Devil's Pool

Devils pool is on Livingstone Island at the top of Victoria Falls. When the water levels are low you can walk to the island (when the water level is high there is 3 metres of water going over the edge). The rocks you walk on show the evidence of intense water force. Large circular holes, deep ravines & pedestal rock formations.  

The drop is vertical & 100 metres down. Its a cliff edge. So what better way to appreciate the scale than to swim to the edge & look over. Having signed up for this "excursion", I did have a tinge of doubt. As you swim to the edge, the water is gathering speed. Its feel suicidal.

I was with a group. My guide - Samuel - urged me over to the edge. The water was surging. I looked down & saw a wall of water disappearing into the ravine below. He was leaning over. I was gripping onto rock.

The falls created a rainbow. Samuel was in good spirits. I was gripping on with my toes.

Doesn't really bear thinking about.

Livingstone Day 2

For an alternative perspective (one recommended), I decide to pay & travel in style. There is a steam train in Livingstone originally from the UK (c. 1920) that slowly meanders to Vic Falls & halts on the bridge.  The full package includes 5 courses & as much as you can drink bar. It’s an inclusive “package” for the hotels. I jumped on as a joker card (but still paid top dollar). I was expecting spectacular scenic views. I got spectacular people views. Given this was an “exclusive”, standards were raised. I had to buy a shirt. Impressed by the steam train, I was upbeat. After moving around, I found myself next to a senior, double chinned, Brummie threesome & it got me thinking “why do people travel?” They were not happy. Give the dry year, the falls were not at their best. They were not impressed.  It’s not what the brochures showed. Plus the exchange rate is worse (although they confirmed they voted for Brexit). Plus parking at Heathrow is expensive. And the food's no good. And its too hot. Dennis' lumbago is playing up. “Still, our next hols will definitely be a Warner break”.

So why do it (travel) ? It’s a happy contrast for me to witness. At Kasane, I was surrounded by 30 something’s exchanging travel “hits”. In Livingstone, its 60 something’s exchanging travel “hits”. Outwardly anyway, it appears neither is particularly interested in the landscape. It’s ticking off a travel list. Perhaps, it’s a life stage thing. Post education, for the young, it’s a right of passage. Post work, as a pensioner, it’s another right of passage (“I’ve earnt this). Expectations are high (perhaps too high). Neither appear particularly interested in the people or location. For the younger cohort, its selfie stick glory. For the seniors, it’s telling Doris & Arthur down the Hope & Anchor in Droitwich that they've been following in Livingstone's footsteps. Conquering impossibly wild places without even a selfie stick for protection It's the re-telling that is the common theme - whether that be facebook or the pub  

Seeing both ends of the spectrum (younger & older), my conclusion is travel now. Don’t wait. And travel independently. You'll inevitably get plenty breadth & perspective. And if it goes wrong, you’ve only got one person to blame.

  

Bubbly or Bungee today ?

  

Livingstone, Zambia

Given Kasane is a crossroads, I had choices. I was planing to go to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Understandably another tourist trap. That means top dollar prices. I knew had to re-plan my route anyway. The people in the north of Mozambique are shooting at the people in the south. Apparently they haven't been paid. I was planning to use the road that divides the two. It is now only passable with  military escort. Even then there are attacks (Q. from Herman " They shoot at anything").

So Plan B is to approach Moz from the south. Next stop  is now Zambia. I crossed the Zambezi on a chain ferry. Early indicators of a simple border crossing were not promising. I was immediately surrounded by young guys chaperoning me through (reminiscent of Morocco). To cross you need a visa (the easy bit). Then you need to get your vehicle through. First queue is for Carbon tax. Second queue is for Toll Fees. Third queue is for the Council Levy. Lastly, you need to buy insurance. At each step, very disinterested desk staff come & go. People do not queue. You boil in bike gear (its mid 30s C) & there's the small matter of currency. They want US dollars. The currency is the Kwacha which was devalued by a thousand a few years ago. Three hours later I'm heading to Livingstone. First question. Which side do they drive on ? Is that truck coming at me on the right or wrong side? Thankfully he was avoiding potholes, swerved at the last minute so was on my side of the road.

First impressions. Zambia has not capitalised on the Victoria Falls halo as much as Zimbabwe. Rooms in Zim can be £300/night. In Zam they're £30 (in 30+ degrees I've decided camping is best avoided). But its not just money. It feels more real in Zam. I sat in a bar listening to great rap, drinking the local brew (Mosi - yes, its lager) initially as the only white bloke. 10 mins down the road is Vic Falls. Its been dry so the water is low. Still impresses. 

This bridge was built & assembled in Darlington & shipped to Zambia. It was re-assembled in 1905. Part of Rhodes' Cape to Cairo project. 

Kasane

Kasane is at the crossroads of four countries (Bots, Zam, Zim & Nam) & feels like it. It is also the northern gateway to the Chobe NP between the Chobe & Zamezi rivers. It is on every tour operators route. It is a supply stop for overlanders. All this means Kasane buzzes. Open backed 4X4 trucks bound up & down the street (singular) full of pinkfaced, uncomfortable looking caucasian types . Despite my best efforts of haggling & moving on, I ended up paying the tourist shilling & to fit in properly joined a couple of bus loads on a river trip.

The boat was a double decker with around a hundred on board. And we were not alone. Several other such party boats were on the water already. Alongside, smaller boats sped by (the rule being the smaller the boat, the wealthier you are). I was surrounded by groups of fresh faced, freshly tattooed, overly vocal 20 to 30 year somethings from every white skinned nation of the world. The exception being an older Japanese couple who said nothing but had cameras with impossibly long lens that they skillfully maneuvered around your ears. The only black faces were the three crew. "This is awesome dude...not as good as when I was in Cambodia...haven't you been? ...I've set my date to do 100 countries by.." So proceeded the conversations around me (punctuated with "what's that one called ?..). I sat on my chair on the upper deck appreciating the bird life. 

Apart from a return of my good friend the Ibis I added a Maribo stock & African Spoonbill to my list. Also added were a new swallow (wire tailed), sandpiper (marsh) & tern (caspian). The main event though was the multitude of grazing, lazing animals. The water buffalo ignored everything.

The hippos tolerated us.

But then again when all the boats arrive they were less happy. Nor were the crocodiles who slid into the water after the thousandth camera click.

The elephants watched the incoming flotilla, turned around & headed off into the bush.

With Botswana on one side of the river, Zambia on the other & an island in the middle free from predators (notably mankind), the scene provides idiot proof wildlife spotting (good job really). As evening fell, a frenzy of selfie sticks signaled the arrival of sunset & we headed back. I wondered whether I was as nauseating as that when I was young. Grumpy old man - of course I was, worse in fact.

Nata

The road from Maun to Nata is 310K. I left with about 50K on the clock but that was ok as I was reliably told there was a fuel stop midway. There wasn't. Luckily my trusty plan B oil can with fuel in saved the day.

Today's roadside game is predicting what ostriches will do next.Cattle, goats, donkeys, dogs & even elephants are broadly predicable & slow. Ostriches are neither. In a comical if it were not life limiting way they react to oncoming traffic by outrunning it. Getting ahead they then attempt to cross. Three ostriches appeared to my right. I slowed to 40K, they overtook me & crossed the road. I started to speed up. They crossed again but this time the last one fell. A big ball of feathers rolled down the road in front of ongoing lorry. In a nerve racking, "man on floor trying to get up with arms tied behind his back move" the ostrich got up, brushed itself off & disappeared into the bush.

Nata is one entry point into the Makgadikgadi salt pan - a large area previously under water but now dried out to one central lake as rivers have been diverted & waterfall is much more erratic. It is now a haven for birds & being protected a safe place for wildebeest & birdlike in general to roam.

I tagged along with Herman & his family who had organised a drive onto the reserve. Ostriches were for once on home ground. So were korhanns, storks (saddle billed) & surprisingly pelicans in large numbers. 

Herman ran a huge farmstead in northern SA (near Kruger)." What do you farm? We run hunting expeditions. What do you hunt ? Everything". Herman has a business selling hunting packages to tourists. "You're not one of those greens are you, David ? No, no" I  lied. "You know the only thing you need in South Africa? Money ? No, MEAT. You cant eat money, David".

Okavango from the air

What better way to start your day than a scenic flight over the Okavango? Free of the tiresome traipsing around on terra ferma, here was a way to see the delta untapped. Getting on board, I thought small planes are like small cars. Similar to bigger models just a bit crapper. As the engine started, I was reminded of lawnmowers, chainsaws & roadworks. Still it will be in its element in the air. The pilot was Ian Livingstone, a jovial 30 something " Any nervous fliers ? Just me then". I am with four very amicable dutch who are overly courteous.  

In the air, the tin can tandrum got worse. Imagine yourself inside an industrial launderette dryer. Add cement mixer noise (x 10). Introduce 4 chatty dutch pensioners. "Did you see the buffalo David?". Friendly elbow to show me the line of elephants. Meanwhile the horizon & my stomach were in places they shouldn't be. 

Its a 45 minute flight. It felt like 45 days. Luckily I had had no breakfast. Peeling myself out of the dustbin with wings I thanked all land orientated Gods & made a mental note to never never go in such a murderous contraption again. Captain Livingstone was back slapping happy. "Enjoy your holiday - see you next time". 

After a considerable amount of Coke, burping & walking around in circles, I felt confident to once again ride a motorbike. Only just though.

The Okavango Delta

The Okavango basin is a river basin (from Angola) that ends in the desert of Botswana. Given the surrounding dust ball, this area is a magnet for mammals - animal & human. Water never looks so enticing than when its surrounded by desert. For wildlife its a hotspot. Sadly, it saddles several borders (Nambia, Botswana & Zimbabwe) so poaching is a problem. Not in Botswana though. 

Given its a river basin the way to explore is by boat. Having been out in the Kalahari, the overwhelming impression is one of life. For start, the birdlife.. Egrets, commerants, storks, herons, ibis watch you as you speed by. I get a sense of "heart of darkness" as I  leave civilisation & head into the delta. The impression is that there is much more ahead.

Firstly the elephants stand their ground. Not happy that a smelly two stoke boat is interrupting their breakfast. They rip the reeds out of the river, shake them vigorously to remove soil then munch.

The hippos watch. Keeping cool. But are really are up for a fight.

 No such problems with the young lions. They have just eaten & are just not interested.

I am watching this with four Germans from Dusseldorf & a lady from New York. " So Trump or Clinton?"I asked."I'm for Trump, through & through...Bit of a loose cannon isn't he?..He knows how to run a business...Does he? He's been bankrupt twice?." Silence. From the Germans "Anyway this about running a country not a company". Fair point. Q. Michelle Obama " We need an adult in the White House".