After my family visited Ndola for three days, we traveled down to Livingstone to see Victoria Falls, and then we went to Botswana to go on a safari. Highlights of the trip:
Victoria Falls: If you remember, in December when I visited the falls, we able to walk on the edge of the falls. That is when the water level was low. I cannot even begin to describe the difference now. The rainy season has ended, but all the water from Northern Zambia is now flowing through the Zambezi River and over the falls. When standing on the observation decks, all you see is a white cloud of mist. It is very hard to get a view of the falls. Plus, with all the mist coming up from the falls, it is as if you are walking in a shower. I am not exaggerating when I describe the amount of water in this manner.
Safari at Muchenje Lodge in Botswana: After seeing Victoria Falls and spending a night in Livingstone, my family traveled over the border to Botswana for a three day safari in Chobe National Park. As with my other safari in Kenya, it was a remarkable experience. Chobe is very different from the Masai Mara in Kenya though because Chobe consists mainly of the bush whereas the Masai Mara consists mainly of the savannah. This creates two very unique safari experiences. The animals have more places to hide in Chobe, but the movements of the animals also differ depending on the land formation.
Our lodge in Chobe (the Muchenje Lodge) was simply amazing. The lodge sits upon the cliffs overlooking the Chobe River and Namibia. The Chobe River flows from the Zambezi River; therefore, all the water coming over Victoria Falls spills into the flood plains of Botswana and Namibia at this time of year. That is why the river resembles a lake in our pictures. During the months of September through February, that “lake” is a small river. It is impressive to see all the water and to know that it is usually just a small river.
The animals in Botswana: The most impressive thing about Chobe is the large herds of animals. For example, it was not uncommon to see a herd of 50 elephants or 25 giraffes or 200 water buffalo. This is something that I did not experience in the Masai Mara.
We are also able to get “dangerously” close to the animals. There were definitely a few times where my mother told the guide that she did not want to be that close to the animals. I mean who wants to be 10 feet away from a lion and her baby cub. I do, but unfortunately my mother does not.
The highlight of our safari was seeing a LEOPARD though. Leopards are very rare to see because they are very shy animals. Our guide said that the last time he saw one was in September. We were not even looking for a leopard but just happened upon it while on a boat cruise on the Chobe River. The leopard is very elusive though; therefore, we had to track him for 20 minutes along the shore of the river just to get decent pictures of him. Even though we knew he was there, it was extremely difficult to find him. They blend in very well and are spooked easily. Seeing a leopard was my one wish for the safari, and it was granted. Chobe=Success!
In total, it was a great vacation with my family. It was amazing to be able to talk to them in person and for them to experience Africa with me. Lots of memories and lots of fun was had by all. The vacation is over for now though. It is time to train more teachers!
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