Last week was the MCC retreat. A good time was had in contemplation and in talking with the other SALTers and IVEPers. We also had lots of time for recreation.
On one day we visited one of the worlds largest crocodile farms, home of up to 90,000 crocs. Croc farming is apparently quite a complex process and needs to be very scientifically regulated. For example, the temperature at which the eggs were kept determines the sex of the offspring. I believe it was 32 degrees for females and 40 degrees for males. We also got to hold one of the young ones that was just a few days old. When the crocodiles reach four or five years old they are killed and their skin is sold (usually to Japan) and their meat is also sold. Then we visited the breeding ground where the big ones live and watched as the feeders threw chunks of cow to the crocodiles. Their teeth could grind straight through the bones. A great experience!
We also took a sunset cruise on Lake Kariba. This started off slowly as we got stuck on a submerged tree only metres from the start. Everyone had to be taken off the boat and, after much effort, several locals were able to free the boat from the obstacle. The cruise was great, and importantly, the food was also amazing!
On one day we visited one of the worlds largest crocodile farms, home of up to 90,000 crocs. Croc farming is apparently quite a complex process and needs to be very scientifically regulated. For example, the temperature at which the eggs were kept determines the sex of the offspring. I believe it was 32 degrees for females and 40 degrees for males. We also got to hold one of the young ones that was just a few days old. When the crocodiles reach four or five years old they are killed and their skin is sold (usually to Japan) and their meat is also sold. Then we visited the breeding ground where the big ones live and watched as the feeders threw chunks of cow to the crocodiles. Their teeth could grind straight through the bones. A great experience!
We also took a sunset cruise on Lake Kariba. This started off slowly as we got stuck on a submerged tree only metres from the start. Everyone had to be taken off the boat and, after much effort, several locals were able to free the boat from the obstacle. The cruise was great, and importantly, the food was also amazing!
For the past several days we have been in Livingstone and area. Our home for this time was a backpackers hostel type place called Fawlty Towers. I would highly recommend it to anyone going to the Livingstone area. Not only were the accommodations clean and comfortable but there was a swimming pool, satellite TV, free internet, and it was very easy to book all the activities we wanted through them. Then we were picked up from there every morning so we didn't even have to worry about transportation.
The first day we visited the Falls and hiked down a steep trail to the bottom of the gorge where we had a picnic lunch. The ecology is very interesting in that area because it is almost like a mini-rainforest, conditions that don't exist elsewhere in Zambia. There were plenty of baboons on the way to provide entertainment, one of which even stole Mark's apple on the way down the trail. I negotiated for a couple of curios - a rhino and a man. I think I did OK - K5000 ($1.25) for a nicely carved face and K13500 ($4.30ish) for the rhino.
Our first organized activity was a canoeing safari on the Zambezi River. This was great although the canoes were actually yellow rubber dinghy type boats - real canoes are called "Canadian style" canoes - a reason for national pride, I figure. It was a great way to see some wildlife - hippos, crocs, elephants, etc. Unfortunately we saw the elephants just at the same time as we hit the biggest rapids on the route so we didn't have much time to watch. They really know how to do tourism here. Everything was well organized, we were given a breakfast (to our surprise) before heading out, lunch was great, the guides were well trained, etc. Everything ran like clockwork - an absolutely amazing job by everyone involved!
The first day we visited the Falls and hiked down a steep trail to the bottom of the gorge where we had a picnic lunch. The ecology is very interesting in that area because it is almost like a mini-rainforest, conditions that don't exist elsewhere in Zambia. There were plenty of baboons on the way to provide entertainment, one of which even stole Mark's apple on the way down the trail. I negotiated for a couple of curios - a rhino and a man. I think I did OK - K5000 ($1.25) for a nicely carved face and K13500 ($4.30ish) for the rhino.
Our first organized activity was a canoeing safari on the Zambezi River. This was great although the canoes were actually yellow rubber dinghy type boats - real canoes are called "Canadian style" canoes - a reason for national pride, I figure. It was a great way to see some wildlife - hippos, crocs, elephants, etc. Unfortunately we saw the elephants just at the same time as we hit the biggest rapids on the route so we didn't have much time to watch. They really know how to do tourism here. Everything was well organized, we were given a breakfast (to our surprise) before heading out, lunch was great, the guides were well trained, etc. Everything ran like clockwork - an absolutely amazing job by everyone involved!
We had a free day during which we went to the Falls area again. We walked to the bridge to watch the bungee jumpers and then continued on to the Zimbabwe side. We walked for quite a ways - until we got to the border post - before checking the cost of a visa ($65) and returning to Zambia. Unfortunately, it was much cheaper for Canadians entering Zimbabwe until recently when they raised the rates due to the high price of Canadian visas for Zimbabweans. Some time we will have to bite the bullet and pay the money to see the Falls from the other side. That afternoon we used the satellite TV to watch an NFL football game and had a massage at a place at the backpackers place we were at. Talk about relaxation and renewal.
The last couple days we were on a safari in Chobe National Park in Botswana, about 50 minute drive from Livingstone. It is best known for its 65,000 elephants of which we saw plenty. We had a river cruise first which, in addition to hippos, crocs, and birds, also produced thousands of elephants. Later that day, a lion crossed right in front of our path with her two cubs. Mostly there were huge numbers of various antelope - impala, kudu, situtwela (apparently, very rare), puku, and sable (from far away). We also saw giraffes, more elephants, warthogs, etc. I think if we had been there a week or two earlier, before the rains, we would have seen much more because there would have been less water inland and more animals would have been at the water. On our way back to camp we had a bit of an incident with an elephant that didn't particularly like our truck but everything went smoothly. On the second day we started off with a game drive which was a bit of a disaster - didn't see anything but impala all morning. It had gotten off to a smooth start - we had seen buffalo tracks no more than 20m from our campsite. Unfortunately, no matter which way we went we couldn't find them. The afternoon boat drive made the day though- finally saw the elusive buffalo - and also saw hundreds of hippos out of the water. Hippos are another amazing creature - right up there with the giraffe.
Ordinary life will likely seem a bit mundane for awhile now. There will be no hippos around the corner or no baboons stealing apples. It was certainly a great trip. Even though all the activities don't come cheap they were certainly worth it.
Ordinary life will likely seem a bit mundane for awhile now. There will be no hippos around the corner or no baboons stealing apples. It was certainly a great trip. Even though all the activities don't come cheap they were certainly worth it.
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