AFRICA TOUR part 7:

Thursday 23th of November 2017 TOP

Khwai North Gate, Moremi, Botswana

Highlights:

Water buffalos

Elephants

Leopard

Last night mosquitoes bothered us big time. We also heard hyenas and dogs from the village. At 6 a.m. we go for a big lap, but see very few animals. In the burned forest we see a tree that has just fallen and whose stump still smoulders like it can burst into flames any moment yet again. We drive the same route as last night, but the lioness is not there and the lion couple has also vanished. After 2.5 hours we are back at the campsite for coffee. At 9 a.m. we drive to Savuti. The road is better than last year, flatter. We stop for a zebra rolling on the road and a little further for a large family of banded mongoose crossing the road. 5 meters further we see 5 giraffes and an elephant. The road to the park is much greener. The Mopane trees are now full of leaves. At the gate I have to pay 290 pula park fee. We drive the next 10km without seeing an animal. Then we suddenly see a flock of white birds. They look like herons, but there is no water here at all! We search for the bushes on which the birds have landed and suddenly find ourselves in the middle of a huge herd of African buffalo. They are to the left and right of the road, completely hidden in the bushes, as far as you can see. It must be hundreds. When we have driven 20km of Marsh we cross to the Ridge on the advice of the park ranger. Sand, very deep sand, 4×4 low gear, through fields of long yellow grass interspersed with completely bare trees and then again green mopane trees. We only see 1 elephant, a dik-dik and a few deer near the campsite. We report first and have a look at our spot for tonight. Nothing has changed on campsite Paradise except that the water tap has been fixed and it is now working. SKL is on the right track. We go straight to the small water hole near the campsite for a very late breakfast. There a pleasant surprise awaits us. It is now a nice big pool with lots of water! A great improvement since last year. That is fantastic to see. Enough space for 2 hippos, a bathing elephant and still plenty of space for the rest of the elephants to drink. We watch for 30 minutes and then, on advice of the nice Italians who spent 4 days in Savuti, we head to the large waterhole 10km further. On the way we see a beautiful leopard. It walks towards us across the road but disappears into the bushes. As we get closer to the other pool we see more and more elephants. Groups of 10+ and we still have to drive 1,5km. Then we see more elephants together than we have ever seen. Hundreds, at something that is supposed to be the big pool, groups at a little mud pool, whole families come out of the bushes and groups that are leaving. Elephants as far as you can see. Elephant Sands is not even getting close to this scene but if we look for the water there is a resemblance. There is no water in the pool! It flows from some holes. That’s it. That is never enough for those hundreds of elephants that need about 150L each. So it’s pushing and shoving and a lot of trumpeting. There are at least 2 little ones in each herd. We watch for hours but new families keep arriving. There is strict hierarchy and front ringers are punished. Most should be happy to get a drop of water. Some wait for hours and are not even allowed near the water. In any case, no other species are tolerated. The zebras are chased away as well as the little jackal. The giraffes don’t even risk going to the water. Fortunately, it has been cloudy all day and only 36 degrees, otherwise it would be quite a drama.

We decide to drive to the other pool because no other animals will come here. We drive the same way back and close to where the leopard walked towards us are now beautiful, fresh lion’s paw prints on the tire track. We follow them until they are covered with tire prints from a safari car. So we guess the safari car spotted the lions and followed them until they disappeared into the bushes. We find neither the safari car nor the lions with cubs. All cars are now at the small pool. One family of elephants is already drinking. A second group has a stalemate with 3 waiting buffalos and a third family of 12 with 2 very little ones comes running from the bushes towards the pool. We estimate that it is only a 2-hour walk for the elephants from the other pool to this one. Furthermore, there is no water in all of Savuti. So any animal who hasn’t had enough to drink will try its luck at this small pool tonight.

At 6.30 p.m. we drive to Paradise and quickly set up the tent and make a fire. The gas bottle is almost empty, so the spare tank has to be removed from the roof rack. Early morning game drive without coffee first is no option. We have 2 house mice and give them a great evening. In the distance we hear the elephants arguing at the small water hole. That means that more families have arrived. We go to bed at 8.30 p.m. to look for lions early tomorrow.

Friday 24th November 2017 TOPPER

Paradise, Savuti, Botswana

Highlights:

9 lions (2 cubs)

Pelicans

When the alarm rings at 4.45, we get up immediately. It is still dark but Ali’s lamp is great. 5.34 a.m. we drive to the small waterhole. For about 15 minutes we no longer hear elephants trumpet and rumbling. We expect elephants at the pool, but there are none. 1 car, no animals, or wait, 3 lionesses are drinking! How cool. Did they come here because the big bulls blocked the other pool all night? When we have beautiful recordings and the ladies walk to the bushes, we drive to the other pool 10km further. This takes a long time because of the deep sand. The big elephants are still there and the giraffes and herd of zebras wait in vain for their turn. A new elephant family arrives running from the bushes. No lions or wild dogs will come here to drink.

So back to the small waterhole because it is in the direction we have to go anyway. We see the Marsh, a large open plain. There is a herd of zebras and a several ostriches. Much of the Marsh has been burned and grass will soon start growing there. Next to our road, everything was burned as well and the fresh young grass looks exceptionally green on the black ground. Very visible too are the 2 sets of paw prints. A lion and a lioness! They’re lying down about 25m from the road, so hop on the roof to take better pictures over the bushes. The couple does not stay long. After 5 minutes they start walking towards an open field, away from us. We spot a road on the other side and head over there as animals like to walk on the road. After 500m we reach the turn and less than 100m further we have to brake again because there is a young male lion on the road. He’s roaring. We expect the lion and the lioness to come this way. But first a safari car arrives. He points out the 2 very little cubs and mommy who arrive. He passes the find on by radio and in no time there are 6 safari cars and they drive through everything. Staying on the road does not apply to safari cars here either. The young female and young male want to chase a few zebras, but eventually they do not succeed. It takes a long time, but the zebras notice their presence. The lion couple has now also arrived and settles under a bush. Safari cars drive everywhere except on the road. What chaos! Eventually they run off 1 by 1 and we hear that they have found more lions. Must be this morning’s ladies. Before we continue we first have to inflate the front tire, which is slowly deflating. It’s a daily routine. We take a picture of the beautiful young male now that there are no 3 safari cars in front of him and then we drive back to the small pool. There is 1 hippo in it and 1 elephant is coming. After 5 minutes a whole family of elephants comes running. Yes, they really run, excited and happy when they get near water. At 9.30 a.m. we will drive the 28km to the Ghoha Gate. A very long, fairly straight road with sand, hills, empty water pans, green trees and not a single animal. The sun comes through the clouds and the temperature starts to rise. We are at the gate at 10.30 a.m. Then turn left for 7 km and then turn right. The bushes along the road are in bloom and you can smell them too. It has rained a few days earlier. After about 40 km tracks4afrika indicates that we have to go left, while we thought we could stay on this wide road. But why take the easy way, we turn left and find ourselves on a much narrower and worse road, but we do see giraffe, a large herd of zebras and the great hornbill birds. Yet again a bit of game driving. We pass a new Lodge and then we are back on the same wide dirt road. It is doable/drivable. Now and then a hole that we hit a bit too hard, causing the sand to fly over the hood. Then asphalt. At one point we drive along the river and we see pelicans. Hundreds. I walk to the river to take pictures. That is possible because we are now between 2 parks namely Savuti and Chobe. In Muchenje, the fuel station has been open since October 21st. and we refuel 100 litres. So we drove 919km on 120 litres. Super that there is now a pump because that was a ‘thing’. Refuelling was only possible in Maun and Kasane. That meant that you had to calculate how much diesel you needed for Moremi, Savuti and Chobe. Last year we had 4 extra tanks with a total of 90 litres, now 3 with 60 litres. We could have made it easily now, but we spent less days in the parks. The next campsite is close to the petrol station and they still have space. 150 pula pp. No river view available anymore but you only see cows there anyway. The pitches are small and very close together. The pool is a small drop but we don’t have time for that. First wash clothes, then shower, backup and charge batteries.

Today was our lucky day. We made coffee at Ghoha Gate. When we opened the tailgate at Muchenje Campsite 3 hours later, the new gas bottle was spraying. We were very lucky that things didn’t explode. After all, the refrigerator is also in the trunk.