We had to go to the market in Chirundu to get some things, so went in the back of the truck which had brought supplies from the safari company. Chirundu is a border town, so there are lots of trucks waiting for hours (or days) to cross the border. And the hookers that go with them. But we went around all that and went to their local market. It was small, but remarkably colourful and vibrant, with fresh veggies and fruits, and some clothing for sale, lots of people sitting around, and some baboons trying to steal things. I did not feel right taking a picture, so forewent that. In the end, they did not get what the sweet potatoes they were looking for, so we headed back to the canoes. At the side of the launch area, there're was a group of Zimbabwean guards sitting around joking and passing an open wine bottle among themselves. Makes you wonder about the security. They told us that there had been sixteen elephants poached in a park at the south of the Zimbabwe, near South Africa. We were all saddened by this.
We paddled a while, then stopped under a tree and up a bank of sand for some lunch. We had passed a herd of elephants on the way, and were pleased to see that they were easily visible from our lunch place. A short siesta, and we were off again. The Zambesi is a broad, winding river at this point, with a fair bit of water going down it. At points, to avoid all the hippos, we would take a side channel, which was always a treat. Partly because it avoided the wind, which was quite high on the open water.
A short paddle and then to a campsite, on a muddy plain, and difficult to access. But the food and the company was good as usual, and I was ready to go to bed after a long paddle. We went to bed with the serenade is of a multitude of frogs, which was fortunate because it drowned out the distant radio we could hear from the Zambian side of the river.
Today was special. After breakfast, we got on the water, and went through a small channel. We had seen some elephants from the campsite, and were very pleasantly surprised to see the along the channel. We go within thirty feet of them, and they just stood there while we took their pictures. At one point, one of the males lift his trunk and smelled us deeply. It was thrilling, to say the least.
Then on for a long paddle until breakfast, which was traditional again, and much enjoyed. Lots of hippos along this section of the river. And after going a long while though the river's open areas, with the wind, and passing lots of hunting lodges and camps, we finally stopped for lunch at a shady spot with a nice entry. And there was a pod of hippos, a herd of elephants, and a few buffalo at the site (all a ways off). And, for the first time, we saw a baby elephant with its mom, and the baby suckling the mother.
With the arrival of Dave, I have been promoted to stern one of the canoes. This is sort of an honour, but it was hard work, and I am not as strong or as fit as the guides. So I was very glad that, not long after lunch, we settled in to our next campsite for the night, a place with a large sand bar we can camp on. Along the way here, we went down a side channel again, and this time, there was a dead buffalo in the water, perhaps killed by a croc recently. Our guides said it must we quite recent, since food like that is not left uneaten for long.
As I sit here in the fading light, there is a lion calling in the distance, as well as the rude sounds of the hippos, and several birds calling. The guides are making supper and joking (maybe about us) in Shone, their language.
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Location:Mana Pools
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