We've just had our first 10 days on the truck and just pulled up to Livingstone in Vic Falls (Zambia). I don't even know where to begin to describe how we are feeling...everything is totally different to our life at home and all our senses have been completely assaulted...in a good, but very dirty grimy way!
So we first joined the truck and our 11 new friends in Cape Town. Everyone was a bit anxious I suppose but that was shortlived as we have been thrown together pretty quickly! We've got five peopel who are about our age and similar to us - Sid an Indian Kiwi, Shin from Japan, Hanne and Maree from Denmark and Scott from California. Then we have Robyn, Fran and Christopher who are a family from Portland in the US and throw in a different dynamic as Chris is 13 (note for the future...very cool parents take their 13 year old kid on a 1 year tour of the world~!!!). Then we have our driver and guide Gav who is a bush based Aussie, and Summer who is his grilfriend and has been travelling with him for 18 months. So we are an international crew and things are working pretty well between us all.
We spent the frist two nights in Stellanbosch in the wine region and that was moderately civilised with a very boozy wine tour. But then the next three nights involved massive drives and bush camping on the side of the road. This was a harder intro to the trip and we had to sleep in the truck and didn't have a shower for the whole drive (welcome top our new world!!). We then headed up to Botswana to the Okavango Delta where we got into little mokoro (canoes) and paddled out into the wilderness to bush camp a few more nights surrounded by hippoes, elephants and giraffes ($140 US for 2 nights) . We did game walks on our island area and it was incredible to be so close to the animals - Chung we kept thinking of your tiger walk in Nepal where you suddenly realise that after paying your money actually NOT seeing the lions whilst on foot would be quite ok!!
We then got to Chobe national park and did a amazing sunset cruise in the game park ($30 US). We took an esky of booze on board and watched hippos yawning on the river banks while the sun set - very nice!!
Have seen SO much wildlife - way more than we expected to see whilst not in the game parks. We've had to stop to avoid giraffes crossing the road, and there has been some very close encounters with hippos (which are fairly scary when you are at waterlevel in a tiny wooden canoe!!). There have also been loads of elephants, wild ostriches, warthogs, impala, birds and smaller animals.
Most notably, we have quickly developed new hygiene standards...our feet are pernamently brown and a quick wipe with a baby wipe reveals some startling black dirt!!! It's kind of hard to first adjust to using camp cookware too - always dirty, dusty and never very clean. But, that is nothing compared to the water. I just assumed we would be using water purification tablets on the truck, but oh no, we drink the tap water. And when in the okavango delta, we had to drink the water straight out of the river. Not so sure about that but we have been feeling ok so it must be good. It's a wierd concept though to see people scooping a beaker of water direct from the water. Hmmm!!!
Food wise we take it in turns to cook and clean...so anyone with any recipes for simple one pot meals then all emails are welcome!!! It's hard though, you think of something and then go to the supermarket and they are always missing the key ingredient. You might have seen it at the one before but by the time we are cooking it isn't there again! We've been eating pretty well though...we are on cooking duty tonight and there is a stroganoff with mum's bacon/mint/cabbage on the side (thank goodness my mum is a good cook and has given me some ideas!!!!)
Tomorrow we are a bit freaked out as we are white water rafting on the zambezi and it is meant to be very intense. Will report back, hopefully with no horror stories!!
Will also upload some photos tomorrow when we have some time....you can check out our truck and camping style!!!
Hope you are all well and keep the news flowing!!!
xxx
So we first joined the truck and our 11 new friends in Cape Town. Everyone was a bit anxious I suppose but that was shortlived as we have been thrown together pretty quickly! We've got five peopel who are about our age and similar to us - Sid an Indian Kiwi, Shin from Japan, Hanne and Maree from Denmark and Scott from California. Then we have Robyn, Fran and Christopher who are a family from Portland in the US and throw in a different dynamic as Chris is 13 (note for the future...very cool parents take their 13 year old kid on a 1 year tour of the world~!!!). Then we have our driver and guide Gav who is a bush based Aussie, and Summer who is his grilfriend and has been travelling with him for 18 months. So we are an international crew and things are working pretty well between us all.
We spent the frist two nights in Stellanbosch in the wine region and that was moderately civilised with a very boozy wine tour. But then the next three nights involved massive drives and bush camping on the side of the road. This was a harder intro to the trip and we had to sleep in the truck and didn't have a shower for the whole drive (welcome top our new world!!). We then headed up to Botswana to the Okavango Delta where we got into little mokoro (canoes) and paddled out into the wilderness to bush camp a few more nights surrounded by hippoes, elephants and giraffes ($140 US for 2 nights) . We did game walks on our island area and it was incredible to be so close to the animals - Chung we kept thinking of your tiger walk in Nepal where you suddenly realise that after paying your money actually NOT seeing the lions whilst on foot would be quite ok!!
We then got to Chobe national park and did a amazing sunset cruise in the game park ($30 US). We took an esky of booze on board and watched hippos yawning on the river banks while the sun set - very nice!!
Have seen SO much wildlife - way more than we expected to see whilst not in the game parks. We've had to stop to avoid giraffes crossing the road, and there has been some very close encounters with hippos (which are fairly scary when you are at waterlevel in a tiny wooden canoe!!). There have also been loads of elephants, wild ostriches, warthogs, impala, birds and smaller animals.
Most notably, we have quickly developed new hygiene standards...our feet are pernamently brown and a quick wipe with a baby wipe reveals some startling black dirt!!! It's kind of hard to first adjust to using camp cookware too - always dirty, dusty and never very clean. But, that is nothing compared to the water. I just assumed we would be using water purification tablets on the truck, but oh no, we drink the tap water. And when in the okavango delta, we had to drink the water straight out of the river. Not so sure about that but we have been feeling ok so it must be good. It's a wierd concept though to see people scooping a beaker of water direct from the water. Hmmm!!!
Food wise we take it in turns to cook and clean...so anyone with any recipes for simple one pot meals then all emails are welcome!!! It's hard though, you think of something and then go to the supermarket and they are always missing the key ingredient. You might have seen it at the one before but by the time we are cooking it isn't there again! We've been eating pretty well though...we are on cooking duty tonight and there is a stroganoff with mum's bacon/mint/cabbage on the side (thank goodness my mum is a good cook and has given me some ideas!!!!)
Tomorrow we are a bit freaked out as we are white water rafting on the zambezi and it is meant to be very intense. Will report back, hopefully with no horror stories!!
Will also upload some photos tomorrow when we have some time....you can check out our truck and camping style!!!
Hope you are all well and keep the news flowing!!!
xxx
4 comments:
Hi Frankie,
The Zambezi is terrifying and fantastic all in one. You will love it I’m sure. The guides will encourage you to go naked over the last rapid…and you have to do it- it’s just what you do on the river.
I’ve been following your travels with interest and jealousy.
Enjoy the river…I look forward to reading the wrap up.
Nigel
we don't want to see the photos of the last rapid! Might scar the 13 year old for ever!
Maggie and Steve
Hello Stephen and Frankie'
Must be great not to have to wash. Hope you've got plenty of fly spray!!!!!!!!! We are dead envious of you seeing all those wild animals. Enjoy
Mum and Dad Lew
When on a jungle walk, always walk in he middle of the group as big cats attack from behind. If a rhino charges, run zig zag or climb a tree. Never run away from a predator animal.
JC
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