1 March 2009

Mikumi, Tanzania

After a chat with Uncle Josef, the owner of the Tan-Swiss Lodge, Dad and Mum decided to stay on another night. Today, we were going to the Snake Park, 2 minutes down the road and then to the Mikumi National Park, 5 minutes in the opposite direction.

At the Snake Park, I was shown around, and the backgrounds of different types of snakes were explained to me. I liked the colour of the Green Mamba and the way the Egyptian Cobra danced about. Luckily they were inside glass cases and couldn’t get to me! There were also lots of turtles and crocodiles. I didn’t like the teeth on the crocs! At the end of the tour, I was allowed to touch one of the snakes, a Rufous. This was a non poisonous snake. I was also given the skin of a Boom Slag. It seems that snakes shed their skins every two months or so, as they grow bigger.

From the Snake Park, we headed to the Mikumi National Park. We drove Tuah in and enjoyed the rest of the day on safari, spotting hippos, impala, giraffes, wildebeest, wild boars, elephants, baboons and hundreds of different birds. We looked out of the leopards and lions but didn’t spot any, as it probably was too hot for them to be up and about.
We arrived back at The Tan-Swiss Lodge in time for me to have a bit of a run around with my new friends, Uncle Josef’s kids, then had a nice long chat with Amanda, who is working at the Lodge, before dinner, a shower and falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

2 March 2009

Iringa, Tanzania

Today, we are on the move again, but not too many miles to clock. We headed 185km down the road to Iringa, where Mum knew of another place, The Riverside Campsite, on the banks of the Little Ruaha River. The drive took us through the scenic Udzungwa National Park, where we saw lots of baobab trees.

We arrived at the campsite at lunchtime and had the rest of the afternoon to chill out in the lovely grounds. Dad gave Tuah a bit of a clean, and I played in the playground overlooking the river. Mum prepared dinner early, which was a good thing, as it rained all evening. Lucky for us, the campsite had wonderful little huts in which we could take refuge, without putting our tent awning up. There was also a power point, which was excellent – I could watch a DVD! That didn’t last long though – the electricity supply went off and we were sat in darkness for the rest of the night – the only thing to do was to retire to the tent and go to sleep!

3 March 2009

Mbeya, Tanzania

We left the Riverside Campsite after breakfast. It had rained so much last night that the river had broken it’s banks and flooded the playground!

We drove through some nice villages, stopping for lunch in a shady spot along the road. Just outside the town of Mbeya, where we were planning to spend the night, Dad saw some school kids at work in the fields, in their school uniforms. Mum got down and spoke to the head teacher, who explained that this was part of the curriculum, as these kids were going to grow up living off the land. They had no lights of water in the village and hardly any of the children, even those who had an education left the village, or found proper jobs elsewhere. Mum gave him a few boxes of pencils to give to the school children as rewards, when deserved.

We found the Stockholm Hotel, just before the turnoff to the Malawi Border at Mbeya. Uncle Josef at the Tan-Swiss Hotel in Mikumi had said we could camp in the car park of this hotel. When Mum asked at the reception, she was told that it’s not a problem, but they wanted three times the going campsite rate. When Mum said that it was ridiculous, they agreed to charge what we normally pay.

4 March 2009

Border crossing at Songwe from Tanzania to Malawi and Livingstonia via Karonga

We left Mbeya after breakfast, heading towards the Malawi border. We bought some pineapple and bananas in the village and picked up some tomatoes and eggs along the way. Mum made sure that this time; the eggs were not already hard boiled, like the last lot she bought from a vendor in Mikumi!

The border crossing was extremely quick and we were in Malawi within the hour. Our clocks were turned back an hour when we crossed the border, so we went from 12.45pm to 11.45am, when we entered Malawi. I’m not sure how that works.

About 50km down the road, we arrived in the first town, Karonga. We found the bank, with an ATM machine that accepts foreign cards and headed to the Cultural Centre and Museum, which is home to the Malawisaurus – a 130 million year old fossil found near this town. It looked a lot like my brontosaurus, but just the skeleton.
After lunch, we drove on towards Livingstonia, a little village on the top of a steep cliff. Mum had heard of a campsite here that was eco-friendly. We found the Lukwe Eco Campsite and settled in for the night. Being the only campers there, we had the whole place to ourselves. There was no electricity, so we had some oil lamps for light, and water was pumped from a well. Mum prepared some dinner and we retired to the tent just in time, as it began to rain.

5 March 2009

Livingstonia, Malawi

It rained all night, stopping just as we woke up. This morning, we met Bruce, who owns Lukwe Eco Camp. It has brilliant views over Lake Malawi and we can hear the sound of the Manchewe Waterfalls from here. It’s surrounded by trees and has a special compost toilet and Rhodesian styled hot showers. The water is carried up from the pump, and is heated by firewood. There is a menu at the campsite, with all food grown in the garden. Naturally, is a vegetarian menu. I suppose they can’t serve meat as there is no fridge to keep it in.

We like it here so much; we decided to spend another night at Lukwe. We took a drive to the village, Livingstonia, about 5km away. This was an old colonial town, where David Livingstone had once lived. We visited the old church, which had a stained glass with David Livingstone on it. Strange – most churches I’ve been to had stained glass pictures of Jesus Christ.

Anyway, after the church, we went to the Museum at the Stone House, where Dr Laws lived for 25 years. This was the only stone building in the village. Everything else was either brick or mud. After lunch at the Stone House, we headed to the Falls and were told by the local kids that Tuah could drive up to the riverbed….they were wrong! We had to reverse all the way up a steep mud track. Dad and Mum were not impressed. Eventually, we had one of the locals show us the track to hike up to the viewpoint for the Falls.

We headed back to the campsite, and found another overland truck had just arrived. John, from Yorkshire and Lauren from New York had been living and working in Egypt, and were on their way to Cape Town in their Defender. It rained again this evening. Back in the UK, Hannah had laughed when she saw Mum had packed our rain ponchos for Africa…we need it though!

6 March 2009

Chintheche, Malawi

We said our goodbyes to Bruce, the owner of Lukwe Eco Camp, and to John and Lauren, who were off to see Livingstonia Village. We drove back down the steep windy dirt track before eventually coming to the asphalt road by Lake Malawi.
We drove through many little villages and eventually came to Mzuzu, the biggest town north of Lilongway, the capital of Malawi. We refueled and got some money from the ATM and Mum picked up some groceries from the local supermarket.
We drove on to Nkhata Bay, and headed south along the lake to Chintheche, where Bruce had recommended we camp at the Flame Tree Lodge. It’s set in a large rambling garden, on Lake Malawi. The owner, Tony, from the UK had two dogs, two cats and two kittens. I had a brilliant time running around.

Mum had done some laundry and hung them out to dry, hoping the weather would hold out.

7 March 2009

Nkhotakota, Malawi

Rain, rain, go away, come again another day….Mum had apparently woken up at 2am, hearing thunder, and brought in the damp laundry, draping them all over the inside of the truck. It had stopped raining just before I woke up, but the sky was still dark.

After breakfast, we said farewell to Tony, and headed south to Nkhotakota, which was supposedly the centre of slave trading in the region. There was a pottery here, where Mum had initially planned to spend last night, but we were told by Bruce at Lukwe Eco Camp, that the distance would mean a good 8 hours on the road, and he was right. We did get there in time for lunch, though, and after that, I had a chance to try my hand at some pottery making!

I made a snake, a little pot and a couple of clay flowers. It was brilliant – a bit like playing with Playdoh! We also met two American teachers, working as volunteers in the villages, teaching English in the day schools. They have been in Malawi for a year and a half already. We must salute them!
Heading about 20km down the road, we noticed a few people signaling to us to turn back. The lake had burst its banks due to the heavy rain from the last few days and a couple of bridges on the main road had been washed away. That meant we could not use the road to get to Lilongwe, as planned. There was an alternative track road through the Game Reserve, from Nkhotakota, but it was too late for us to back track and take that route, so we returned to the pottery to camp for the night.

8 March 2009

Lilongwe via Nkhotakota Game Reserve, Malawi
After some pancakes and banana for breakfast, we packed up our damp clothes into the truck, using every possible space available to lay them out and drove off towards the Game Reserve, a road apparently only passable with a 4WD. It started out ok, but the road condition got really bad. We passed a sign which read, "In Memory of Patricia, killed by lions in 2002", which probably explained why the road had not been repaired!

Eventually, we exited the Game Reserve, spotting only a wild dog and lots of elephant poo on the road.
We arrived in Lilongwe at lunchtime, and headed to the Golf Club, where camping was allowed. It was a nice shady area, but Dad and Mum wanted an internet connection, so we headed out to another campsite nearby, called Mabuya Camp. It had a nice garden area, but was popular with backpackers and had a bar, so was a bit noisy at the weekend. they had an internet connection, though, and John and Lauren, who camped with us for a night in Livingstonia were there, too!
The internet connection and electricity supply kept going on and off all night, but it was better than nothing, I guess. Mum put the washing out to dry again and got some dinner going.

9 March, 2009
Lilongwe, Malawi
The plan was to move towards the Zambia border today, but Dad had some documents he needed to scan and emails that needed to be replied. Mum on the other hand, had wet laundry that needed to be dried out. I’m not fussed myself, but was happy to stay another day, as there’s a big garden for me to run about in here. It’s nowhere near as cozy as Jungle Junction in Nairobi, and the bar is used by backpackers and locals till quite late making it rather noisy, but at least we seem to have the garden to ourselves.

We had to say goodbye to John and Lauren, who are heading for Zambia today. We’ll probably catch up with them over the next few days at Victoria Falls. Mum made me practice my handwriting today and I played with some of my toys and Playdoh. After lunch, we lazed around for a while, before driving out to the nearby Shoprite, to stock up on groceries. We had dinner at a Nando’s and returned to the campsite to retire early.

10 March, 2009

Border crossing from Mchinji, Malawi to Chipata and on to Nyimba, Zambia

There was no electricity at the campsite this morning, so any hopes Dad and Mum had of some early morning internet connection was dashed.
After breakfast, we packed up our finally dry laundry and drove towards the Zambia border, arriving at lunchtime. Clearing the Malawi Immigration and Customs took us about 15 minutes, and although we cleared Zambian Immigration quickly, we waited almost an hour for the Customs Officer on duty to show up to stamp Tuah’s Carnet and collect the emission tax of 150,000 Zambian Kwacha (about US$30).The roads were bad to start with, but got better by the time we arrived in the town of Chipata. There’s a campsite there owned by a Brit, called Dean, but we decided to drive on as we’d only done about 150km so far.

The roads eventually got worse, with potholes, left, right and centre. Finally, at the town of Nyimba, we decided to find somewhere to camp for the night. We turned off the main road, at a sign to a place called Kapusa Lodge. We did find it, 2km down on a dirt track, but it had obviously been abandoned for a period of time. Someone forgot to mention that to the gatekeeper though, as we were still directed through to the ruins, saying we could stay!
We headed back to the town and checked if we could camp in the courtyard of the local rest house, instead. After dinner (chips and egg for me), I was ready for bed. 

11 March 2009

Lusaka, Zambia

We left the rest house courtyard after breakfast and headed towards Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. The road was mostly good, but sometimes we met a few big potholes, usually around the corner!
We crossed the Lungawa Bridge, over the river and arrived in Lusaka after lunch. It was a rather organized city, unlike Kampala, which was utter madness. We headed out of town and found the Eureka Campsite. It covered a large area of farmland and a part of it was left for the wildlife – there were zebra and ostrich and some other animals that don’t want to eat you! There were even a few little huts, which the trucks could park next to, and we could sit in there with lights and a table to cook on outside, and even a clean bbq grill!

After checking in, we headed out down the road to get Tuah washed. On the way out, we saw John and Lauren, in their Defender, heading in to the campsite. When we got back, Mum prepared some dinner and had some washing done. Soon after, another overland truck arrived, from South Africa, with Martin and Debbie, on their way to Zanzibar. We exchanged travel notes before calling it a night.

12 March 2009
Livingstone, Zambia
Waking up to the sound of many different birds singing is one of the delights of an outdoor life! After pancakes for breakfast, we packed up and headed down the road towards Livingstone. We had been warned by Matrin and Debbie that the last 100km of the 470km we were to drive today, was on bad road surface. 
We refuelled halfway, just in case there was a fuel shortage in Livingstone, knowing we needed a full tank (Tuah's long range tank takes 140 liters) to get us through Zimbabwe to South Africa, without a need to refuel. It was a pleasant but somewhat boring drive, and I was quite happy to listen to my the audio book Aunty Sunita, Uncle Derek and Arun had given me, The Man in the Moon and play with some of my toys. I even managed an afternoon nap!

We arrived in Livingstone after being stopped by an underpaid policeman looking for some extra income. He insisted we needed to pay a 'fine' for not having a reflective sticker on Tuah. Mum argued that at the border we were told we just needed two hazard triangles and third party insurance, which we had, and on top of it, this was not mentioned in the Lonely Planet Guide Book! The policeman was a bit bewildered, and asked where he could buy a copy of the Lonely Planet, or if he could have ours....you know the answer to that!
At Livingstone, we headed for a campsite listed in the guide book, which was not suitable for us - Tuah couldn't even fit through their driveway! Down the road, we spotted a nice new signposting for the Green Tree Lodge...it was perfect - run by a Scottish man who lived in Africa for the last 50 years. It had a few chalets, a small swimming pool, clean hot showers, shady trees with rabbits, guniea pigs and fowl running loose and internet access. He also made fish and chips for dinner and had chocolate ice cream!

13 March 2009
Livingstone, Zambia and the Victoria Falls
It was raining rather heavily when I woke up. I played a little while, waiting for it to subside, then had some breakfast. Dad was getting some documents scanned and emailled off, and by the time we were sorted, it was close to noon.
Dad and Mum decided that we'll stay another night at the Green Tree Lodge. We like it here and Hector, who owns it makes us feel so much at home. We had a sandwich for lunch, then drove up to the Zimbabwe border, where we left Tuah, and got a border crossing slip to view Victoria Falls from the bridge.

I thought it was raining when we got out of Tuah, but we were actually getting sprayed with water from the falls.The sight of the falls was amazing - no wonder the locals call it 'Mosi-o-Tunya', which means 'the smoke that thunders'. Victoria Falls is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and rightly so! It was hard to see the falls itself clearly, due to all the water spray, which was at it's peak in the wet season. We could see what was called the 'Boiling Pot' at the bottom of the falls and there was a beautiful rainbow, too. As we walked along the Railway Bridge, which spans over the Batoka Gorge, we had a brilliant view of the Rainbow Falls, Main Falls and the First Gorge. Tomorrow, we will be crossing into Zimbabwe, and will  be seeing the Falls from that end. Back where we had left Tuah, watched a chosen 'attendant', Mum got some Zimbabwe Dollar notes, to the sum of One Hundred Trillion Dollars and so on. The touts even dared to ask if they could swap my dinosaur collection for some of their funny money!

We drove back towards Livingstone, topped up Tuah's fuel for tomorrow's drive to Zimbabwe and bought some fresh bread, eggs and water. There were some ladies at the shop with about 50 loaves of bread. Dad asked why they were buying so many for, and they said that they took them across to Zimbabwe to sell, as there was a shortage of food there. Mum had stocked up on food and drink for our drive through Zimbabwe, over the next couple of days. After that, we found an Autoworld store in town, where we bought Tuah some reflective stickers, in case we got stopped by another policeman looking to find fault.
Back at the Green Tree Lodge, we had some tea and I played with the rabbits for a while, and Amanda, a little girl from next door. We had a nice dinner and again, some chocolate ice cream for desert.

14 March, 2009

Border Crossing from Livingstone, Zambia to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Bulawayo

I didn’t realize we were leaving the Green Tree Lodge today. I was quite comfortable here and was happy to play with Amanda again this morning. I wasn’t too pleased when it was time to go. I said goodbye to Hector, and my new friend, Amanda. I gave her one of my little toy cars, so that she can remember me.

We headed to the Barclays Bank at The Falls, to get some small US Dollar notes, in preparation for our drive through Zimbabwe. Mum bought more bread and water with our leftover Kwacha and a wire and bead gecko and deer for me.

We cleared Zambian Immigration and Customs and crossed the Railway Bridge into Zimbabwe. We had to pay US$15 carbon tax and US$10 road tax for Tuah, but nothing for our visas. Just across the border, we spotted a warthog by the road. This one didn’t run away from us, as most of them have done in the past.

We parked Tuah in secure parking and went in to view Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwean side. This cost Dad and Mum US$20 each, but was well worth the awesome sight. Again, our rain ponchos came in handy. I enjoyed splashing in the puddles and getting sprayed by the water from the falls.

All too soon, we had to move on, as it was a 470km drive to Bulawayo, where we planned to spend the night. The road surface was generally good; give a few potholes here and there. There were hardly any cars on the road. Probably not surprising, as there is a shortage of fuel in Zimbabwe, and even if you did manage to find some, it would cost about double the usual price.

Arriving into Bulawayo, the road became awful, and as it was getting dark, we weren’t sure of we were heading in the right direction, or not. There were no street lights and most shops were closed. Eventually, we found our bearings and the way to the Packers Paradise. At US$10 per person to camp for the night, it was one of the more expensive campsites we’ve been to, but we did not seem to have a choice. It was well looked after and clean, anyway, but as not many people seem to want to be travelling in Zimbabwe these days, we were the only people at the lodge.

Mum cooked up the rump steak she bought at the campsite in Lusaka for dinner, sharing the scraps with a very hungry campsite dog, we called ‘Doggone’ and we settled in for the night.

15 March 2009

Border crossing from Beitbridge, Zimbabwe to South Africa and Louis Trichardt, SA

Waking up this morning, I felt that something was missing. Sounds. Usually, we wake up to birdsong in most places and in the big towns, it’s the sound of traffic. This morning, there was silence. Bulawayo is the second largest town in Zimbabwe, but with the current economic situation, there are hardly any cars on the roads. Being in the town, there were not too many birds, either.

After breakfast for us and ‘Doggone’, we headed in search of the Khami Ruins, some 24km west of town. Getting there was a bit of a wild goose chase, as sign postings were non existent. After being given directions around the bend and back, we eventually found the place. It was a UNESCO Heritage Site, built by the Torwa Dynasty in the 16th century. It was a great disappointment though, as the entrance fees were high, at US$10 each and appeared to be just a few brick walls, mostly recently rebuilt.

We had a sandwich for lunch and headed for the South African border crossing at Beitbridge, being stopped on the way by more policemen trying to supplement their salaries, by blatantly asking if we had anything from Malaysia for them, such as money. Of course, we said ‘no’ and gave them a pen with the picture of the Malaysian Flag instead.

It did not take too long to cross the Zimbabwe side of the border, just a bit chaotic. We had to pay UD$10 to cross the bridge to the South African side of the border, where we were welcomed into this wonderful country by another policeman, also asking if we brought him anything from Malaysia. By now, Mum was quite sick and tired of all this and just said a flat ‘no’. It took and hour and a half to clear Immigration and Customs on the South African side, with people cutting the queue whenever they could.

At the border town of Mursina, we found an ATM and a KFC! This was only a small border town, but it seemed more developed than any small town in Zambia, which in turn was more developed than any small town in Malawi, which was more developed than any small town in Sudan, which was more developed than any small town in Ethiopia. There were several Lodges at Mursina, but none of them allowed camping and were charging quite a pretty penny. Not wanting to pay that much, Dad decided that we should drive on to the next town, Louis Trichard, which was about 100km away, knowing that there was a Municipal Campsite there. I was of course fast asleep by then.

16 March 2009

Kruger National Park, RSA – Punda Maria Gate to Shingzedwi Camp

I was quite amazed to wake up and find that we were in quite a nice campsite in Louis Trichard. After breakfast though, we had to shoot off, to refuel Tuah before heading to the Punda Maria Gate of the Kruger National Park. On the way, we stopped at a supermarket to buy some groceries. We also spotted an outdoor shop and ended up buying a new foldable table and a grill for a BBQ, or what they call here in South Africa, a ‘braai’.

We passed many fruit plantations along the way, and managed to buy some banana and sweet potatoes from some vendors along the road, arriving at Kruger NP at lunchtime. We checked in, bought a guide and headed off towards the Shingzedwi Camp. After several minutes of driving, Dad was complaining that he could see more animals in Hector’s garden, at the Green Tree Lodge in Livingstone, Zambia, than he was seeing here, when we started to spot our first animal – an impala. After that, we saw some steenbok, waterbuck, zebra, giraffe, warthog, buffalo and many elephants. We even met an elephant coming up the road towards us, and saw another scratching himself between two trees.

We arrived at the campsite just before the gates closed at 6pm, and were amazed to see that the shop was so well stocked, and that the campsite had braais, taps, common kitchens, and proper sanitary blocks with laundry facilities. Tomorrow, we will go in search of more animals.

17 March 2009

Kruger National Park, RSA - Shingzedwi Camp to Letaba Camp

Mum prepared some sandwich fillings for lunch and made us some pancakes for breakfast, and we headed off in search of more animals. In addition to more of what we

Already spotted yesterday, we came across some Kudu, Vervet Monkeys, Fish-Eagles, an African Darter, a crocodile and some hippo, submerged in the river. We even saw some vultures on what seemed to be bones of an elephant. It’s hard work trying to spot animals in the wild. Sometimes we are right in front of them before we actually realize they are there. How wonderfully suited is each animal for their natural environment!

We were hoping to spot some lions and rhino today, but no such luck. When we arrived at Letaba Camp, where we were camping for the night, the ranger told Mum we should spot them further south, near the Satara Camp.
Dad got some charcoal on the braai and Mum prepared some chicken, spuds and salad for dinner. Mum was quite happy to stick a load of laundry into the washing machine and dryer and I was quite thrilled to have spotted a little scorpion near our pitch. I thought it was a crab at first, but Dad said it was a scorpion and that they were not friendly creatures.

18 March 2009

Kruger National Park, RSA – Satara Camp

Mum woke up early to put another load of laundry in for wash and dry, seeing it costed only US$0.70 for the load. She then noticed Tuah’s front passenger tyre was flat. Well, could have happened to us where the lions were, so we count ourselves lucky that it was a slow leak and that we were at a campsite.

After breakfast, Dad and Mum got started on getting the stuff they needed to change the tyre ready. Mum then thought she’ll check with the campsite reception if there was someone about who could mend the punctured tyre and was told that they will send someone out to help. Within 5 minutes, we had a park mechanic with us and he helped Dad change the tyre and mend the punctured one.
We took off after a visit to the Park Shop, where Mum bought me a toy scorpion and spider to add to my collection of rubber creepy crawlies. Today, we are heading towards the Satara Camp, and the Park Rangers tell us that there are always lions around the area. Dad is certainly excited – one of his main aims is to view a lion while on safari in Africa.
We spotted many animals as we drove, but only managed to spot a couple of lions in the distance, sleeping under a tree, in the long grass. All we really saw, were twitching ears and a tail swinging in the air every now and then.
A little disappointed, we set up camp, got the braai burning and dinner going. Hope we’ll have better luck tomorrow.

19 March 2009

Kruger National Park, RSA – Pretoriuskop Camp

I slept well last night, and was up bright and early…a bit too early for Dad and Mum, actually, but the sun was already out at 5.30am, and I could hear the birds singing outside. Seeing we had loads of bananas which were ripening fast, we had banana fritters for breakfast, then set off on our 4th day safari. As we left the camp, Mum and Dad heard some unusual knocking sound coming from the front of the car. They were trying to figure out what it was, when someone came along and told us that some lions were spotted along a turn off a few miles down the road. We turned back and found the two lioness and two cubs, in the distance, with the bones of a zebra, under a tree. We had a better view of them than yesterday’s lions, and Dad and was lot happier, though he would have liked to see them closer.

We turned back to the camp to see if we could figure out what the noise from Tuah was and ruled out trouble with the engine. It seemed to be the front wheel, but it looked ok, so we drove on slowly for about 30km to a picnic spot, where we were allowed to come out from the car. Mum had a look at the tyre which was changed yesterday and discovered the nuts were not tightly screwed on. Dad tightened them, with the park’s mechanic who changed the tyre yesterday suddenly not being very popular. We had some lunch and ice cream and headed off in the direction an Aussie couple had told Mum they saw lions this morning.
Driving down the track, we suddenly came across a pair of lions sleeping right by the side of the road. What luck! It was quite am amazing sight. We would have been able to reach out and touch them, if we wanted to risk having our arms bitten off. We watched them for a while, before leaving them to carry on with their rest. Dad is a contented man.
We headed towards the Pretoriuskop Camp, hoping to see some rhinos along the way, but no such luck. We found a pitch at the camp, put some coal on the braai for some sausages and Mum cooked some corn in the pressure cooker. I was tired, seeing I woke up so early this morning, and was given a quick shower and fell asleep as it started to rain.

20  March 2009

Kruger National Park, RSA – Crocodile Bridge Camp

It must have rained all night, as everywhere was wet, wet, wet this morning. Mum prepared and packed some lunch for us and after breakfast, we headed off for our day of animal spotting. It’s much easier to go to the zoo, but Dad and Mum seem to think going on safari is more exciting. It’s wonderful to watch the animals but quite hard work trying to keep a look out for them.

We hunted high and low for the rhino, but did not catch a glimpse of any. We saw many signs of them marking their territory, though, so we knew they were around.
We stopped for lunch at the Skukuza Camp, which was the largest restcamp in Kruger. Dad and Mum bought some groceries and a couple of springbok skins for the flat in Kuala Lumpur. We drove on towards the Lower Sabie Camp, where we saw many elephants, game and some hippo and crocodiles in a pond. On the way to Crocodile Bridge Camp, where we had planned to spend the night, we were stopped by Uncle Hari, a Malaysian, who had been living in the UK for many years now. He had seen the Malaysian flag on Tuah and turned his car around to speak to us.
By the time we arrived at Crocodile Bridge, it was raining rather heavily. I had fun splashing in the puddles. We met up with Uncle Hari and Mum cooked some rice and chicken curry for dinner. It was nice to be able to take shelter in his chalet, as we would have otherwise got quite wet.

21 March 2009

Kruger National Park exit via Numbi Gate and Nelspruit, RSA

It’s our last day at Kruger today. We will be heading back towards the Pretoriuskop Camp and exit via the Numbi Gate. As we left the camp, we spotted many paw prints in the wet sand – either a tiger, or leopard, or cheetah. There were also rhino prints everywhere, and we saw lots of animals, but no big cats or rhino. Heading further up the track, we were told that we had just missed a leopard in a tree.

We stopped at the Lower Sabie Camp to pick up some pies for lunch and headed back to the Hippo and Croc pond nearby. Today we were rewarded when a hippo actually walked out of the pond and into the bushes. They rarely come out of the water during the day!
The day went on with us spotting more impala, kudu, elephant, wildebeest, buffalo, zebra, giraffe and hippos, eventually with us seeing a rhino in the distance. We needed the binoculars to be sure that it was actually a rhino. As we were approaching the Numbi Gate, though, Mum spotted a rhino in the long grass right by the side of the road. Dad had not expected to see anymore animals so close to the gate and had driven past it. By the time we turned back, however, it was nowhere to be seen.
We left Kruger Park and headed towards the town of Nelspruit, on what was called the Panoramic Route. In the town, we found the Funky Monkey, a backpackers lodge where we could camp, or in our case, park Tuah in the car park and put the roof tent up.

22 March 2009

Piet Retief via Nelshoogte Pass and Amsterdam, RSA

We were up early this morning…well, I was up early and woke Dad and Mum up. We had some breakfast and then had to decide what to do next. After running some errands in town, we headed east towards the Nelshoogte Pass, which was very scenic. We passed many farms and forests and even a huge dam with gushing water.
It’s funny how safe, clean and organized South Africa appears, yet there were sign posts along the roads that read ‘Crime Alert! Do not stop’. Mum had been warned by many South African friends in London about dangers in the country, and when she had mentioned this to some other South Africans we have met in the last week, they reminded her to always be cautious.
We headed through a town called Amsterdam, which I thought was in Holland, and arrived in Piet Retief just after 5pm. It was a good time to stop for the day, as we had about and hour and a half of daylight to tidy up the truck and get dinner going.
Just before the town, we stumbled upon the Sundowner Lodge and Caravan Park, where we could camp for the night. It was a well laid out area with a braai, on which Dad cooked some impala steak for himself. He said it was not as tough as reindeer, and rather sweet. Mum doesn’t care much for game meat and was quite happy with some lamb chop. It’s quite cold tonight, but at least it’s dry.   

23 March 2009

Border crossing from South Africa to Swaziland at Mahamba and on to The Malkens

I had a surprise when I woke up this morning. I went to sleep knowing that Bruce, the campsite dog was running around in the garden, but found two peacocks there now. They were beautiful birds.

After breakfast, we waited for the sun to come out and give the damp washing a chance to dry up a little. Mum had planned the route for the day, but Dad decided this morning that we should go into Swaziland, as we were so close to the border. And so to the Mahamba border crossing we went. It took half an hour to cross both borders. The South African side were not interested in the carnet and stamped it without even taking their copy, saying there was enough paper lying about already, and the Swaziland customs just shook his head and asked, ‘What’s a Carnet?’. We just paid a road tax for Tuah and got our passports stamped and were on our way.

Swaziland is a tiny little country, but seemed just like a part of South Africa. People are friendly and it appears to be geared up for tourism. We drove to an area known as The Malkens, with beautiful countryside and views of the surrounding mountains. Mum had read of some craft shops in the area and we headed to Swazi Candles. It was heavenly! We picked up some little knick knacks and I had a quick lesson in candle making. I even helped make my own dolphin shaped candle! There was a shop selling hand painted batik, locally made bags and woven items and some souvenir stalls selling handmade crafts.
We found the Swaziland Backpackers Lodge nearby and set up camp, with the campsite dog keeping us company all evening, after noticing Mum preparing lamb chops for dinner!

24 March 2009

The Malkens, Swaziland and Border Crossing to RSA at Golela and on to Hluhluwe

We woke up and found the big black dog, Tomeka, waiting for us to share our breakfast with him. We headed out to an internet café nearby for Dad to check his emails and Mum to update the website, but the connection was painfully slow. It was a nice place to hang out anyway and there were some nice shops there too. Mum ended up buying a couple more bits and pieces and we had lunch at the pub. Fish and Chips for me, a Cornish Pasty for Mum and Steak, Chips and Egg for Dad, plus an apple crumble for dessert.

From The Malkens, we decided to cross back into South Africa, via the Golela Border Crossing. It took us 5 minutes to clear the Swaziland end but at the South African side, the customs did not seem to be interested in our Carnet, which we needed to have stamped and decided to check through the truck for any food items from outside of South Africa. The officer wanted a receipt for the mangoes we had, to prove that it was bought in Louis Trichard and not in Swaziland. Of course the woman we bought it from by the side of the road did not issue receipts, but he believed us anyway. We had to throw out a wonderful jar of honey from Livingstonia in Malawi.
Anyway, we drove on towards Hluhluwe, where we would be able to feed bush babies at the Isinkwe Bushcamp. We found the campsite and settled in, then went to wait for the bush babies to come out. A plate of banana was placed out for them and right enough, we spotted the first one climb down the branches to get a mouthful. They are funny little creatures, but fun to watch.
After chatting a while to a Dutch couple, Jan and Yvonne, who were camping next to us, I had a shower and went to bed, listening out for the cries of the bush babies in the jungle.

25 March 2009

Dumazulu Village and Melmoth, Zululand, RSA

I was hoping to see more bush babies this morning, but Mum said they were nocturnal and slept when it was daylight. We were going to visit a traditional Zulu Village, though, down the road from the camp. Jan and Yvonne were coming too, which was a bonus. But there was an even bigger bonus for me though, when we got there and discovered that they also had a snake and crocodile park!

The Zulu are nice people and being in their village was totally different from visiting the Hamer Village in Turmi, Ethiopia. Nobody harassed us, or tried to feel my skin and hair, or take the shoes off my feet! We were shown how spears are made, claypots, beaded items and met the fortune teller and medicine man. We were also entertained to a traditional Zulu dance. After the tour, we had some lunch with Jan and Yvonne, before visiting the snake and crocodiles. What a thrill! There was even a few huge pythons there!

Then, it was time to go, and sadly say goodbye to Jan and Yvonne. I don’t like goodbyes. They were moving north towards Kruger National Park, for a week, before they flew back to Rotterdam in Holland. We drove on towards Melmoth, where Mum called up the local caravan site for directions, but was told that the few pitches they had were full. We were welcome though to camp in their yard, but when we arrived there, Cookie, the Landlady offered us a room for a very fair rate. I could not believe it! I haven’t slept in a bed since the 21st January, at the Holiday Villa in Khartoum!

26 March 2009

Champagne Valley, Drakensberg via Dundee and The Battlefields, RSA

We were very humbled by the kindness and hospitality of our hosts, Leon and Kukie, for providing us with a very comfortable room for the night at a very special rate. After breakfast, we said our goodbyes and watched Leon at work, tagging cattle in the farm, for a while, before heading off towards Vryheid. We stopped for some fuel and groceries, and had KFC for an early lunch, then drove on to Dundee, which I thought was in Scotland, just as I thought Amsterdam was in Holland. This area is known as The Battlefields. More than 100 years ago, the British, Boers and Zulus fought wars here, and many were killed. We drove up to the top of Spionkop, where many British soldiers had lost their lives. Just as in Gallipoli, in Turkey, it seems hard to imagine that so many lives were lost on the ground we were walking on. It just seemed so peaceful and serene, with an amazing view of the surrounding mountains and countryside.

We drove on towards the Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, another UNESCO World Heritage Site (and rightly so!). The area is beautiful. Just at the bottom of Champagne Castle, was Inkosana Lodge, with its beautiful garden to camp in and wonderfully equipped campers kitchen and lounge area, complete with 3 dogs and 2 cats. It rained soon after we arrived, so it was nice to have the use of the kitchen and lounge for the evening. 

27 March 2009

Underberg, Drakensberg, via Midlands Meander, RSA

It had rained quite a bit last night and we were quite pleased to see the sun come out this morning. I also found a book in the Lodge’s lounge about the different snakes in South Africa – I thought it was brilliant!

After breakfast, we headed back towards Winterton, stopping down the road at the village bakery to buy some cookies and a jar of honey to replace the one confiscated by the customs when we crossed back into South Africa from Swaziland. Our second stop was not far away, at the Thokozisa Location, where there were several shops, including a really cool place called Hides of Africa, where Mum bought me a kid’s size Zulu Warrior spear (not to play with, but to put in my room when our travels are done) and some wooden masks and some other knick knacks. We also picked up some meat and trout from a deli.

Driving on, we were admiring the beautiful views, when we came across a little Farm Shop. Again, we stopped, this time to pick up some fruits and vegetables and for me to have a run around and play on their slide and swings. It was lunchtime, and some of the local traffic police people came in for their break. They were lovely and chatted to us for a while. One of them even bought me a slice of tasty fudge!
We decided to stop for the night at Underberg, where we found the Dragon’s Rest Campsite. It was in the grounds of a farmhouse, on a hill overlooking the Drakensberg Mountains. We set up camp and Dad put the trout on the braai for dinner. As it grew dark, we could not help but admire the thousands of stars in the sky. We heard some crying sounds in the distance, which we later found out, were jackals, in the hills behind the farm, but were assured that they could not get into the farm area.

28 March 2009

Port St Johns on the Wild Coast, via Kokstad and Flagstaff, RSA

It was a shame to move on from the wonderful views of the Drakensberg, but such is life. We planned to hit the coast today, and John, the caretaker at the Dragon’s Rest recommended we take a route through the mountains to Port St Johns. Before we left though, we had a last minute visitor – a little Jack Russell. Funny how so many short little brown and white dogs seem to have the same name. He jumped into Tuah and refused to budge. We obviously could not take him with us….it would mean I’ll have to get rid of some of my toys to make room for him!

Anyway, dog removed, we drove through more countryside, farmland and villages enjoying the views. Strangely enough, somewhere in the highlands between Kokstad and Port St Johns, we passed through areas with mud huts scattered on the hills, with no electricity, cattle on the streets and people walking everywhere, many carrying water back to their homes and hands out asking for something from us, as we drove passed. This was a stark reminder that we were indeed still in Africa!
Arriving at Port St Johns, we passed the Cremoene Estate, a lovely lodge on the banks of the River Umzimvuba and stopped to enquire about camping. The landlady, Izette showed us around and gave me a South African flag, too.
We set up camp and Mum got dinner going early, which was a good thing – the heavens opened and it rained for most of the rest of the night.

29 March 2009

Addo near Port Elizabeth via East London, RSA

Everywhere was wet this morning, which was a shame. I missed out playing in the nice playground next to our pitch. We said our goodbyes to Izette and headed out towards Port Elizabeth, via a place called East London. Ok, now I am confused…we started out on this trip from our home on the Isle of Dogs, in East London, the United Kingdom, on 1 May 2008…..so how come we are back in East London, in South Africa?

Anyway, it was a long, long day’s drive, but we were determined to make our way to Port Elizabeth, so we can start on what is known as the Garden Route into Cape Town tomorrow.
Mum knew of a Lodge called the Homestead, in Addo, about 40km outside Port Elizabeth, and by the time we arrived at 7.30pm, it was dark. They’ve got a nice camping area though, and we soon settled in, hearing all sorts of animal sounds in the distance.

30 March 2009

Pletternberg Bay via Port Elizabeth and Storms River Mouth, RSA

The first thing after breakfast, Dad gave me a haircut. Right after that, I was showered by Mum and we sat down to sort through my toy boxes. Some of the stuff I was keeping had to go, as Mum said they were junk. Sticks and stones aren’t junk, when you’re a 4 and a half year old!

We headed out back towards Port Elizabeth, admiring some of he lovely houses by the coast. We saw our first sign postings for Cape Town at Port Elizabeth. We were soon out in the countryside again and on what was called the Garden Route.

We drove into Storms River Village, then into the Storms River Mouth National Park. The waves were pounding on the rock and the spray of water went up really high. Mum got me a small toy shark from the Park Shop and said that if the weather was good and the sea not too rough, we could go on a boat trip tomorrow to try to spot dolphins and seals. Sometimes whales come near the coast, too, but it is off season now and we’d be quite lucky to spot any.

We had a wander around Patternberg Bay town. Very pleasant, but there were no toy shops. I had wanted to get a new Star Wars toy and was quite upset. Mum reminded me that I already had a new toy shark today. Sigh! I spotted a shop I town, called the Whale Shop and went in to find that they had some little sea creature figures. I came away with a Clown Fish and an Angel Fish, and a dolphin Jitz Bit for my Crocs.

After driving around a little bit more, we headed for the campsite we spotted at the entrance to the town. It was a large area on the beach and I had lots of space to run around. Mum prepared dinner and after we tidied up Dad and Mum had a surprise for me – sparklers! I had great fun playing with them. They are magical!

31 March 2009

Plettenberg Bay and drive to Oudtshoorn via George, RSA

Today is a special day. At least, I woke up hoping it would be…weather and sea conditions permitting, we were going on a boat ride to view the dolphins and seals in the bay. With a bit of luck, we would also be able to spot some whales. It’s not the so called ‘whale season’ yet, but one or two come into the bay three or four times a month, throughout the year.

The day began rather gloomy, but it brightened up, thank heavens. We checked out of the campsite and headed to the Ocean Safari office on the beach. After registering, we were handed out safety vests to wear and given a short briefing on what to expect. It was nice to know, too, that the company planted trees to offset their carbon footprint and supported a local charity which provided care and education for some less fortunate local kids.

I was excited. We boarded the little boat and headed off to sea. We were told that we were in luck today, as there were about 2000 dolphins and about 5 Southern Right whales in the bay! It was a brilliant sight. The dolphins swam so close to the boat and were so graceful jumping in and out of the water. Every now and then, we would see water spouting from a whale and part of the whale’s body coming out of the water.

After some time, we headed to some cliffs nearby, where there was a colony of Cape Fur Seals. They were funny creatures and barked like dogs. Some of them were high up on the cliffs. Apparently, only the Cape Fur Seal has the ability to do this. The water they were in was quite shallow. There were sharks in these waters, and the seals would be eaten by them if they wandered off into shark infested areas. Yikes!
After and hour and a half at sea, we headed back to shore and it was coffee time for the grown ups, and an ice cream for me. We headed back into the town, as it began to rain, and Dad bought a little portable braai. I had to say hello to my friend from yesterday, Joan, the lovely lady at The Whale Shop. It sold wonderful gift items and a few small sea themed toys. Mum bought me a little whale and Joan gave me a little dolphin.

We had lunch in the town – Fish and Chips, before we made our way westwards towards a town called George, before heading north to Oudtshoorn. It had been such an exciting day and I was exhausted, and so fell asleep on the way. It rained most of the journey, and Dad was begging to get annoyed with Mum for choosing to move inland. As we came out of a mountain pass, though, the sunshine peeked through the clouds and soon we saw that it was bright and sunny on the other side of the mountains where we were heading to! We passed many sheep and ostrich farms along the way. This area is famous for them and tomorrow, we will visit an ostrich farm. We found the Kleinpasse Campsite in town and settled in. What a day…it rates one of the best I’ve had, up there with the day I saw the Pyramids and Sphinx, and of course, the day the doctors in Norway fixed Dad up, after he had the stroke!