Zambia – rivers, rainbows and waterfalls

12
TRAVEL
The Epoch Times
May 8 - 21, 2008
ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT DAVID GODNY WWW.DAVIDGODNY.COM
Zambia – rivers,
rainbows and
waterfalls
Home to the world famous Victoria Falls and
birthplace of the original bushwalking safari
in the Luangwa Valley’s dry season; Philip
Dickson and photographer David Godny
discover rivers, rainbows and waterfalls in
Zambia’s lush ‘green season’.
A boat safari in the Luangwa
Valley
Creeping through the cool
early morning mists hanging eerily over the swollen
Luangwa River in eastern
Zambia we drift silently and
reverently under the dark
vaulted roof of a flooded
ebony grove. In our swamp
boat, the Ngalawa, we watch
and listen intently to avoid an
unwelcome collision with the
imposing pods of grunting
hippos evaporating into the
steamy haze.
Levy Banda, our guide
and captain of the small
lightweight boat seemingly
made out of tin with khaki
clad roof and outboard motor, manoeuvres us right into
the intimate lives of wildlife
that would normally flee from
bush walkers or the clatter of
safari vehicles. Yesterday at
Wamilombe Lagoon, crocodiles fed from the underside
of a half submerged hippo
carcass, surfacing only to
gulp down large chunks of
rotting flesh before diving
again to devour more.
On the river bank, a skittish leopard lapped hypnotically, elephants grazed
amongst the shadowy reed
beds and squadrons of skimmers swooped low over the
river just a few feet from the
boat scooping out fish by
trawling their lower beak.
Now, puttering through the
dappled shadows of this
drowning cathedral we communicate in whispers as sluggish crocodiles bask benignly
on the sandbanks and sacred
ibis stalk cautiously amongst
them. Emerging from the
sanctity of this cavernous
glade, the wild rice grasslands on the far bank ignite
in vibrant hues of pink and
mauve.
Zambia’s Luangwa Valley is an hour’s flight from
the capital city Lusaka and
the phenomenally high game
densities found here make
this one of the best places in
Africa for wildlife viewing.
It was here that Norman
Carr, a reformed hunter who
became a wild life ranger in
the late 1930s and ultimately
a committed and visionary
conservationist developed
bush walking safaris.
His family are still involved
in the business that he started
over forty five years ago and
now son Adrian continues his
pioneering legacy with a new
wildlife experience. Norman
Carr Safaris operate the only
boat safari to a remote bush
camp deep within the South
Luangwa National Park in
the low ‘green’ season, when
the roads and tracks normally used for game viewing become paralysed by the heavy
rains. Entering this verdant
landscape reveals the full
extent of the annual renewal and abundance. Flowers
bloom from dormant seeds
and the bush bursts into a
spectacular profusion of lush
vivid greens, so vibrant and
intense that it’s now referred
to as the ‘emerald’ season.
Between November and
April the meandering muddy
waters of the Luangwa River
surges with powerful flood
The largest breeding colony: Open-billed storks and giant white egrets in this part of Zambia nesting in the bare canopy of a Winterthorn Tree in
the flooded Luangwa Valley
Puttering through
the gullies and
channels of this
sunken wilderness
the primordial
soundtrack
pulsates with
life like a land
forgotten by time
Young impalas (top) and zebras born in the green season
waters from torrential downpours. Becoming brown and
bloated, the river spills its
watery mass into lagoons
and wetlands, scooping out
oxbow lakes and tributaries whilst consuming tons of
dark nutrient soil.
Wildlife becomes marooned, stranded on shrinking islands patrolled by canny
crocodiles and a boat safari
is our only way to reach the
heart of this raw pristine
bush. Puttering through the
gullies and channels of this
sunken wilderness the primordial sound track pulsates
with life like a land forgotten
by time. Prehistoric reptiles
lurk brazenly on crumbling
river banks and pterodactyls
cast dark menacing shadows
across the flooded panorama
returning to nest at the largest open-billed stork colony
in this part of Zambia. These
gawky birds flap, squawk,
squeak and scrap as they
land clumsily on precarious
twig platforms in a boisterous cacophony of clattering
bills and beating wings.
After two days of shameless luxury at the main Kapani Lodge on the bank of an
ox-bow lagoon, Ngalawa is
ready to chug us downstream
to Mchenja, a remote riverside bush camp nestling discreetly beneath a shady grove
of ebony trees. Two hours later a chilled cocktail is thrust
forward with a welcoming
handshake and broad smile
from Rich and Susie who
manage this isolated camp
which merges and disappears
perfectly into its own natural
environment.
Great care has been taken
to retain that important connection with the wild. Bush
camps tend to be simple
reed, thatch and wood structures, strong on authentic
bush comfort, but Mchenja
is semi tented. The rugged
camp exterior belies a luxurious design aesthetic inside,
epitomising restrained colonial luxury and an expansive
alfresco bathroom that is
open to the skies, providing
spectacular views of the unspoilt wilderness beyond.
Crawling into bed after
a culinary miracle conjured
up in a simple bush kitchen consisting of a camp fire
and blackened wood oven
I’m serenaded by the rhythmic pulsing of crickets. As a
tangible calmness descends
over the bush muted discords
of grunts, snorts and rustles
ensues, but even the chest
heaving roar of a distant lion
doesn’t keep me from my
slumber for long.
In the morning it becomes
clear that the roar hadn’t
been that far away, as we
find evidence that lions had
traipsed through the camp at
night, leaving us in absolute-
ly no doubt as to who was the
trespasser and who was the
master of this domain.
Deepening dark clouds
mass as we thread our way
back upstream against the
forceful current of the Luangwa River. As the deluge
erupts we quickly don our
waterproofs and witness the
lightning-torn sky rumble
and reverberate with thunder as electrical bolts strobe
across the horizon.
Mooring up to the overhanging branches of a mahogany tree for shelter a large
pod of belligerent hippos
surface nearby, sinking like
U-boats as we sup a warming mug of bush tea and tuck
in to banana cake baked by
Susie.
Suddenly a rifle shot crack
rings out as a giant Leadwood tree sways forward in
slow-motion and crashes into
the river. Unable to maintain
its grip on the saturated river bank below, its roots bob
in the current like flailing
arms. A huge bull hippo explodes out of its watery wallow with the loud hiss of a
juggernaut’s air brakes and
foghorn grunts. Ears twitching angrily, his pink goggle
eyes peer distrustfully over
his bristling snout.
Hippos are territorial
beasts, adopting display and
submission postures that involve wide open jawing that
A territorial bull hippo charging through a tributary created by the flooded Luangwa River in Zambia
looks like a huge yawn and
the rather comical tail flagging, where the posterior is
thrust into the face of the opposing bull.
A boat safari in Zambia
is a very ‘hands-on’ experience. This is the real Africa
after all; raw, rugged, exciting, sometimes wet, but surprisingly relaxing. A throwback to how safari used to
be in the days before convoys
of zebra striped mini buses
invaded and sanitised other
parts of Africa.
When David Livingstone
passed through the Luangwa
Valley in 1866 he wrote: “I
will make this beautiful land
better known to men so that
it may become one of their
haunts.” Two centuries on,
he has only partly succeeded
but the new ‘green season’
should change that.
Self-drive to the Victoria Falls
Arriving back in Lusaka we
collect our hire car at the airport and decide to stop over
at the southern town of Choma, rather than drive all the
way to the Victoria Falls in
one afternoon. Like Ireland,
vehicles are driven on the left
hand side of the road in Zambia and the only route south
is in generally good condition with just one major turn
at the crossroads outside the
town of Kafue.
Choma is a small friendly
town about 180 miles from
Lusaka with an interesting
museum documenting tribal
and cultural rituals in the
southern province.
Outside in the grounds are
two enormous steel spheres
used like monstrous wrecking balls to clear trees from
the bottom of Lake Kariba
when it was flooded in the
1960s.
Our overnight stay at Masuku Lodge isn’t long enough
to explore its unspoilt bush
setting overlooking a lake
surrounded by woodland, but
retired diplomat Bill Somerset and his wife Sue promise
us a personal walking safari
on our next visit.
Perched on a small hill,
Livingstone is only 120 miles
from Choma and approaching the town a great cloud of
water vapour hangs over the
Victoria Falls in the distance.
At this time of year the monumental power of the falls
sends up plumes of spray and
towering white mist known
locally as Mosi oa Tunya, the
smoke that thunders.
Discovered by Dr. David
Livingstone in 1855 and now
the border between Zambia
and Zimbabwe, the Victoria
Falls holds the record as the
largest curtain of falling wa-
A fisherman checking his nets on an oxbow lagoon in the Luangwa Valley with Kapani
Lodge in the background
ter anywhere in the world.
The zigzag basalt gorges and
deep chasms span over a mile
in length with over 120 million gallons of water plummeting over the precipice every minute compressed into a
ravine only 200 feet across.
The dramatic sidelong
views of the torrents from the
Zambian side are spectacular. We discover a route that
takes us close to where the
normally placid Zambezi explodes abruptly over the basalt brim more than 300 feet
below with all its ferocious
power.
The paths are rickety and
slippery and the falls hiss and
roar in surround sound as the
cascading water rumbles and
crashes like thunder. Gallons
of Zambezi water spew and
billow out creating clouds of
spray that soak our clothes
and refresh our spirits. It’s
exhilarating. Edging forward
for a closer look through an
opening in the lush vegetation a torrential wall of roaring water is plunging over the
lip of the dark basalt rocks
opposite with such force that
I’m convinced I’m about to
be swallowed. Daring to peer
over the brink a perfectly
formed rainbow hangs and
dances in the glistening mist,
its vibrant colours perpetually washed by the roaring torrents. I become transfixed,
unable to move, but deeply
moved inside. The raw power of nature is mesmerising
in many ways. Crossing the
Knife-Edge Bridge further
on I feel part of the element.
Shrouded in swirling mist
and gusting with rain the
thundering fury of the Eastern Cataract and Main Falls
lurking behind the haze reverberate through the steel
walkway. Below our feet the
seething Zambezi froths and
foams into the Boiling Pot
where it turns and cuts down
through the Batoka gorge.
Over the bridge our clothes
dry in the sun as the path
winds through a lush tropical
rainforest capped by relentless spray leading to a sheer
cliff face marking the Zimbabwean side.
The Victoria Falls area
has also become an adrenalin junkie paradise. People
bungee jump from the main
bridge, white water raft
through the gorges, swoop
down in helicopters, buzz
overhead in microlights and
indulge in thrilling wildlife
encounters.
Sarah Mackenzie at Safari Par Excellence based at
the Waterfront Lodge arranges everything, but after
two weeks on the road we opt
for the gentler sunset cruise
on the Zambezi. Unwinding
with a large gin and tonic we
relax on the deck as the sun
gradually slides down the
limpid sky and dips below
the horizon, painting the undersides of the clouds a fiery
red.
We spend our last night
high up in the living canopy
of a giant ebony grove on the
riverbank of the great Zambezi a few miles upstream
from the Victoria Falls. Our
secluded tree house has its
own deck set among expansive branches linked to the
main lodge by rustic board
walks over a lush riverine
forest. Sussi & Chuma are
View of the rainbow falls
section of the mighty Victoria Falls in Zambia
stunning, named in honour
of David Livingstone’s loyal
friends who bravely carried
the explorer’s embalmed
body and precious journal on
a remarkable and epic 1500
mile journey through Africa
for the voyage to his resting
place in Westminster Abbey.
History weighs heavy
in this part of Africa. It is a
place that creeps under your
skin and flows through your
veins. As Karen Blixen, the
author of Out of Africa remarked, “Africa, like a temptress, gives itself to you when
you are about to leave”.
TRAVEL PLANNING
FIND OUT MORE
Getting there:
British Airways (www.ba.com) is the only airline offering
non-stop services to Zambia (you will need a connecting
flight to London). South African Airways (www.flysaa.
com) offers connections to Livingstone via Johannesburg.
Zambian Airways (www.zambianairways.com) has a Johannesburg to Lusaka service and also connects to Mfuwe
(Luangwa Valley) and Livingstone. Most visitors now require a tourist visa to enter Zambia – further information
can be found at www.zhcl.org.uk
Websites:
• www.zambiatourism.com
is a highly detailed site covering all aspects of tourism in
Zambia hosted by the Zambia National Tourist Board.
• www.zambianhorizons.
com offers essential information on visiting Zambia
and a diverse collection of
individually owned camps
and lodges.
• www.expertafrica.com
offers excellent independent advice and tailor made
packages to all of Zambia’s
attractions.
Books:
• Zambia: The Bradt Travel
Guide, (25 Euro) by Chris
McIntyre is the definitive
and indispensable guidebook to planning a trip to
Zambia.
• Watching Wildlife Southern Africa by lonely planet
is a very informative ‘where,
what and how’ guide to wildlife watching in southern
Africa.
• Valley of the Elephants by
Norman Carr is the story of
the Luangwa Valley and its
wildlife through the changing seasons.
Getting about:
Most major car hire companies are located in Lusaka
(Avis, Budget, Europcar) but Limo Hire Zambia at www.
limohire-zambia.com offers a reliable collect and drop
service from the airport, avoiding additional taxi costs.
Where to stay:
• Luangwa Valley - Norman Carr Safaris:
www.normancarrsafaris.com
• Lusaka – Wayside B&B: www.wayside-guesthouse.com
• Choma- Masuku Lodge: www.masukulodgezambia.
com
• Victoria Falls – The Waterfront and Thorntree Lodge:
www.safpar.com
• Victoria Falls – Susi & Chuma: www.sanctuarylodges.
com
What to take:
Sunscreen, hat, binoculars and camera equipment are essential and waterproofs for the inevitable downpour. Malaria is considered to be prevalent in Zambia so consult
your doctor before going and take the appropriate medication. Advice is also available from the governmentForeign
Affairs website.