- Lagoons, Luxury and
Elephant Shaped Soap
- Fears, Feasts and Mud
Fights
- Insects, Sex and Sachets of
Gin
- On the Move, On the Stove
and On the Hunt
- Lie-ins,
Lounging Leopards and Laws of the Jungle
- Dung, Dust and a Midnight
Snack
- Wading, Wobbling
and Fond Farewells
- Candles, Crocs
and Customised Showers
- Picnics, Puppies and Crocodile Cookies
- Sausage Fruit, Socks and a Lifetime of Memories
Dung, Dust and a Midnight Snack
Our last morning in Chindeni was slightly cooler than before and the
bush seemed as clear and crisp as if it had been washed and ironed
overnight. Leaving our bags to be transported separately to
Bilimungwe,
we set out on the 8km walk to Luangwa's most southerly camp.
This morning, Keennan decided to try and explain how he tracks animals,
how he knows what is around and what its been eating etc. A vast amount
of this knowledge is gained from one simple substance - dung. Charming
subject, particularly just after breakfast, but it really is the lingua
franca of the bush. Actually, I'm sorry to have to say that we all found
it absolutely fascinating and before long, we were competing with each
other to distinguish impala droppings (bit like rabbits but all together
in one communal heap) from giraffe (slightly cone-shaped and used by the
locals for earrings - honest!). Learning to look more carefully at what
was around us made us all feel more 'African' and, quite proud of
ourselves, we followed the tracks of an elephant herd ( just go by the
size of the droppings!) across the plain and into Bilimungwe.
Of the three camps so far, 'Bili' was definitely the best camouflaged -
fitting really, since Bilimungwe means Chameleon. Catherine came to meet
us with ice-cold cloths to wipe off the dust of the walk and we
immediately sat down to more delicious food. Afterwards she showed us to
our rooms - charming and cosy with bamboo walls and bright furnishings.
All the details we had come to expect (lovely showers, crisp bed linen)
were there and I reflected how nice it was not to be on an old-fashioned
safari where you have to wait three hours at every stop for camp to be
constructed. This was life in the lap of luxury and I was all for it.
We spent the afternoon playing board games on the central decking area
which overlooks the waterhole and is built around the base of a huge
mahogany tree. Our walk that evening took us to the river where we were
greeted by clouds of bright scarlet birds rushing in and out of
thousands of holes in the steep sandy banks of the Luangwa. Carmine
bee-eaters, according to Keennan, and we relished g & t's as we watched
them darting around, catching insects as the sun set over the horizon.
The hippos in the river below had set up a close-harmony singing group
for our benefit and, as always, it seemed too early when Catherine and
the vehicle turned up to take us back for a night drive, supper,
nightcap and bed.
At about 2am, I was woken by a strange noise coming from outside my
cabin. Curious, I crawled out from under my mosquito net and peered out
of the window, shivering in the night air. My eyes took some time to
adjust to the darkness and at first I couldn't see a thing. Then
something moved and with a thrill I realised an elephant was eating the
leaves of a small tree only a couple of feet from my cabin. To my
astonishment, as I watched it began to strip off whole branches and
then, using its tusks, it pushed the narrow trunk until it snapped,
roots rearing, and fell to one side. The thin bamboo walls seemed to be
very little protection against such strength and I decided not to
disturb the elephant by switching on the light. As quietly as I could, I
fetched my bathrobe and stayed by the window for another twenty minutes
before the elephant moved away in search of something else to demolish.
Cold but elated I returned to my bed, hugging the thought of what the
others would say when I told them tomorrow that I had 'shared' a
midnight snack with an elephant!
[continued...Wading, Wobbling and Fond Farewells]
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