This morning was the optional game drive through Chobe National Park. Everyone on Team Elephant had decided to do it, so we all woke at the ungodly hour of 5:15 am. Elroy set out rusks and hot water for our instant coffee (which I have unfortunately grown accustomed to), and then we all bundled up and headed to the campsite bar where we met the safari jeep like trucks that we would ride in. The sun wouldn’t be up for a few hours, which meant it was chilly. We split into two jeeps and made the cold and windy drive into the park. From 6-9 am we drove along the dirt roads of the park, bumpy and hilly, holding onto the sidebars for life. At first we didn’t see many animals. It was still cold and dark and they were probably all still sleeping. But as the sun began to rise over the trees, casting rainbow colors over the waters of the river, and the birds began to chirp, and the air became warmer little by little, wildlife began to emerge.
(Light of the sunrise)
We got extremely close to hippos, elephants, impalas, baboons, giraffes, other types of antelope, lots of birds, lots of animal tracks, and an impala and a buffalo carcass.
(Hippo)
(Elephant)
(Impalas)
(Giraffe)
(Other Antelop-notice the huge semi-circle horns on the right)
(Guineahens)
(Bird)
(Impala carcass)
(Buffalo carcass in the distance)
The whole experience was incredible, but there were a lot of breath-taking moments packed into those three short hours. We saw a baboon mother sitting right next to her child, which was cute, but even cuter was seeing a mother baboon walking on all fours with her child hanging from her belly.
We saw two impalas fighting.
We saw a young elephant feeding from its mother.
We saw a 2-3 week old giraffe and saw it run, both right legs first, then both left legs. We saw the giraffes spread their front legs to reach the ground with their heads. We got stopped by an elephant herd, the elephants crossing the road in front of and behind our jeep. We found lion tracks, and our driver Jack saw a lion in the woods, forcing us to hunt down the lion, speeding down the dirt roads and swerving around other safari jeeps in the way.
(Lion tracks)
We never actually did see a lion, but heard the call of a bird, warning that a lion was close.
By the time we got back to the campsite the sun was already high in the sky and it was getting warm. Elroy had a real breakfast of sausages and scrambled eggs for us to eat but Trevor forced us to eat quickly and pack our bags and tents up so we could get on the road. It was only a ten-minute drive to the border of Botswana with Zimbabwe. Usually there is a long line to cross, and the workers are extremely disorganized, but Paul was able to cut in front and budge our way to Zimbabwe in record time. From there we had about an hour drive until we arrived in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Trevor surprised us with rooms in the lodge, instead of camping for the last three nights, and we unpacked everything from the truck. Paul had to trade Shashe for another truck, as another trip needed it. The people running the activities at the Adventure Lodge gave us brief summaries of all the events going on, and then hurried us to sign up, as we were leaving to see the falls at 4 pm. I signed up for a full day of white water rafting, a sunset cruise, a massage and Mani Pedi, zip line, and walking with lions. There was no time to pay before Trevor hustled us all onto our new bus and we drove to the entrance to Victoria Falls.
After we all got into the park area we had two hours to tour around the falls. Victoria Falls is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. It was amazing. We walked along the path of the falls on the Zimbabwe side, the side the falls fell from was the Zambia side, stopping at all the look out points to the falls, often getting sprayed with extremely cold water that misted up from the falls. A rainbow could be seen in the gorge of the falls, almost touching the water. At the end of the path we came upon the best lookout in the park. There was no make shift fence of sticks, no sign of humanity, nothing between you and Victoria Falls.
(Victoria Falls)
For a while I sat at the edge, my feet dangling over the river, looking out at a wonder of the world. The falls felt like magic. The sun was setting as I sat there, the rays shining through the mist from the falls, creating a suspended sort of light.
(Victoria Falls)
The rainbow was still there, to my right, almost hitting the water.
(Victoria Falls)
It’s too obvious why Victoria Falls was named one of the natural wonders of the world. Until it was time to go I sat there, taking the whole falls, whole trip, whole time in Africa in. Words can’t describe the sight, can’t describe the feeling.
Back at the lodge we paid for all of our activities for the next two days, and ate a dinner of noodles and ice cream sundaes. A group went out on the town but I was too exhausted. I had an early morning wake up call for white water rafting and I wanted to be as rested as I could be.
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