SPIRIT OF PLACE: March 2022

A trip to Mana Pools some five years ago required a logistical approach. It couldn’t be a “get up and go” trip like we were used to, with just an idea of where and how we wanted to go. With camp site costs at Mana (then), averaging out at R10,000 for 3 nights it became necessary to pull in another two vehicles to amortize costs, and this meant some pre-planning and arranging to fit in with varying schedules. Also, the distance involved meant making sure that as many other important attractions as possible were included in the trip to make it all worthwhile.

Boswell - the resident Mana Pools Campsite Elephant taking a stroll through the campsite

Butterflies on a heap of elephant dung on the Mana Pools road

Boswell grazing down at the river

We began with a couple of nights at the Hunt's in Gaborone - always a a very pleasant stay that we had experienced on numerous occasions ..... including supper at the famous Bull and Bush, where we had just parked off when one of Klerksdorp's famous earthquakes hit and stretched into Botswana ........... the benches and tables bounced about for a couple of minutes bringing a sense of wonderment to everyones faces and leaving us with something to talk about for the rest of the evening.

A couple of nights ‘stay over’ in Bulawayo thereafter with my friend and teacher Donald Kennedy proved to be a bonus, as I would not see him again - ever - he passed away quite suddenly in 2018 shortly after our visit. RIP Boet - we do miss you.

Pat and I also took another trip down to the Matopo Hills and World’s View - where Cecil John Rhodes was laid to rest. We were so glad we did as it is highly unlikely that we will pass that way again, and it really is very, very special........had he not claimed the site for himself I might well have done so - it really is extremely beautiful.

World's View - burial place of Cecil John Rhodes

The next stopover was at Masvikadei upon the recommendation of Hugh and Gail Gurnell. They had lived on this beautiful lake for a number of years and had very fond memories of their time there.

Masvikedei

From Masvikadi we stopped over at the stunning Chinoyi Caves which have a tribal history all their own. An experience to be remembered. From there up to Mana the drive was fraught with massive trucks and endless roadblocks (we had 42 in 14 days in Zim).

The Chinoyi Caves

Anyone who has ever been to Mana will know how very special it is, and it certainly deserves considerably longer than three days, but making the authorities rich was not part of our game plan. During our stay there Pat and I had our first and only ever required self-rescue event when I left the hard ridges of a trail through some serious mud to better look at some ellies, and we got stuck axle deep in some really sticky stuff. Fortunately there was a small but relatively substantial bush at about 60 degrees to our intended direction. After getting out the rescue gear and harnessing it to the bush I put Pat behind the wheel and with the winch all hooked up we were able to get ourselves out in no time at all.

Bill and Colleen getting stuck into dinner

On another occasion, while fishing at the Mana junction with the Zambezi (recommended by Hugh), a guy casually called out to us that there was a pride of lionesses hunting a little way up the road ………….. so we packed up and jumped in the vehicle only to find them no more than a hundred meters away back along the road to the river. They unfortunately didn’t get any of the Impala they were after as the number of arriving vehicles spooked the Impala and they became very aware of the hunters in close proximity to their grazing…….quickly moving off in a safe direction, while the lions sauntered on in the general direction of where we had been just a few minutes earlier.

On the hunt

On the road to Siabuwa with Cobus, Colleen, Jules and Bill

After leaving Mana we headed headed along the Binga Road south of Kariba, overnighting in Siabuwa before carrying on the next day to Victoria Falls - definitely one of my favorite places in all the world. Previously we had done the whole helicopter and elephant ride thing - plus the sunset cruise on the river - but whatever you do there still makes it very special.

Vic Falls (The Smoke that Thunders) in full flood

The next leg took us through Kasane to Chobe where we overnighted at a really nice camp site named Muchenchie on the Chobe River before going into the reserve the following morning. We had no plans other than to try to get to a wild campsite down near the Kwai that Neil Preyer had let me have the co-ordinates of - but with the hope of a stopover in Savuti on the way ….. unfortunately everything in Chobe was booked out …… but on the way I pulled over to let a Landcruiser through and we had a brief chat through the windows, with him advising that we take the airport track as the main track was flooded. I mentioned that we were hoping to make it through to the southern border before dark when he leant over and asked his wife for something ….. producing a still valid three night camping ticket for Savuti. They had decided to move on, and despite my protestations he would not take any remuneration. So three wonderful nights in Savuti it was, with some of the best wildlife sightings and photography opportunities I have ever had anywhere.

A small herd of Elephants came down to the pan for a drink and spent the best part of the morning wallowing in the water

This magnificent Martial Eagle with its kill posed for us for a good hour or so

This Ellie died that morning (Old age / Illness??) and three young Males lions settled in for an ongoing feast

On the way south after Savuti we tried to access the trail to Neil’s recommended site in Kwai, but it was totally flooded out and we headed instead for Maun. There we found a “not too bad” campsite outside of town and took a sunset boat ride on the swamps, followed the next morning by a very special one hour flip in a really tiny plane over the swamps. WOW!