Zambia Border Crossing

26-Nov-10

Zambia Border Crossing

The Zambia border exiting from Namibia that we had so feared proved to be more humorous than dangerous. We entered into a partially fenced dirt yard where dozens of young, aggressive touts looking to change money or just take it outright surrounded our jeep. A couple of military clad guards with AK47s stood at the entrance to the non descript, concrete immigration building. $50 for each visa after manually filling out the large, lined register with our stats. At the other end of the long, wooden counter we were met by a sexy, young black woman in a full length, teal, sequined gown who kindly offered to “guide” us through the process. She represents and auto insurance company and deftly leads us to her trailer a short distance across the tout infested yard.

A 15 foot completely dilapidated trailer with no doors or windows and the floor falling through is the official office of Prime Insurance. After succumbing to a lecture on the difference insuring a rental jeep vs a privately owned one we were forced to purchase a 90 day policy for our 5 day stay in Zambia. The precariously balanced table flipped over when I attempted to sign the forms. Our guide called in a money changer to take our $50 and convert it to 225,000 kwacha, with a commission to our lovely lady no doubt. The we paid the Council Levy, (no idea what this is) and the carbon tax (to assist with poor health of the citizens of Zambia due to our carbon omissions), finally back to the concrete building to a small room housing customs indicated by teen tiny letters in un-even black marker at the top of the door “customs”. Cases of Hunter’s Beer stacked against the wall, 2 men in uniform behind mismatched desks, a guard with an automatic weapon , an older white couple and now us all in a room that was about 10x10 . We went behind the desk to pay our fee in cash that went into the drawer with no receipt, finally 90 minutes later we were allowed into Zambia. 200 km to Livingstone to celebrate Thanksgiving and pay our respects to Victoria Falls after our 16 year hiatus.

We treated ourselves to a room after a month of camping. Charters guest house has a lovely garden, small pool and internet. The $65 rooms have AC, showers and an extra long bathtub, it was a real treat and feels like a “boomermoon”.

We dropped laundry and ran errands on our way to the Falls only to be put off by the $45 entrance fee. Given the low level of the water and poor reviews from others exiting out, we opted for sundowners and dinner at the Royal Livingstone, a lavish hotel reflecting the bygone British, Colonial eta. A long stretch of rolling emerald green lawn with shade trees dating back hundreds of years surrounded a spectacular deck perched on the Zambezi River. We located a couple of overstuffed chairs to enjoy a view of the rapids and rising mist from the falls, and a hippo with jaws agape made it a post card moment.

Caprivi Strip, Namibia

Mahangu Lodge

November 20,21,22 &23, 2010

Caprivi Strip, Namibia

I had a fantasy, I wanted to find a beautiful campground on a river, with a pool, restaurant and unlimited wireless internet, voila Mahangu Lodge on the banks of a hippo laden Okavango river bordering Botswana.  http://www.mahangu.com.na/main.html
The air is pleasant, just cool enough for a sweatshirt. The birds are announcing the sun which is slowly rising above the trees on the river. Ripples on the water from the family of hippos in for their morning ablutions reflect the bright pink glow of the horizon. Tall reeds of papyrus edge the banks, home to hundreds of birds, frogs and insects creating a chorus of less visible worlds that make themselves known through song. One of the helpers here at the camp, 29 year old Kay shares with us his joy at becoming a new father last night and his prayers for a long life and bright future for his son. He also expresses resignation that he cannot see his wife and new baby until he gets paid at the end of the month and can travel the 200 km to he village. He shares with sadness that their first child, a daughter named Jennifer died at 10 months old. She woke up one morning not able to eat and began to vomit, the clinic could do nothing for her. In the US this child would have received expert medical care and be alive today most likely. Both of Kay’s parents have already passed away, the average life expectancy in Namibia is 42 years. There is a sharp contrast between the natural beauty and the sad reality for those living in Africa.

Purros, Namibia

November 16 & 17

Purros, Namibia

Located in the least populated, northwest corner of Namibia, Kakaoland is home to desert tribes and special breeds of desert elephants, rhino and lions. Five hours of rough roads had us pretty wiped by the time we reached the campground run by the Purros Conservancy. We had hailed one of the few cars down on the trip in and the couple and given us a tip to get site 3 if possible as it’s located under a gigantic Camel Thorn Tree. The site is larger than most suburban yards, totally private with showers, toilets and a sink for dishes, what more could a woman ask for. Other than the sign nailed to the tree warning us not to leave food where elephants can see or smell it, it could not have been more perfect. We ended our evening with sundowners on the deck of the neighboring lodge, the air was perfect, a light warm breeze, no bugs and quiet with the exception of the chicadas and occasional howl of coyotes.

Dan carefully strung the nylon line positioned so I would catch the mid day sun to dry our laundry. We’ve been moving daily with no time to do wash, now on my last pair of clean underwear and a free morning I began to boil water on the gas cooker.

Thank goodness for a proper sink, in his effort to kill a spider crawling across my dishpan, Dan stabbed a hole in it rendering the plastic pan less than adequate to do wash. I took great care to shut the spigot off quickly and to only use minimal water which is so scarce in the desert. I heard a faint rustling in the bushes just across the clearing. A very large family of Baboons were attempting to be stealth as they moved in closer. I felt like Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark when he said “Does it have to be snakes”, “Does it have to be Baboons”? Chacma Baboons are omnivorous, meaning they hunt prey, they have large canines and travel in groups of up to 100, think furry LA street gang up to no good. The camp caretaker Max arrived to chase them off, they returned of course lurking from the surrounding bush as I guarded my precious laundry drying on the line, no way I want to see my underwear on the head of a Baboon.

Mid day we had a visit from two very naughty, young bull elephants. We stood helpless and paralyzed as they ripped the water hose to our showers out to quench their thirst. It saved us a trip to see the desert elephants having had this very close, personal interaction.

Marangu, Caprivi Strip, Namibia

November 20,21,22 &23


Marangu, Namibia

I had a fantasy that I expressed to Dan and it came true, no not that. I wanted to find a beautiful campground on a river, with a pool, restaurant and unlimited wireless internet, voila Marangu Lodge on the banks of a hippo laden river bordering Botswana.

The air is pleasant, just cool enough for a sweatshirt. The birds are announcing the sun which is slowly rising above the trees here on the Kavango River. Ripples on the water from the family of hippos in for their morning ablutions reflect the bright pink glow of the horizon. Tall reeds of papyrus edge the banks, home to hundreds of birds, frogs and insects creating a chorus of less visible worlds that make themselves known through song. One of the helpers here at the camp, 29 year old Kay shares with us his joy at becoming a new father last night and his prayers for a long life and bright future for his son. He also expresses resignation that he cannot see his wife and new baby until he gets paid at the end of the month and can travel the 200 km to he village. He shares with sadness that their first child, a daughter named Jennifer died at 10 months old. She woke up one morning not able to eat and began to vomit, the clinic could do nothing for her. In the US this child would have received expert medical care and be alive today most likely. Both of Kay’s parents have already passed away, the average life expectancy in Namibia is 42 years. There is a sharp contrast between the natural beauty and the sad reality for those living in Africa.

Robbery in broad daylight, Grootfontein, Namibia

November 19, 2010


Grootfontein, Namibia

I’m sitting in front of the local police station of this small town in Namibia as Dan files a report regarding our vandalized jeep. Broad daylight at about noon while we briefly used the internet, parked one street off the main drag a thief busted out our rear window. Seeing my toiletry bag behind the passenger seat on top of the water they must have thought it was a purse with money. Sadly $500 with of anti malarial medication not available here was in the bag. Lesson learned as so much else could have been stolen that would have been much worse. We spent the rest of the day having a piece of plexi glass installed before we could move on. We would later take landscape fabric and cover all of the jeep windows to keep it cooler and to eliminate visibility into the vehicle. We will not ever park the car where it is not guarded or one of us stays with it.

Himba Tribe-Epupa Falls, Opuwo and Purros, Namibia

 Epupa Falls, Opuwo and Purros, Namibia

Like the bar scene in Star Wars, market day in Opuwo was bizarre and other worldly, different local tribes in various stages of dress or not. The Herero woman are clothed from head to toe with up to six layers of petticoats to appear even larger than life, sort of like Mrs. Butterworth on the syrup bottle. On their heads they wear a wrap that has two large protrusions in the front to emulate cow horns, yep this is not the “You can never be too rich or to thin crowd” here. The bigger the bustle and the brighter the fabrics the better. Himba woman are the opposite wearing as little as possible amounting to little more than a leather apron in the front a couple of leather layers covering the rear, that’s it, and no shoes. They never bathe with water and use a combination of butterfat from cows and ochre powder with a tree bark for perfume twice a day. This coating which is also used on their elaborate hairstyles as well protects from the sun, rain and insects. Both tribes allow for 5 wives per man and use cows as a dowry with 5 cows as the generally accepted payment per wife. So how much is a cow you ask? Well if you bargain hard you can buy a cow for about $250 usd equivalent in Namibian dollars. All 5 wives will run you about $1000 usd.  

The diet of the Himba consists of Milk, Meat and Maize, all eaten from a large, black pot which is set over the open fire. No silverware or messy dishes to wash saving both time and water here in the desert where all of the water is hauled on their shoulders in cans from the river a good distance away. There is no refrigeration so all of the milk is kept in gourds and lasts up to two days. A Kraal is the fenced area where the huts for the wives, chief, his brothers and their wives and all of the children live. At night the animals are brought into a smaller fenced area within the Kraal. No one is to leave the Kraal unless they have a specific reason and permission to do so which explains why the day we visited there were only woman and children with one older uncle present.

Boys often leave the Kraal to attend school several hours away, sleeping at a hostile and returning home for holidays. Their education has made it possible for them to open campsites and lodges catering to tourists. The woman do not attend school and cannot read or write including being able to sign their name on Dan’s photo release form. Men and boys are allowed to wear western clothing because of their work. The woman can make crafts to sell; however, the money goes to their husband or father. The men make all of the decisions, including whether they might have flour instead of maize for a little variety in their meals. When I asked 27 year old Edison, our guide and member of the Kraal we visited why he wasn’t married yet, he said his father had not yet chosen a wife for him. He will have no decision over this and must take the woman chosen. The woman does have the right to turn down proposals, but I would imagine not for too long or too many. On the subject of equality, which I couldn’t help to bring up, he responded, “well we tried that, but it was confusing and much better and easier for the man to make the decisions”.

Etosha Pan National Park, Namibia

November 11&12


Etosha Pan, National Park, Namibia

Our day begins at Sunrise 6:15, as the gate opens and we are allowed out of our secured camping area within one of Africa’s largest game parks. Perhaps we are the ones in this zoo wandering from water hole to water hole to see who or what might show up desperate for the little water remaining. The rains are overdue and the days are long and hot. The pool at each campsite has been a mid day blessing as we chase the shade around the deck, dunking every so often, reading and drinking cold drinks No Americans camping, mostly Europeans.

A large family of elephants with 2 babies and a teen in tow made their way across the road about the time Dan accidently hit the horn and the jeep alarm sounded. A guide driving a safari truck gave us a lecture, but it didn’t compare with the head swaying and glare from Papa Elephant as he brought up the rear of the herd. It was a great day for lions and a cheetah with 2 young cubs, we felt so lucky to spot them when no one else was around. Loads of giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, impala and a pair of blue cranes. It’s addictive and mesmerizing to watch them interact, and oddly voyeuristic.

A young bull elephant chased two lone, bachelor elephants from the water hold tonight. Sunset was fantastic and gave an immediate respite from the heat. The thorn bushes appeared to be frosted in violet against a peach border of sun setting higher and then higher up in the sky every shade of blue from the brightest royal to deep gray with swirls of white cloud formations.

This morning I awoke to a sky filled with clouds that had gold linings a good sign perhaps as we leave Etosha today by the north east gate near Andoni and head for Opuwo. From there it’s on to Eupapa Falls north along the Kuene river.
Photos: Holly Hunter