Chimanimani, Part IV

On our way out of the Reserve, we stopped for two short hikes.

The first was to see amazing "cave paintings" that likely date back more than 1,000 years to the bushmen who used to live in this area. The paintings were all carefully done under rock overhangs which protected them from the elements. The detail was incredible - the animals were easily recognizable, as was the gender of the humans in the paintings. And the anonymity was also captivating - there was barely a trail leading to the paintings (only a few cairns marking the way), and no signage or protective barriers. We felt privileged to be seeing them.

The second was to peer down into a deep, narrow gorge cut by the stream that wasn't even visible from where we were at the top.

Throughout the trip, Ian and Sebastian were inseparable, fast friends who entertained us all.

Chimanimani, Part III

I really am not qualified to describe this next part of our visit to Chimanimani, as I spent the time snoozing in our chalet and not actually going on the hike. But since I went on the hike seven years ago, and since I have the photos, and since nobody else in my family has the time to post to the blog, I will go ahead without qualifications and post anyway!

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After a late lunch during which all manner of tasty surprises emerged (a benefit of non-coordinated group camping), the more adventurous of our group (those not desperately in need of a nap, or at least too stubborn to succumb) headed off to the waterfall - an amazing long drop of surrounded by verdant forests.


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The bold swam in the icy waters of the pool at the base of the waterfall. For others, scampering around the rocks surrounding the pools naked nudie was more fun.

Chimanimani, Part II

Ian had his best day of hiking yet, climbing the full four hours to the top of the ridge and back down all by himself with no help and no complaining - and it wasn't an easy trail!

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The scenery was terrific; we ambled through homesteads with fish ponds, turkeys, beautiful fields fill of a variety of vegetables and grains, lovely rural huts painted beautifully, even a grape arbor.


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This seemed like a good place to live: less oppressive heat than in the lowlands, abundant water, lower prevelance of malaria.



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The contrast from one side to the other along the frontier ridge was stark: on the Zimbabwe side, plantations of pine eucalyptus trees, a large, neatly laid out and built village, a general sense of order and development, whereas on the Mozambique side, rough mountains, simple scattered housing, and "bush." (You can see a little bit of Zimbabwe in the right side of the group photo - the dark green swath is a pine plantation; Mozambique is to the left.)

Theo loved the hike, making barely a noise the whole time. I carried him a sling, and he slept peacefully all the way up and all the way down, just waking to take in the view at the top of the ridge.

Chimanimani, revisited

Before I continue with describing our recent Chimanimani adventure, I really must pause for a better description of the road. I found digital photos of this road from when Rich and I visited Chimanimani 7 years ago. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are three photos of the most challenging parts of the road:

The slope of this road makes you feel like your car just might roll over head first going down. Rich was driving in 4Low with the accelerator fully depressed, and we just made it up. yikes!

Chimanimani, Part I

In late May, we were treated to a visit by some friends, Ryan and Karen, who came to Mozambique on a delayed honeymoon adventure. Rich and I had worked with Ryan at the Crane Foundation many years ago (we were shocked how many, we are getting old), and had had the chance to meet Karen on several occasions as well. We spent two great days with them in the Park: Ryan and Rich tried to reach Hippo House and spent the afternoon digging their car out of the mud that blocked them from reaching their destination, a not-uncommon event around here; Karen, Katie, and Ian jetted across to Vinho to see the recently opened health clinic and school there.

But the real fun began with our trip to Chimanimani, a beautiful mountainous reserve along Mozambique's western border with Zimbabwe.


We packed into our Nissan double cab (people, like myself, who are fans of carseat and seatbelt laws should avoid counting how many people we were in the car, but at least none of us rode in the truck bed) and headed two hours down the road to Chimoio, the first stop on our journey, where we loaded up on groceries for the trip and tried (unsuccessfully) to purchase the 2008 stickers for our car (which had already been bought by the project for the car but had never materialized). (I should be correct here and say RICH tried for hours to buy these stickers while the rest of us had pastries and cappuccinos. poor rich.)

Then we were off, accompanied by a professional colleague of Rich's, Stefaan Dondeyne, the Reserve's as-yet-unofficial ecologist, and (bonus!) his five year old son Sebastian.

The first two hours from Chimoio towards the mountains were uneventful - beautiful scenery, good conversation, much amusement listening to the boys (who had only just met) chatting away in the car and inventing all manner of stories and games.

Then we reached the entry gate for the Reserve (one notch down from National Park, but still with reasonable protections), and from here the trip got more adventurous. The road was traverses a rocky, stream-crossed landscape, and nothing but a strong 4wd will be able to make the trip, crossing loose-rock-bottomed-streams and climbing steep, rocky hills. We had several moments of sweaty palms (especially after the sun went down and we were in the dark), but we arrived safely at Chikukwa camp, nestled near the Zimbabwe border high in the mountains.

Chikukwa camp was built about 8 years ago, and Rich and I had stayed here once before in 2001. We "camped" in little chalet we had stayed in during those visit - the perfect accommodation for people who want to go camping but don't have a tent big enough for everyone! The thatch roof kepts us dry and our Thermarest mattresses and sleeping bags kept us warm on the cement floor. The very simple bathroom (a toilet with a bucket of water for flushing and the base of a shower with another bucket of water for washing) was also a nice amenity.



But the real show-stealer were the views. We awoke to the calls of birds and the light of the sun rising on the highest peaks of the jagged mountains. The morning mountain air was cold, as you can tell from the fact that Theo is barely visible underneath his fleecy snowsuit (a gift from good friends here that we weren't sure when we use - but it was essential here!), and the hot coffee in our little camp warmed us down into our toes.

And the sun soon warmed us as we headed further up the mountain on foot to the ridge that forms the border between Mozambique and Zimbabwe... (continued in Part II)

Paul's Salt Rock Swamp Forest

One real treat during our stay with Paul and Jane in Salt Rock was a visit to the swamp forest behind their house which Paul helped to protect when a developer purchased and made plans to develop the land above (and including) this forest. Paul was hired as the environmental consultant for the project and was able to convince the developer that protecting the forest would not only be a good thing for the forest but would also add value to the development, as the residents of the development would be able to enjoy the natural values of the forest. Paul's work also meant that the stormwater from the development would not be directed into the swamp forest (which would have effectively killed the forest, which relies on natural springs for its survival), but instead into a separate stormwater management system

Paul developed a beautiful boardwalk through the forest that meandered around the trees (Paul proudly remarked that they'd cut no trees in the development of the boardwalk). In one part, the trees actually came together above the boardwalk to form an archway.

As we approached the forest, Paul informed us all (and Ian in particular) that this forest was a holy place and that, as a result, no running or loud noises were permitted. Paul's words had the effect they needed: Ian virtually tip-toed through the forest, quiet as a mouse.

More amazing was the effect of the forest on Theo: the second Jane and he walked into the canopy of the forest, Theo became instantly quiet, his eyes open wide and taking in all of the sights of the forest. He was entirely focused during our whole walk through the forest, happy as can be to be under such trees. This boy is another nature boy, that is for sure!

Durban

We were graciously and generously hosted by our friends Paul Dutton and Jane Bertram in Salt Rock, a small community about 45 minutes north of Durban, South Africa. It was cold there compared the temperatures we'd had in Chitengo and even at Kruger, so we were bundled up more than usual, even though the normal mean temps for late April and early May are warmer. But this didn't stop us from enjoying our time there!


Much of our time was taken up by errands - shopping for things we can't get in Mozambique (eyeglasses, medicines, haircuts) and an appointment for Theo's next immunizations. But we also made time to enjoy some amenities of "1st world" life (IMAX films, fully stocked grocery stores and bookstores), as well as the gorgeous natural amenities of the area. Sure, the beach was windy and cold, but it was dramatic and beautiful! But, personally, I still think the pool swimmers were crazy! (Paul presented Ian with the "HMS Ian" for more swimming fun.)

We also enjoyed a great evening of music and good company with some of Jane and Paul's friends.







One adventure felt a little "3rd world." We needed to change the oil in our car, but because it was a holiday weekend in South Africa, most of the garages who could do this for us were closed. As Paul and Jane were asking around the town for ideas about places that might be open, another customer shopping at the auto parts store where we had stopped to ask said, "oh, I'll do it." After some discuss, we actually left him the keys and the car and agreed we'd call him in an hour to come get the car. I had an uncomfortable feeling in my stomach about it, but trusted Paul's instincts, which said this guy was OK. Several hours and several cell phone calls later, we got directions to this guy's house, and, sure enough, there was our car, in the front yard of this guy's house, along with several other cars. They'd done the oil change and put in new filters, and also put in a new pump for the windshield cleaning fluid (we hadn't had fluid the whole drive south from Chitengo!). We paid our money and off we went. Sometimes these unofficial things do work afterall!

More Kruger photos

These were taken by Rich, whose camera's zoom is far better at capturing our wildlife sights than mine!

male impala







Baboon






Elephant







Wildebeest







Zebra

Kruger Park Wildlife

We had great wildlife viewing during our five days at Kruger. During the days that Rich attended his meeting, mom and the kids and I spent some of each day driving around the Skukuza area to look for wildlife.

One morning we drove east from Skukuza to Nkuhlu, where we stopped for some breakfast. We were warned about the mischevious monkeys by a staff member whose job seemed to be to hang around and scare the monkeys off when they got too close. Apparently the monkeys have a particular fondness for sugar packets, but the also don't appear to be too picky!

Our breakfast arrived, and Gram and Ian left the table to get more forks, leaving me feeding Theo and "guarding" our breakfast. But those monkeys worked fast! The second they saw that both the staff monkey-deterrer and my personal monkey protectors had gone, they swooped down into action. Our toast was gone before you could stay "shoo"! Thankfully, they weren't able to make off with our eggs or bacon, so we did get some breakfast. And even though I am bigger than they, these little monkeys still scared me, particularly when I was feeling vulnerable feeding Theo. We were so stunned by the event that we didn't even manage to take a photo of the monkeys! (Plus, we didn't want to encourage them, says Ian.)


A short list of our wildlife sightings: the "Big Five" (elephant, lion, leopard, rhino, and buffalo), zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, impala, kudu, warthog, bats



The photo of bats is taken at outside the cafeteria at Skukuza; they roost up in the top of the underside of the thatch roof of the little shelters where folks eat their lunches. They were a continual draw for new tourists. Needless to say, the tables and chairs under this thatched roof were at the outside edges of the thatch, not directly under the bats!



Our lion sighting was more adventure than quality viewing - on our way to Satara camp, where we spent one night, we came upon a traffic jam of cars on a bridge. Sure enough, through quick chats with folks in stopped cars we learned that under the bridge was a family of lions who had just feasted on a wildebeest kill. We could only get in close enough to confirm that lions were there: we saw a fat, sated lioness lolling on her back while her two cubs nursed. Alas the cars with the best views were in no hurry to move on (and frankly couldn't have anyway, given the number of other cars blocking their way out), so most of the occupants of those cars had settled in for sundowners.

Kruger

First, to set the scene on the homefront:

We shared one little bungalow intended to sleep three; we were five, so Ian slept in his cool sleeping bag on his Thermarest pad and Theo slept (as is his nightly norm) in his carseat. It worked out great, especially since we had been anticipating a bungalow that slept only two! We stayed 5 nights in Kruger, so got to really "settle in" to this little home.

On our porch we had a little kitchenette with fridge, 2-burner electric stove, a sink with hot and cold water, and the basic utensils, dishes, and pots for "self-catering". We did breakfast at home every day, but generally ate out our other meals as we'd had limited space for carrying food in our car on the way to Kruger. Plus that way we got to try out various yummies offered by the park.

We also used the front porch to hang our little laundry bits (during the day when everyone else was out on game drives so they didn't have to look at it) - mostly Theo's washable flannel wipes. Ian also washed his stuffed animal collection while we were here - you can see tigger, snowman, beluga, butterfly, and hippo all hanging on the line to dry. It was a fun project.

Next post will be the more interesting bits about our daily drives in the park, including a rundown of the animals we saw. A preview: we managed the Big Five!

On the Road Southward

We left Chitengo on 16 April first for Beira, where Rich attended a meeting about the Zambezi River, and then headed south on our long journey to Kruger National Park. Rich attended and presented at the annual Kruger Science Networking meeting, and we all got to come along for the experience! It is more than 1000 kilometers to Kruger from Chitengo, which we traversed in 3 days.

Our first day took us from Beira to a small resort called Morongulo about halfway to Maputo. Our 5:00 AM departure from Beira meant that we arrived Morungulo in time to enjoy time on the beach, playing in the Indian Ocean's waves.

Early the next morning we headed out to Maputo, ariving in time to enjoy ice cream and beer with friends (who used to live in Chitengo) on a terrace overlooking the sea while Ian played in the sand and on the playground with his buddies Hannah and Adi. Our colleague Raquel and her husband Rui made us a delicious dinner and put us up in their beautiful apartment that night - the city noises were strange to us after the silence of Chitengo.

The third day brought us to Kruger. The border crossing into South Africa was pleasantly uncomplicated, though crowded, and we arrived at Kruger in time to enjoy a lovely safari drive to Skukuza camp.

Three cheers to Rich for doing ALL of the driving - much of it on roads with horrible potholes (in places, it is generous to call the road a road, when in fact the asphalt that remained was more an impediment than anything.) It is hard to believe the road is Mozambique's longest national road, traversing the country from south to north. And it makes one appreciate the amenities we do have access to in Chitengo, considering all of those amenities must travel this road at one time or another!

Three cheers to Barb who road shotgun and handled all of the food and drink provisions and read out loud the entirety of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!

And, most of all, three cheers to two little kids who really do a great job traveling.

Ian the Snarkler Video

We are in Maputo where we finally have a fast enough internet connection to upload this video! Enjoy.

Tofo Beach, Part Two

Our days in Tofo were gloriously lazy. The mornings were cool but the afternoons warm and sunny, although on one or two days the wind was strong enough to nearly blow Ian down the beach.






The shore in front of our lodge had a great rocky bit that made for some great tide-pooling when the tide was low. The rocks (old coral?) also protected a shallow little lagoon, complete with little fish, that provided a great place for Ian to venture into the wonderful world of snorkeling. (Ian calls snorkeling “snarkeling,” a pronunciation Rich and I have adopted as well because it is just so cute!) The combination of the buoyant water and his concentration on breathing through the tube made him forget entirely about floating and his swimming improved markedly over the course of the week.

But the high point of our time in Tofo was our experience swimming with whale sharks. As Ian can tell you (he knows all the factoids about whale sharks, and recited them all to our guide during the trip), whale sharks are the largest fish in the world, but only eat plankton so won’t go munching you if you swim with them. Tofo boasts one of the largest and most accessible whale shark populations in the world. The large grey giants swim lazily in the shallow waters just off shore.

We spent about 3 hours on our expedition, which involved a motorized inflatable raft piloted by experienced local guys who managed to find at least five of the big sharks for us. They’d carefully position the boat and then we’d all jump into the water with our masks and snorkels and go swimming after the shark. It was an amazing experience, one Rich calls among the most spiritual of his life. Even Ian got brave enough, after watching us visit two or three sharks, to jump into the (for him) very deep water (with his life jacket) for long enough to be able to catch a glimpse of the great grey beast himself! Our guide and the folks back at the dive shop said he was the youngest kid they’d ever had hop in the water to swim with whale sharks. Very impressive! Ian was quite proud of himself, as were we of him.