The perception of a road & South Luangwa

The perception of a road

 

The drive from North to South Luangwa was short in distance (240KM) but took a day and an age in time (10 hours!)  With no reception, no google maps, and three truly terrible maps of Zambia, it was time to start communicating with the villagers when we got to a cross road that lacked signage.

 

From previous road trip experience, we have learned the art of asking for directions.

 

If you want an accurate answer, start simple with:

Where does this road go?

And then hope like hell that the reply either sounds vaguely like where you are looking to go, or you can find it back on a map.

 

What you want to avoid at all costs – is asking ‘is this the road to …..?’

This is often met with a nod and a smile leaving you wondering ???

 

You are completely wasting your time by asking ‘How far is it to???? ‘

Initially when we asked that we were hoping to get a measurement in distance, but often it was a measurement in time.  For example:

Q: How far is it to Mfuwe?

A: It can be maybe 6-7 hours somehow.

Correct Answer: Its 240KM but the roads are terrible so it will take you around 10-11 hours depending on how often you stop etc.

 

You will feel all levels of confusion when you decide to double check one person’s directions by getting a second opinion, only to be pointed in the opposite direction – Good times!

 

Another factor to take into consideration when asking directions is that not everyone has the same perception of a road. Our minimum requirement is a ‘road’ consists of two tracks, running parallel to each other, wheel lengths apart.  When said road turns into a single lane resembling a goat track or bicycle path and the villagers insist you just keep following that – it gets a wee bit awkward. Our argument was that it didn’t seem cricket to bush bash across someone elses land/field/farm to get to what may….or may not, be a road.  When trying to convey this message, the villagers simply look at you like you’re being a bit dramatic, and insist you pull up your socks, and keep going.  At one point we find ourselves in the middle of a patch of overgrown land surrounded by tiny mud houses, looking for the road. From nowhere a villager is legging it towards us – we brace ourselves – he is either fuming or happy to help out a clueless pair of bush bashers.  Thankfully it was the latter and he leads us through the equivalent of his flower beds, past the windows of his wee mud hut – to reunite us with the track.  We felt terrible about how we had found ‘our way’ but our apologies are met with a huge grin and off we went! 

About a kilometer further down the road we need to sign in at the gate into the game reserve. Even with lack of network – bush telegraph was faster than we were, and we were asked – are you the people who couldn’t find the road? Yup – that would be us!

 

South Luangwa

On arrival into Mfuwe – the gate way to south Luangwa national park, its immediately clear that that this is the more popular more visited park.  Our campsite set behind the more glamorous cabins had a bright green children’s trampoline with six cheeky baboons on it – literally!  Felt a bit like arriving at Disney land

 

The next day we moved to a different camp, that had equally cheeky baboons but offered camping on the river banks which was stunning. The campsite had great views, a pool to escape the mid-day heat, ice cold beers from the bar, and lots of travelers from all walks of life, young, old, self drivers and overlanders, all here to enjoy the bush in their own way.

 

There was the option to go on a night game drive with a camp car & guide, and we thought we would try that – see what its like. What is nice about such a drive is that you can pop brain into neutral, and let the experts show you around.  We found the two male lions that we had heard so much about during the day.  Turns out, on our morning drive, we had stopped on and adjacent road for a pee break less than 100 meters from where they were hanging out under a shady bush – we completely missed them . 

 

We also joined a pack of cars to see a young leopard in a tree – but when the poor thing had 5 spotlights in her face, we told Joel (our guide) we would be happier looking for bush babies, porcupines, or aardvarks – the nocturnal gang that you don’t get to see during the day.  I think Joel was a bit shocked at this request, but happy to oblige and off we went – we saw a snake, who our Joel instantly identified as a spitting cobra to add excitement,  we have our doubts, but went along with it in order to not dampen his spirits.  We also saw white tailed mongoose, a porcupine (total highlight), Vereux eagle owl, hippos out the water and genets. 

 

Was a fab drive, after we left the hustle and bustle of the leopard sighting