SAFARI

This past week has been probably the best experience of my life. First homestay, then safari. To get to Mfuwe, Zambia, we rented a 30 seater bus to seat 25, but with all of our stuff it was incredibly crowded. All the roads in Malawi were paved, and the border was about a 2 hour drive from the house. This was my first experience crossing an international border not by plane. We got off the bus, waited in a super long line, then filled out a form and got our passports stamped. Then everyone walked across to Zambia, and did the same thing with an entry form. With all of us it took about an hour and a half to get through. Driving through Zambia was an experience in itself. The drive we took was extremely beautiful; it did not look anything like what I would have expected of Africa. It is very mountainous and lush with trees. It was also very unpopulated. Once in Zambia we had about a 3 hour drive on unpaved road…not the best conditions for napping.

We stayed at Flatdogs campground. When we got there we were given a safety talk basically telling us to keep good distance from animals and not to scream or run away or do anything stupid. The campground was sandy and was right next to a lake which had hippos and crocodiles. We didn’t see any up close but we were also told not to go up to the bank. Flatdogs had a really nice restaurant with American food, and American prices (it was so good to have a burger though). There was also a swimming pool and bar, and luckily the showers had hot water. Overall the facilities were very nice.

Since we got to the campground a little late and tired from traveling, it was a chill night. The next day it was beautiful out so we spent pretty much the entire day lounging around the pool, talking and reading. We saw a few elephants come up to the campground to eat leaves. Apparently they eat 24 hours a day. They are such interesting animals to watch. We had to be careful at night too because elephants and hippos can come right up to the tents, which means no leaving food around. The group went for a night safari at 4:00. The campground ran the game drives but they took place within South Luangwa National Park. We had to pay a fee to get in which lasted 24 hours. The vehicles were completely open and had 3 tiers to sit about 4 people across on each. Our guide Javis was very friendly and knowledgeable. When we entered the park we crossed a bridge over the Luangwa river. The park was very big with lots of steep and sandy terrain. There were trees everywhere. When we saw animals we would stop the car and watch and take pictures. Sometimes we would go off the dirt path and literally stop right in front of the animals. The first animal we saw was a water buffalo. Over the course of the drive we saw lots of impala, puku, mongoose, giraffes, zebras, baboons, elephants, a hyena and a leopard. The drive was amazing. The people from last session said that they hadn’t had one as good.

For sunset we took a break near a whole family of giraffes, it was so fun. We got out of the car to stretch our legs and take pictures. As it got darker, we had a spotter, Eddie, who moved a huge spotlight back and forth to try to see animals. Some were easy to see because their eyes reflected back like a cat’s, other animals they were just talented at catching. Seeing the leopard was a rarity. When we found it a lot of other cars from other safaris came to look too. Javis was good because he rode ahead in the direction the animal was going so we could get better pictures.

At about 8:00, Javis drove us to a random ditch and found a lioness in it. She was following a group of impala who were going to bed. We put an infrared cover over the spotlight to not distract the animals as much. It’s funny because even though these animals are in the wild, they are constantly around safari cars. I was surprised that many of them didn’t flinch or run away when we shined an incredibly bright light in their faces. We watched the lioness, undetected, go past the impalas in the ditch and creep around to the other side. It was a very exhilarating moment but also very stressful that we could witness nature in its brutal ways. Sadly, the park closed at 8:30 and we had to leave. We did get to see the lioness crawling closer and closer. Maybe it was for the better that we didn’t see a slaughter. The drive back to the entrance was extremely chilly because we were speeding through the park. I came back from the game drive extremely satisfied with what we had seen, definitely better than some other groups. Another World Camp group did get to witness lions in the act, however.

That night we had a late dinner and then went to bed somewhat early because we had to get up at 5:30 in the morning for a 6:00 morning game drive. Sadly this drive did not live up to the last night’s standards. We did get really close to some elephants and zebras, and saw more birds, but we didn’t see quite the variety as during the night. There were longer periods of time where we just drove around and didn’t see anything except impala, which were everywhere.

In the afternoon we drove to a textile market called Tribal Textiles. They sell amazing hand painted wall hangings, bedspreads, table cloths, anything textilish. We definitely spent too much time and money there, but the craftsmanship was amazing. Back at the campground we lounged around again. The relaxation time we spent was well worth it and well deserved…we are teaching straight through the end of our stay here until we revisit the lake.

We left the camp early this morning and headed back to Malawi. On the road the bus suddenly pulled over…up ahead it looked like a parade of people were approaching in the middle of the road. Someone announced that it was a funeral and that we shouldn’t take pictures. The group walked past our bus singing…the women were in the front and many were sobbing with bloodshot eyes. They all turned to look at us and we looked back at them. The men walked in the back. They were carrying a tiny casket that was hand-painted. In this solemn moment I think this was the first time I experienced the reality of the true tragedy within Africa. Whatever the cause of death for this child, these people feel the same pain as we would at home for the death of a loved one, except they are plagued with it more often. The power and love within a simple community like this one re-instilled in me why I am here.

The silence in these places, the village and safari, made me contemplate a lot of things. I was in two places that completely utilize and focus on the earth around them, something I am not attuned to at home in NC or even at our house in Lilongwe. A peaceful environment, like a village that is so quiet that all you can do is focus on the stars, makes you appreciate the slow pace of life here that we often forget at home. There is certainly an emphasis on family and relationships that overcomes superfluous needs in both of these places, because survival is a struggle. And seeing the sheer diversity of wildlife on safari, as well as a glimpse of the “circle of life,” just put me in awe of nature’s intricacies and natural beauty.