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TRAVEL BLOG ENTRY
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“Baboon on a spit?” |
We finally left Kande Beach on the 28th December and drove down to the capital, Lilongwe. The whole area was very flat and fertile looking with people living literally all over the place.
It rained en route. A lot. And we saw typhoons being formed in the distance on Lake Malawi.
We finally left Malawi on Saturday, 29th December with an unexpectedly long drive down into Zambia. We had been scheduled to camp overnight just outside Chipatah in Zambiua but decided to press on into Zambia to try and beat some of the rains.
The journey down the main roads was fine but when we got off the metalled road, it was bad news.
Imagine an old fashioned, wooden roll-a-coaster that bounces you all over the place. Now imagine that going on for about three hours. Add in six foot potholes and torrential rain and put the whole thing inside a gigantic tumble dryer and you're starting to get the picture. I could hardly walk when I got off the truck at the camp site.
Which was a bit unfortunate really as the first thing we were warned about were the baboons, elephants and hippos that visit the camp site.
We're here now until New Year's Day and last night we did an evening safari where we saw hyena, lion, leopard, elephant, warthog, hippo, monkeys and baboons. Very impressive and all the more 'real' for being in an open topped low sided vehicle with the lions and the leopard just a few feet away from us.
That said, there is something to be said for animals knowing their place and staying inside the park area. We've been having a running battle with the baboons at the camp site who keep doing stealth attacks on the truck and the cooking area and pinching stuff. Yesterday we lost a couple of loaves of bread when they got inside the truck (despite the tarpolins being fastened down) and this morning we lost half a dozen eggs when the alpha male snuck under the truck and grabbed them from the table whilst we were cooking.
Baboon on a spit anyone?
previous travel blog entry
Paul Crittenden says:
Hi Dave and Annette, We are really enjoying following your trip and are relieved you've left Kenya before all the troubles erupted. Stay safe guys, and keep posting those fabulous accounts and pictures. Looking forward to seeing you both and hearing more detailed tales, but in the meantime - have fun (and I know what you mean about Tumble Driers!!). Love Paul & Helen