Got to sleep in an extra half hour this morning. Heard quite a few animal noises last night - something definitely munching just outside our tent near our heads. Thought it might be the elephant that we noticed in the area earlier. It was also amazing how many more birds seemed to be out and about a mere half hour later.
After breakfast, we set out in 2 small boats for a cruise safari on the Lufupa River. It was so nice not to be getting the African massage, courtesy of the bumping jeep. The sun was out, and after about an hour, we were able to shed the blankets and some of the outer layers we were wearing. It was great to be warm again. We saw white-breasted cormorant, African darter, hippo, crocodiles, day lilies, Goliath heron, brown-hooded kingfisher, black-collared barbet, monkeys, Egyptian geese, hammercock nest, African fin foot duck, hadeda ibis, yellow-billed stork and a malachite. As we were heading back to camp for lunch, we saw a Goliath heron and a fish eagle chasing each other, competing to be the first to find whatever food might be available.
Barry prepares our boat for launching.
White-breasted cormorants.
The African darter.
Water lilies.
Brown-hooded kingfisher.
Black-collared barbet.
Fish eagle.
Goliath heron.
Crocodile.
Malachite.
Goliath heron chases a fish eagle in search of food.
Hippos lounging.
After lunch, Iris and I returned to our tent to take showers (usually the best time of day since it was the warmest then) and catch up on our journals and photos. I was relaxing in a T-shirt and shorts, catching up on my journal, on our little veranda facing the Lufupa River, when Iris yelled to me, "Barb, get your shoes on, grab your camera and come quickly!" Of course I responded as soon as I could. There, near the solar panels in back of our tent, was a huge warthog (whom we later named William). We followed William at a safe distance, now standing on the tent veranda, until he went into the reeds, where we lost him temporarily. Then, all of a sudden, he re-emerged right in front of us, on the corner of the veranda, scaring us to death, and sending us scurrying back into the tent faster than we thought possible. (You will see why when you take a look at his tusks).
Our warthog, William, tries to enter the tent.
At 3:30, we returned to the lodge to listen to Robert and Cynthia discuss Zambian politics, culture, dating and marriage. Cynthia's talk about dating and marriage was absolutely fascinating. Apparently, the young couple are not supposed to tell their parents they are dating, but instead they wait until they decide to marry to discuss their decision with their auntie and uncle. Unlike us, the woman's aunties are the man's aunts and the man's uncles are the woman's uncles. The sisters of the man and woman's mother, whom we usually refer to as aunts, are referred to as mothers. The brothers of the father are referred to as fathers. (I know, very confusing, but very interesting). When the couple is ready to marry, the man consults with the uncles for permission and the woman with the aunties. The man must then approach the aunties with 2 plates, one on top of the other, with money enclosed between the plates. This is very similar to a dowry. There is no predetermined amount - it can be as little as $5.00 or as much as they can afford. The man also pays for the wedding and the bride's dress. After the ceremony, the couple go off for their first night together (with the grandmother). They each are asked if they are a virgin. (It is best to be honest here - lying carries serious consequences). The next morning, the bed sheets are hung out for everyone to see. If there is a tell-tale sign (if you know what I mean) on the sheets, it is either circled in a red marker or cut out of the sheet, for the entire village to see. Everyone cheers, grandma finally departs, there is a major celebration, and finally, the couple are granted privacy (note to reader: most of these young people are not virgins. Birth control is used extensively because of AIDS and HIV).
Out for an evening cruise at about 5 PM. We saw the African skimmer (Wilderness Safari's logo), a huge crocodile sunning itself on a rock, mama and baby elephant crossing the river (tails are kept up and out of the water a safe distance so the crocs don't bite them), and a gorgeous sunset. Barry, our guide, was a phenomenal source of information - including where we needed to be for the best sunset photos on the Lufupa River. I tried the Zambian beer, Mosi lager, during our evening sunset cocktail break. Pretty good.
Tails up for protection as mom and baby cross the river.
The pied kingfisher.
Sunset on the Lufupa River.
Since it was the last night in camp, it was time again for a competitive talent show. Of course we went down again (I think we're getting worse instead of better) - this time to an all-male group who made dirty dancing look tame. They were gyrating to the drumbeat and singing in perfect harmony. During the last song for us, they sang goodbye to us, mentioning several of us by name. When they mentioned Iris, Pam and me, we responded with some hip action of our own, to their delight. (Why should the guys have all the fun after all)?
Dinner was a typical African meal for this area of Zambia - polentamarula cake for dessert. Back to the tent to pack for the next camp in Zimbabwe. During the wee hours of the morning, Iris heard some footsteps outside our tent, again near our heads. Even though she was nice and toasty in her bed, she was curious enough to go to the front door and take a look-see. Lo and behold, she saw a huge hippo enter the river right in front of our tent! Unfortunately for me, I slept through the entire thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment