Yellow reflective tape on sides and back required for “trucks and vans” in Mozambique. We are still not sure if we had to, but the auto shop in Eswatini that sold us the tape thought we would be smart to tape up.

Red reflective tape required in the back for Zambia

The whole rear side, stickered up, no tickets for us!

And then, finally, the white reflective tape required on the front bumper for Zambia

 

[tacototheworld]

Zambia - part 2

We left Livingstone for a relaxing drive to Kafue National Park, stopping to camp at Itezhi tezhi lake along the way.
Since we had splurged in Zimbabwe with some expensive national park and wildlife sites, we decided to take it easy in Zambia and sleep on the edges, saving ourselves $55 a day. Having had several wildlife rich weeks, we were not anxious to commit to early morning game drives. Roy’s Camp was a beautiful, relaxing site on the Kafue River, complete with hippos grunting all night long.

Roy’s Camp - a spot on the river all to ourselves with kind hosts

The classic African “donkey burner” a steel drum in which you light a fire to provide hot water

Toilet with a view of the river (there is a hippo out there that was eyeing Dawn)

The sun goes down on Roy’s Camp

Our next stop was the capital of Lusaka. On our way in, we camped at Eureka Camping Park. We went for our normal late afternoon walk and discovered the camp was also home to zebras and giraffes.

How can you not love zebras on your afternoon walk?

Needing to re-supply and spend some time on wifi, we spent a couple of nights at a hotel in Lusaka (our first hotel in two months). We spent an informative few hours on a walking tour with Darius who shared his favorite spots and stories fo the city. We learned more about the difficulties with the economy, easy to get an eduation, hard to then find a job. The cost of maize, the staple food, had recently quadrupled as the currency was devaluing. Everyone was feeling the pinch. It is also one of the youngest countrys in the world based on median age which puts even more pressure on creating jobs. Lusaka feels busy and thriving but poverty in rural areas persists with over 60% of rural residents living below the poverty line.

Freedom statue in Lusaka - depicting breaking free of the chains of colonialism

Our final major stop in Zambia was South Luangwe National Park. We did drive into the park one day, but mostly we chose to spend four days at Wildlife Camp, a beautiful camp on the Luangwe River. Just outside the park, the wildlife were still present but we did not have to pay the park fees.

Hippo on the river - not the one that scared us as we were too nervous to stop and take a picture of that one

Hippo Fright
Another side note - our scariest wildlife moment in Africa. Camping on the Luangwe river at a private site outside of Mfuwe before we went to the park, we decided to go for a morning walk. We had been on many walks in camping areas with wildlife now and were likely over confident. We set off on the dirt road toward the village. We had seen elephants on the drive in so were on alert. We walked a few kilometers, visited the village artisans then turned around to walk back to camp. On the way a safari truck stopped by and asked us where we were going, we explained that we were walking back to our camp. The driver looked at us and said “please don’t walk here, it is very dangerous and you could lose your life.” Well. Highly nervous now, we set off on the final kilometer, senses now really on high alert. All of a sudden, on a straight stretch of road in between a marshy area and the main river, Dawn saw a big nose edge out from behind a tree (about 75’ away) and all of a sudden a huge hippo was staring at us. It seemed to be saying “really? this is my territory and you think you are walking through??” We started a slow but steady backing up, found a climbable tree and waited. The hippo seemed to decide we had shown enough respect and ambled on its way towards the river. So we began a hilarious dance of edging our way from climbable tree to climbable tree unsure how far it had gone into the bush. We made it into site of the camp and then, elephants. So another detour, although they seemed pretty relaxed about us. Phew. Definitely got our adreneline going.

Visiting artisans on the way into the park painting textiles.

The gorgeous end result

Rhoda at the women’s art collective in Mfuwe. They received a micro loan to get started, now are able to send their children to good schools with the proceeds earned.

Elephant in the campground water hole at Wildlife Camp

This mom with her baby felt just fine wandering by our campsite

View out on the river from camp

Local paddling by unconcerned by hippos in the river. We were concerned for him.

The first monkeys and baboons in camp six months ago were cute. Now Andy makes it his personal mission to chase them away. They are quick as lightening and will steal food right out from under your nose. Some of them can also open our camper door . . .

Giraffe awkwardly drinking at the camp waterhole

Taking time to enjoy the sunset

Stopping off at Mulberry Mongoose in Mfuwe - artists making jewelry out of recovered poaching snares. Proceeds to to wildlife conservation.

The Mulberry Mongoose motto

Well, if you made it this far, thank you for reading. We apologize for a very lackluster blog this time. Zambia was an easy place to travel, but did not stand out from other surrounding countrys for us. We are undaunted and moving on, who knows what the next few weeks will bring

 

[hudd07]

Incredible. Took me 3 evenings to read but I read every word. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your journey with us all.

 

[entrypo]

I enjoyed reading the second part of your adventure! It sounds like you made a good decision to camp at Itezhi tezhi lake and Roy's Camp, both of which seem like beautiful and relaxing places. I can imagine the sound of hippos grunting all night long would be both exciting and a little bit intimidating! But it's all part of the experience of camping in the African bush. My betandreas review is here