September 4
By 5AM we were off to the airport. We were first to check in and we picked up a coffee and muffin for breakfast. It was very dry and was a struggle to swallow. I was surprised how many people were going to Mfuwe, a small town. Our flight held about 30 people. The flight was only an hour and 20 minutes and the first person we saw when walking from the tarmac to the terminal was our guide, Peter. Peter, not his real name, lives in Mfuwe. He seemed pleased that I was interested in birds as well as animals. We were at our accommodation, Flat Dog Camp by about 10AM. We were assigned a two bedroom chalet, which was very nice. It was at the end of a row of spread out chalets. We were allowed to walk on our own the five or six minute walk to the pool, dining area, store and library, etc., but only when it was light. After dark, we were given a flash light we would shine out the window. An employee would acknowledge with a flash back and then come escort us. This was because of the wildlife you always had to be on the lookout for. With the first hour, four huge elephants came within as few hundred yards of our chalet, crashing into bushes, breaking off huge branches from the trees to eat and then moving on. A few times today I needed to be escorted because an elephant was too close to the walking path, and animals always had the right of way. Also, after dark, hippos often walked through the camp. We had booked six days with the full package of meals and game drives. One day was a relax day, where we paid our own meals and did not go on excursions. on arrival, this was changed so we had today as a half day pay day with no evening drive. Another day, which would have been the relax day was now half a day, and we would get one meal and an excursion included. Internet was limited to only 6 hours per person for the week, and was only available from the main dining area.
We relaxed for the day. We watched the hippos across the river and frequently saw elephants pass through the camp, often within a few feet of the dining area. Monkeys gave the staff a challenge by trying to jump on tables and see if there was any food, until they went to be after dark, about 6:30. The staff here were exceedingly friendly. Very soon they knew who we were, what we needed, etc. Much like a cruise ship, we never needed to carry cash. We just gave them our chalet number. Even a shirt I bought was just given to me and told it would be on my bill when we leave. It was not as I had expected it to be but it did not disappoint at all. We were all impressed.
September 5
We flashed our light to be escorted to the dining area at 6AM for a light breakfast. We met a Presbyterian pastor from Colorado and his son, who were sharing our jeep for our game drives the first few days. We drove into South Luangwa National Park across the river from our camp. We had already seen Pura, an antelope common here. In the park we saw large birds, including the saddleback stork and thornicroft giraffe, found only here. We watched a leopard sneak through the trenches in the field, creeping up to some impala. He waited patiently for the impala to get close enough for her to pounce, but they never did, and the hunt was called off. We got some great pictures. We also found a pride of six lions sleeping in the shade. They were only 15 to 20 yards away. One of the reasons though that I had selected this time of the year to visit here, is that large flocks of carmine bee eaters, a beautiful red coloured little bird migrated here this time of year. We came across an area filled with them. A tree looked red because of all the bee eaters. Bee eaters in general are one of the most beautifully coloured bird in Africa, and I have never seen so many of the three species here. On my last trip, I only saw two little bee eaters. This was a highlight! We also saw many other wildlife including brown hooded kingfishers, elephants, red billed pinya, crocheted zebra, hyena, and a pair of hyena cubs sunning near their den. There was a camera crew from BBC there as well. We spoke to the main fellow who said they were filming a series which would be on the Love Nature channel in Canada where they are following a particular pack of wild dogs. The dogs had been elusive the last little while. Jo and I regularly tape and watch nature programs on this channel about lions, leopards and other wildlife in South Luangwa, and may have even seen this fellow on one of these programs.
After a late/early meal at 11:00, we spent the next few hours relaxing around camp. At 3PM we gathered again at the dining area for iced coffee or other drinks and some snacks. Then we were off for our first afternoon drive with our new team mates, Ben and Gary. The drive began with some action. We observed a heron in a pool of water, struggling with a large fish it had caught but was having difficulty maneuvering so it could swallow it. A yellow-billed kite, a medium sized raptor, came swooping in trying to steal the fish. Then a fish eagle did the same, diving at the big bird. Finally the heron dropped the fish. A young marabou stork swooped in and found the fish in the water and ate the prize. After that we drove atop the banks of the river and guide Peter noticed a crocodile struggling with what looked like a large catch. We got in position to watch. The croc was thrashing his prey against the water and rolling with it. It appeared to be the leg of an impala. Other crocodiles in the area caught the scent and started converging on the site. There was a struggle with a smaller croc, who managed to snatch the leg and take off with it. Other large crocs, probably two or three times larger, came running. I have never seen large crocs run on land before. The young croc managed to outrun them and then go in the water and eat the catch. Very interesting to see. Following this we returned to where we had seen the six lionesses. They were still there, fast asleep. A lot less action. We also found a hyena. We had the usual sundowners in an open area where we could not be ambushed by predators. Then it became dark. Darkness comes fast in Africa after sundown. We spent the next 90 minutes driving throughout the area with a large spotlight, looking for nocturnal creatures. For the longest time, we saw nothing. Then within a short period of time we saw two genets and a white tailed mongoose. These were all fast at running away and I did not get much of a photo of any of them. I did get a shot of a fluffy tail going into the bush. Since the tail was the creature’s namesake, I suppose I can say I got a picture of the mongoose. We saw a number of elephant shrews, a rodent with a long, elephant like nose. I also saw a bush tailed mongoose and a chameleon, I think. I just took a picture of the yellow spot in a tree that was supposed to be the chameleon. We’ll see when we get home what I really got. I did capture a Pel’s fishing owl. It sat not too far from us in a tree, just before we had to head back to camp. I wondered if the bird would be bothered by the light shining on him, but he didn’t seem to. Then he swooped down and caught a catfish and took it to a tree nearby. We certainly did not interfere with his hunting ability. Once we left the park, the spotted shone his light on a distant grassy area and said the spot in the middle was a leopard. Not sure how he could see that so quickly for a distance but I am sure he was right. What a great day! Saw some fantastic things and can’t wait till tomorrow. The wait won’t be long, with a wake up call at 5AM.
September 6
We were now into our regular routine. Up at 5, having a light breakfast of toast at 5:30, and off on a game drive at 6. The weather was warming up. Yesterday we hit 35 degrees in the afternoon, and even though it tended to be cold at 6AM, it was not as cold as Botswana, and we soon warmed up. Today our two other people, Ben and Gary were going on a walking safari, so we had the vehicle to ourselves. Apart from the usual array of antelope, zebra, elephants we concentrated more on birds today. We saw a variety of raptors like western banded snake eagle, orbig’s (sp?) eagle, tawny eagle, lizard buzzard, little banded sparrowhawk. We also saw many smaller birds, and found a male lion, asleep of course. We found three young male giraffes, two of them fighting with each other, swinging their knobs on their head into the neck of other, and one even put his leg on top of the other’s back. He then had trouble getting it off.
The drive was followed with a refreshing shower and a nap. Ready for another night drive. Bring on the genets, civets, porcupines, etc.
The night drive, from 4 to 8, began on a good note. Before we reached the park gates we had a giraffe standing beside our vehicle and we saw a mother slender mongoose with two young. Soon we came across a giant eagle owl, a beautiful bird, which swept down from it’s limb and caught a snake. During the daylight hours we saw a usual array of grazers and the sleeting male lion we had seen earlier. When it gets dark, there is a spotter who stands in the front seat the whole time, sweeping the landscape with a spotlight, looking for things. It is amazing what they find in a glance. After dark, we saw three bee eaters huddled together in a tree, sleeping. Then, in a distant large tree they found a thick tailed bush baby. I just took pictures of the lit up portion of the tree and we will see when I get home whether I have a picture of the bush baby, a cute little nocturnal animal whose sound is like a crying baby. Following that we found two genets, a civil an elephant shrew and the two porcupines I had suggested the spotter find tonight. To many, these animals mean very little but I have never seen these before this trip despite the previous a safaris I have done. To me, this was very exciting! Better than seeing another hippo or elephant.We spent a lot of time following the searchlight trying to see eyes looking at us, and by the end of the drive, we were all tired. We also encountered our big male lion, walking down the road. We drove ahead of him and waited, and he lumbered past us, within a foot or so of the side of the vehicle where Jo was sitting. A few times he stared up at us and I always find that very eerie, because those big yellow eyes are so penetrating. I thought today was the first day we did not see any leopard here, that is until we were nearing the park gate and we found a leopard in a clearing beside the road. Another highly successful game drive.
We are thoroughly enjoying this camp. The staff are super friendly and helpful. Everyone is concerned for you and get to know you. When I mentioned to one staff member that I thought our flight out on Sunday was at 8:40AM, based on my online calendar, I was approached by several staff because their records showed us leaving in the late afternoon. I went and checked my actual documents and they were right. The owner and several other senior staff checked in on us during meals to confirm this and make sure we were good with everything. Several times each day, we are confronted with elephants going through the camp, and we have to make sure we pass them a safe distance away, or a staff member comes to direct everyone. Our guide Peter has been great. Tomorrow we sleep in! We are not going on a morning drive, but the women are getting a ride into town for some shopping.
September 7 - Wednesday
The weather here has been in the mid thirties during the day. Mornings are very pleasant, but when driving in an open safari vehicle, it can be cool for the first hour or two, so blankets are provided. Similarly, the last hour or so of the afternoon/night drive can be cool. However, things are expected to warm up as the end of September approaches. Already this evening the breeze while on our drive was warm and no coat or blanket was required. After a relaxing day I spent a little while with my legs in the pool, watching monkeys near by. The dining area has an open indoor area as well as tables and chairs set up outside. We have already witnessed several monkey thefts from people’s lunch plate and regularly, if you sit outside, you are asked to move as one or more large elephants lumber through the area, within a feet or two of the chairs. The camp is geared for safaris so there is not much to do apart from the game drives. With no cord for my camera, I could not download and edit photos, nor could Jo and I post photos on Facebook, except the few taken with our phone. With internet access limited to 6 hours for the week, I could not spend time reading news or viewing Facebook too much. Even this blog is a challenge.
It was beginning to be a challenge for our guide, Yotam, not Peter as he initially told us, to find new things to show us on the drives. However, every drive is different and I particularly enjoy looking for nocturnal critters, although it is often frustrating when they are so skittish and taking pictures is so challenging. We began by seeing the male lion, a brother of the one we saw previously, sleeping as lions do 18 hours per day. We checked out small birds and saw blue waxbills and a large flock of quelea flying in unison from the edge of a pond to the surrounding trees. Fascinating to watch. We also again saw some beautiful grey crowned cranes. After our sundowners, we saw, by spotlight, two genets, one actually cooperating and sitting for a while in the light, two bush babies, that I actually saw this time, a three-crowned courser (a bird), a nightjar, a leopard and a chameleon. The chameleon was in a bush along the side of the road, and Yotam pointed it out and then picked it up and put it on W’s arm. Wonderful to see the green lizard with it independently moving bulgy eyes. Another successful drive. As usual, there is always staff, including the owners often, waiting to greet you and ask about the drive as you exit the vehicle. Dinner was waiting when we returned at just after 8PM, and later we were escorted back to our chalet, where we enjoyed some wine on our second story deck. We did hear loud crashing near by as an elephant came by, and an owl in our tree that I could not locate with flashlight. We were all dead tired and crashed by 10PM.
September 8, Thursday
We all had a restless night, perhaps due to it being the warmest night yet. We had two fans going but still went from hot to cold and back depending on how long the covers were on us. Every night the staff turns down our beds and puts mosquito netting around it. I have not found any yet but Jo has large welts caused by mosquitos, black flies and perhaps tsetse flies.
On an side, I am writing this with a cold jug of water in the dining area. A women at the next table complained to the server that she had two knives with her place setting but only one fork. She NEEDED another fork. Imagine eating with only one fork. Every setting has two knives, two forks, one or more spoons, no matter what you order.
We started our drive at 5:45AM and I had low expectations after all we had seen. We soon came across a beautiful fish eagle posing for us. Then we found a male and female lion lying in the short grass. We were very near to them and I was amazed at how the lions ignored us, but did rise to perk their ears for any noises in the bush. It is always a special experience to be this close to these beasts, without protection. We observed a pair of baby swallows being fed. Then the piece de resistance, wild dogs! One of my goals for years, as these dogs are becoming more and more rare. We saw the BBC crew across the river and near them was a pair of dogs going down to drink. It seems they have a den near by. Another goal met!
After this, we checked out a number of other birds and Yotam heard from another guide that the local pack of wild dogs was seem some 20 minutes further away, so off we went. We did not find them, but we did notice vultures circling. We headed to the spot and found a dead hippo covered in vultures. The body had not yet been opened so the hippo must have died recently. It was morbid but interesting to see so many birds fighting each other for a shot at the scraps. Finally, there was a rumour that the two hyena cubs we had taken pictures of a few days ago had been attacked and were presumably dead. A guide had seen a leopard emerge from the den covered in blood. Today there was a report that the hyenas had two pair of cubs, and that one or two may still be alive. We drove to the den and found a young leopard guarding the outside of the den. That does not bode well for the cubs if they are still alive. We returned from our drive 45 minutes late.
We spent much of our afternoon/evening drive in sandy areas with many aardvark holes. We were hoping to see aardvarks and porcupines after dark. This made the drive very dusty. Much of the soil here is like driving on a beach with very fine, soft sand. We began by seeing a yellow-billed kite. After this there was very little before we stopped for sundowners in an area where four curious zebras watched us closely. They wandered quite close and we had a staring contest before they carried on to their water hole. By now it was very dark shortly after 6PM and we spent the next two hours searching by spotlight. We found no aardvarks or porcupines but did find five genets, one very distant civet and a few scrub hares. A little disappointing but nature doesn’t make guarantees. Overall, another five star day.
September 9, Friday
The morning routine continues in full swing. Yotam even has our toast ordered when we arrive at 6. We began by watching a parade of elephants march down the far side of the river and make their way across. One spot was quite deep so little ones were fully submerged. Hippos backed off to let the elephants through. They came out looking nice and clean, but on our side they immediately proceeded to cover themselves with sand to kill parasites on their skin. We headed to a very flat, sparsely covered area and saw a giraffe with a very little one. There were also some zebras and one young colt. Then we saw a zebra chasing a young male leopard. The leopard jumped into a tree, a small, six foot tree. He looked quite silly. A few zebras stood between the leopard and the other with the colt, and just stared at it. A few giraffes joined in, forming a semi-circle. They were not distracted as Yotam dove over the rough terrain, trying to get in close. Then we backed off and waited to see what was going to happen. Finally the leopard decided to make a run of it. He was chased by a giraffe. A leopard being chased by a giraffe is very undignified. A few other vehicles came at this time. They witnessed a leopard running but missed the drama that lead up to it. It’s all in the timing. Yotam tried very hard to accommodate whatever we wanted to see. At last, we saw our namesake, the Meyer’s parrot in a tree. Later we also saw lovebirds and a few swallowtail bee eaters, a first for me. Before coffee break, we came across a male lion looking bloated and content, sleeping, with a raw large piece of meat, perhaps ribs, nearby. Vultures were gathering.
The evening drive included a sighting of a brown crested eagle and some lions and vultures. We had our sundowners within sights of the lions at the far end of a flat grassy area. When we were finished, we noticed that the lions, a pride of six plus a male, were on the move, coming towards us. Many other safari vehicles also converged, to where the lions were heading. The lions ignored the vehicles and spotlights, and leisurely walked up to the road. They looked like they were going hunting and so many vehicles, including our own, left the area and converged a ways away. Soon the lions arrived there. With so many vehicles parked among them, and spotlights, I think they must have decided to delay the hunt until we left. They just sat there. Guides often get obsessed with these sighting and stay far longer than anyone of us want. We did eventually leave and carry on our search for nocturnal animals. Apart from a few genets, a nightly spotting, we did not find anything unusual.
As I have noted on a number of occasions, the animals here seem to accept the safari vehicles, and largely ignored them. One guide reported that a male lion was stalking a warthog when they arrived. The lion walked closely beside the vehicle, using it hide and get closer to the prey. One of the local safari camps has begun converting to electric land rovers. They are experiencing a few problems with lack of power getting through steep, sandy stretches. The animals, who are accustomed to the sound of vehicle engines, reacted very nervously to a vehicle with no engine sound. The only animal I noticed having a negative reaction to vehicles were the wild dogs, but even they settled down once the vehicle parked.
September 10, Saturday
There were two extra place settings at our breakfast table today. Yotam said we may have another couple join us for the morning drive, but they did not show up for breakfast so he was not sure. As we were getting in the vehicle to begin, he got word that the couple was taking a shower and would be here shortly. Needless to say, we were not impressed by this lack of consideration for our time. They arrived a little while later, a senior couple from Zimbabwe. We had seen them around the camp and were part of another group. The other group members were going on a walking safari so they joined us. She always wore a purple fedora hat and seemed a little eccentric. He was tall man with a British accent. They did not apologize for being late, probably because they operated on Africa time. He began by asking Yotam a lot of questions. Each time, because of the noise of the engine and the fact that they were sitting on the back row of the vehicle, Yotam would stop, and turn off the engine to respond. So now we started late and were taking forever to even get down the long driveway to the road. I have to admit I had some negative thoughts. Their son attended the U of Cincinnati and while visiting the USA, they had befriended an American couple who was now here to visit and go on safari. We began our search in the park by stopping at a small river which was filled with white pelicans, and a few other assorted waterfowl. The pelicans had an unusual feeding technique. They would fly up and form a wedge, going down the river scooping up fish stirred up by their wedge swimming. It was very interesting to watch, and we even got out of the vehicle to watch. (Something that is a big no-no in most parks outside of Zambia.) Later we saw two eagle hawks fighting in mid-air. They would turn upside down and attack with their talons. We also saw another giant eagle owl. For then morning ritual, we stopped in a grassy area where impalas were grazing and a few giraffes lumbered by, to have our coffee and biscuits, the morning version of sundowners. I got in a conversation with the Zim man. He actually was a very interesting character, and well spoken. He was interested in economic development which included human and wildlife conflict and how to manage that to protect the towns and villages as well as support the tourist industry. I asked him how thing we doing under the present government in Zimbabwe following the end of the former dictator, Robert Mugabe's reign. He said things were no better. (Quite a different response than what a Zimbabwe guide said a few days ago.) The current leader has no heart and you could even get arrested or killed if you misspelled his name. He talked about African countries being wooed and influenced by Chinese and Russian leaders and how these countries have no real interest in supporting the needs of the people, only exerting influence. It was an enlightening coffee break. On our drive back, near the entrance to the camp, we stopped for an elephant and I saw a medium-sized bird near the top of some trees. Yotam said it was a rare sighting here, a purple-crested turaco, a beautifully coloured avian. I could not get a photo of it as it was too far away and did not wait for me to get ready, so I guess I did not really see it.
By now my internet access time had run out so there was not a lot to do between morning and afternoon drives, except take a shower. With the sandy soil, everything gets very dusty on a drive. I spent a good 90 minutes entering this blog the other day, but just as I was saving it to publish, my time ran out without warning, so I was not even able to check if all my word was gone (it was!). This was also the trip of losing things. Just as I supposedly lost my wallet and actually did lose my cell phone in Moremi, now jo had lost her glasses. Fortunately she had a spare pair, but we checked everywhere and did not find them. (When emptying our suite case at home Jo found them in the small backpack she used and had folded up.) Again, staff were very good about trying to help out, trying to find them.
For our evening drive, we headed south, where there were some aardvark holes that Yotam hoped might produce aardvarks after dark. We stopped by the side of a cliff along the river where carmine bee eaters had their homes this time of year. I still can't get enough of seeing these beautiful birds, filling the skies and perching on the side of the cliff or in the nearby trees. I vowed not to take any more photos of them, but I failed. When we began to drive on, we saw a lot of safari vehicles stopped at a spot down the road. Even though we thought we were away from the main area guides cruised at night, it seemed everyone had the same idea to come here. When we arrived, there were several pickup trucks piled full of what Yotam described as army personnel on leave from a nearby training base. They were parked near a male and female lion. The couple were here to mate, and when the male began mounting the female, the army guys began to woop and holler and shout "Way to go Simba!" The poor lions were greatly intimidated with this and stopped. We were all disgusted with the drunken behaviour of these supposedly upholders of law and order. Their conduct violated all the rules for being in the national park. When they left, they hollered and waved but most vehicles did not respond. And yet, no one was willing to tangle with the army either. When lionesses are in heat, the male and female spend days together, not eating anything, and mate about every 15 minutes. Then they collapse from exhaustion. Sure enough, 15 minutes later she got up, he followed her, and they walked to an opening very close to our vehicle and proceeded to put on the next show. After the lion porn, we went back to the carmine bee eater location and had sundowners, wine in my case and the more traditional gin and tonic for Jo.
Every afternoon, Daniel joined us as a spotter. He was in training to be a guide eventually and it was his job to set up and prepare the sundowners, clean up and spend the after sunset hours operating the spotlight. I usually bugged him that we were counting on him to find us an aardvark. We also heard reports from another vehicle that they saw porcupines last night, so the pressure was on. This was our last night drive. Unfortunately, Daniel did not come through. We found the usual genets, 3, (who knew there were so many genets around?), and an eagle owl sitting on the ground but that was it for two hours. I felt that Yotam really wanted to have us see something exciting but what can you do. Before we headed to the main gate to exit the park, he did a little loop around some water, and we came upon a leopard and cub drinking. That was special! That night, while enjoying a glass of wine in our deck, the tree branches above Jo and I started shaking. I had a flashlight so looked up, and there was a bush baby in the tree. It was the size of a medium sized cat and had a long, bushy tail. I could not get my camera ready fast enough before it was gone so again, I guess I didn't really see it. I still don't know where bush babies hide during the day.
September 11, Sunday
Today was our last morning here. We had a morning game drive at 6 and could stay in our chalet until 2PM so we could shower and get ready to leave after the drive. Yotam would drive us to the airport in Mfuwe at 4PM. Last night Yotam told me he got a report from some guides that the wild dog pack, a group of about 21 dogs, was spotted north of here. It seems the pups were now old enough to leave the den, so the group was showing them around the territory. They were probably heading our way, but it was a good 30 minutes to get to the right area. Yotam knew that wild dogs were one of the things I really wanted to see, and suggested we go look for them on our drive. I was already happy with seeing the two dogs across the river a few days ago, but this exciting. We headed off, after stopping to photograph a few birds I was not sure I had done already, and we found the pack, along with every other guide from our camp and another camp who had heard the same report. There were 19 dogs there, including 11 pups. They were resting along a dried up riverbed. Presumably they had hunted and eaten earlier this morning. The BBC crew was also there filming. After most had gone, Yotam decided to try and come around the back and get a view of the pups, who were hidden behind a sandy knoll. Since there was no trail, we barreled through the bush, driving right through small bushes and trees. This could get you arrested in Kruger National Park. We came within 100 feet of the pups who were huddled together. The dogs did react to the sound of the vehicle but when the engine was shut off, they relaxed. We spent quite some time there, perhaps longer than necessary but that tends to happen.
After showering, enjoying a final lunch and settling our account, we joined the safari goers for high tea before heading to the airport. Our flight from Mfuwe to Lusaka had 30 people on board. We arrived in Lusaka at 7:10PM. Our Qatar Airways flight from Lusaka to Doha, Qatar was scheduled to leave at 9:25PM. We were near the back of the line at the checkout counter, but they insisted we fill in our ArrivCan app before we could be issued boarding passes. Now we were the last to check in. It took some time, also because I had booked bulkhead seats to get some legroom with the long flights. That still had to be paid for. As we were going through the check in procedure, they were announcing that business class could now board the flight, almost 90 minutes before planned takeoff. By the time we sent off our luggage and went to the gate, only a few people remained to board the plane. I had visions of our bags not making it onboard. We asked why boarding was so early and were told that since people often don't respond to boarding calls right away, they were starting early, and if everyone is there, we can take off early. We had only a few minutes to use the washroom and checking out stores for any last minute souvenirs was out of the question. The flight did leave 25 minutes early. It was over 7 hours to get to Doha and we arrived just after 5AM local time. The airport was packed. Now we had a little while for our connecting flight to Seattle. This was a 14 hour flight. Soon after we left, they served the first of three meals, then turned off the lights for the rest of the flight, even though it was daytime. I did my usual nodding off for a few minutes here and there, and even had a perhaps 20 minute stretch. It was very LONG! We were so happy to get back to Seattle. Even though we were told our suitcases were going on to Vancouver, we actually did have to pick them up in Seattle and go through Customs, and then reenter them for check in. It all went smoothly, and I was so relieved to see everyone's luggage appear on the carrousel. We got home at 6:30PM, about 30 hours after leaving Mfuwe. When I got home, I received an email telling me I had been randomly selected to do a PCR Covid test within 24 hours. By 6:30 the next morning, I already had another email saying I hadn't done the test yet and needed to. So impatient!!! I went to bed at 10PM and at 3AM I was watching some taped football games and having coffee. Even the next night, I was in bed by 11PM, and up at 4:15. This has got to stop, I am NOT a morning person.
September 12 to 16
Even though the travel portion of the trip is over, the effects of the trip carry on, so I thought I would keep track. Specifically, I am referring to the jet lag that always hits me, especially traveling west. I read that it takes one day for every time zone you cross to overcome jet lag. I believe it. These last nights I have been dead tired by 9PM and find myself watching TV with my eyes closed often. I struggle to stay up until 10 or 11 o’clock. Improvement is slow: Sept. 12 in bed at 10:30, awake at 2AM, up by 2:45. Sept. 13 in bed by 11, awake by 3:30am, up by 4:15. Sept. 14 in bed by 11, awake by 2:45, up by 3:15. On September 15 I had a nap before dinner and then stayed up until almost midnight. I did nod off about 20 minutes involuntarily during Thursday Night Football. I woke up at 4AM and stayed in bed until 5AM. On September 16 I was in bed by 11:30PM, woke up at 4:30, and was up at 5:00AM. I see improvement. On September 17 I was in bed at 11:30 and got up at 7AM. The best night all week. Is the jetlag coming to an end?
On September 18 I again had a late afternoon nap but was still tired by 10PM. I got to bed at about 11:45, but woke up at 3:30. While I stayed in bed, I do not believe I slept again before getting up at 7:00. So much for jetlag being over!
Over the next few days I continued to go to bed between 11:30 and around midnight, still early for me, but I slept longer each day until September 22 and 23, when I got up around 8AM. That’s a great night. So, it took 10 nights to get back to something close to normal for me.
Sadly, I think this marks the end of my African adventures. As much as I have enjoyed safaris, I think I am satisfied with what I have seen and can’t see doing it again if there is little new to see. It is simply too far and too expensive to just repeat experiences. I am content with my exposure to the continent, gorilla and chimp watching aside, and will now focus elsewhere. Thanks for the memories Africa!
