Flatdogs Camp where we are staying in Zambia is a beautiful place near the Luangwa river, but could as well be located somewhere in France (besides the hippo in the river and the giraffe and elephant and monkeys in and around the tents). Reason is the amount of Dutch people here! It’s unbelievable! You find them everywhere you go in the world!
A thing you have to be really careful about here are the vervet monkeys and baboons. They are an absolute pest! They are watching every move you make and when you turn your back on something even for a second, they take the opportunity and steal everything that looks edible!
Today I was about 5 meters away from the car hanging up the laundry, when a massive baboon (and they are big!) came towards me and stopped about 1 meter in front of me. It looked at me and at the car. Before I even could make a move, he ran for it, climbed in the car, grabbed our last pieces of bread and was gone. All in about 2 seconds! The nerve! It’s funny when it happens to other people, but not to you!
Yesterday I was reading a book when it suddenly dawned on me that our car was invested with vervet monkeys. The car was closed, so it didn’t bother me very much…but something was not right…and yes, I saw our bag of cruesli walking past. What the…! How did they get that out of the box on top of the roof? That box has a cover which is strapped tight?!? Turned out we lost the cover somewhere on the road and everything in there was like a buffet for the monkeys…
South-Luangwa NP is beautiful. So different compared to the thick vegetation of Majete! We got up early early yesterday and drove Bertha to the park. She was excited as well, we could feel it!
It was a beautiful day and we saw a lot! Elephants, hippo, puku (we think that’s what you get when you crossbreed a waterbuck with a hartebeest), lots and lots of zebra, giraffe, big herds of buffalo, beautiful birds…the photographer in Martin and moviemaker in me were working overtime!
You’re not allowed to drive in the park yourself at night, so we booked a night drive between 4 and 8 pm. It was strange to be in a game vehicle not driving it ourselves! I wanted to say to the driver…you take a rest, I’ll take the guests around haha!
It was a good drive and we saw more elephants, hippo, ants (yes, ants), more birds (pearl spotted owl), civet, genet, 2 hyena. So this should be a good score for a night drive. But by the time we were getting back we were a little bit disappointed. South-Luangwa is famous for her lions and leopards and until now we hadn’t seen any of them!
We took a last loop before we would exit the park and suddenly the guide with the spotlight told the driver to go back, he thought he saw something… we got back and still we did not see anything. Oh, maybe there in the distance, that looks like a small lioness drinking…no, wait, is it?? YES, IT”S A LEOPARD!!! We drive up really close, at about 5 meters, and she (or he) is not disturbed at all! It’s drinking, briefly looks at the car, and walks off. Absolutely beautiful! JEEE, we’re so happy!
4 Sep 08
Yesterday evening we went as well and guess what...after 100 meters in the park, we saw another leopard! The night was still young...and after some hours we were rewarded with another leopard and her cub! She left the cub behind and went for some impala. A leopard on the hunt! Unfortunately for us, but fortunately for the impala she missed ;)
So today we thought to try for some lions. We got up at 5.15 am and at 6 we were entering the park. After some hours we spotted a lazy lioness lying in the sun, her bully round from the catch the night before! We drove around until about 2 pm and saw a lot, but no leopards and lions anymore. South-Luangwa has been good to us! Tomorrow we go again, heading for Lusaka. Although that's abou 700 km's, so we probably drive it in 2 or 3 days...
Lots of love,
Amy and Tinus
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