The last two weeks has been an experience like no other. After leaving Nkatha Bay we continued our journey northwards towards Tanzania.

If you were to look on a map, you would notice that there are no roads leading down to the lake from Nkatha  bay to somewhere near Chilumba-a stretch of about 120km. The steep mountains that greeted us as we began to amble our way into stage two of our circumnavigation accounted for this. The next six days were spent in the midst of what is probably the most dramatic scenery I have had the pleasure of seeing. Whoever first used the epithet “crystal clear” to describe water must have spent some time in this area of Malawi…

The dramatic landscape of Lake Malawi Photo © Hope for the Future

The mountains rise arrogantly from the deep blue water and you get the feeling that time has had no effect on these titans that, with austere simplicity, lay rocky fingers of protection on the life below. The isolated villages dot the hillside without any uniformity and the people here are solely dependent on the land and the lake…

If you asked me what happened on Day 7 of our trip I would be hard pressed to give you details. It becomes a bit like this after a while. The memories are there but it is difficult to grasp them on request. The scenery however, is a part of the trip that has stayed with me in detail and recalling it helps render details that are difficult to pry out on their own.

It is amazing how the surroundings can breathe life into a tired body. ‘The day with the sunrise’ was the first day when we were on the water before dawn.  We had been paddling close on ten minutes when the sun peeked with eager rays through the clouds that shrouded the escarpment on the Mozambiquan side. All I can say is that if I thought that this trip would quell some of the wanderlust that I feel, then this particular sunrise has left me sorely mistaken and wanting more.

'The day with the sunrise' Photo © Hope for the Future expedition

The crafts are still taking in quite substantial amounts of water despite all our efforts to locate the leaks. Our diet for the last week has consisted mainly of rice and a spice of our choice. After the other night we are all in agreement that mixing rice and uncooked tomatoes is a terrible idea. Every now and then we manage to shoot or catch a fish which provides much needed protein, albeit in meagre amounts. Our fitness has increased dramatically and we are all feeling strong – the increasing number of kilometres covered per day gives testament to that.

I am writing this post from the Hope for the Future orphanage in Mbeya, Tanzania where we have spent a wonderful two nights in the enthusiastic company of Sharmala Buell and the orphan children who benefit from her care. It truly is a wonderful feeling to be in a position to help these children who are so deserving of anything that we are able to give.

I want to briefly tell you about two memorable moments, one highlight and one lowlight, of our trip so far. We woke up one morning on a beach in Karonga. The wind was howling and the fierce waves were dangerously close to the tents. We were informed by one of the locals that we should enter the lake with extra caution as that morning a dug-out canoe had washed up a few hundred metres from us with nets and a rod still on board, but no person. This news was eerily punctuated by cries of grief from a lady who we later learned was the mother of the drowned fisherman.

Adding to this terrible news we were also informed that two weeks prior to us being there, a local had been taken and eaten by a crocodile. The events of that morning left us a bit shaken. It was a reminder that for all of its exceptional beauty and romantic appeal, there lies a darker side to mother nature that needs to be respected.

On a lighter note, after a morning of heavy swells we pulled in to a beach for our mid-day break. The village where we stopped was no doubt one of the smallest and more remote villages we had encountered. We laid down Terry (the tarpaulin) and after five minutes of relaxing, one of the villagers came over and said that the village would like to invite us to lunch. We followed him and joined the locals for lunch, which was delicious. These people had next-to-nothing, yet still had so much to give. It is for this reason, and the scenery that I described earlier, that has made Malawi such a special place for us. We are sad to leave it and it is with slight trepidation with which we proceed down the east coast of the lake to the sparsely populated and somewhat mysterious coastlines of Tanzania and Mozambique…

Here are a few things that I have learned so far:

• I can paddle 45km in a day.
• Mark can sing for about 50 min without taking a break.
• It is extremely difficult to catch fish on the Malawian side with artificial lures.
• A fire cracker will still go off under water.
• It is possible to fall out of a kayak.
• In some places in Malawi a coke costs the equivalent of R2 which is cheaper than buying a plastic packet to keep it in.
• You and your rash vest begin to smell awful after a month of not wearing deodorant.
• Having a mustache is frustrating when spear-fishing as water keeps getting in to your mask.
• After a month of sleeping pretty much on the ground it is difficult to adjust to a proper bed.
• There are more stars in the sky than I ever thought there were.
• Goat meat is surprisingly tasty.
• When a Malawian gives you a distance in km to the next town it is necessary to times it by two and you know that you will be about halfway.

P.S. Happy 21^st birthday to a lovely young lady who, no matter how old she gets will always be my little sister.

P.P.S. Congratulations to Mark on the appearance of his first two abdominal muscles. He has informed me with great optimism that number 3 and 4 are on their way…

It’s quite difficult to reflect on everything that has happened up to now and summarise it in a paragraph. But I suppose one word comes to mind. Goat.

The only constant over a journey that has spanned snowy mountains, sandy deserts, lazy rivers, open plains and paradise beaches has been the cunning, non-plussed face of the goat. No meal, no interaction and no landscape has been devoid of their vacant expressions and off-key bleats.

Watching. Planning their next move. Islamic fervour, indifference or Christian evangelicals – the goat knows no religious affiliation. And has prospered throughout West Africa as a result of it. Self-immolations in Morocco, al-Qaeda kidnappings in the Sahel, election tension in Senegal, a military coup in Mali: all things that scared the bejeezus out of us, but left the goat unflappable. He’s seen it all before.

Food is scarce in these parts – where we have turned our noses up at another bowl of rice and sauce or fufu and fish, the goat has sat outside and indulged on the morning tabloid. Or a tube of Aquafresh. Every rip-off and every selfless act of charity has had the goat as its overseer.

He has watched us stumble our way through six countries and just whenever we have thought we had shaken him, a reassuring bleat has emerged from the buses hold or a gentle spray of chlorophylly urine has doused the window from the roofracks above. The goat has taken note and, although, a creature of few words, I suspect he would nod in approval and offer us these sage pearls: “Learn some bloody French”.

An infant mountain gorilla from the Munyaga family, which ranges near the area that was shelled on May 13 Photo © Molly Feltner

On May 8, a reported 1,500 troops loyal to Bosco Ntaganda, the military chief of staff of the CNDP rebel group who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, entered the gorilla sector of the park. Virunga National Park, which employs 275 rangers for the entire park, was forced to withdraw its staff from three of the five patrol posts located in the gorilla sector. Fighting between the rebels and the Congolese army broke out on May 10, culminating on May 13 with the Congolese army shelling rebel positions within the park. On May 12, a ranger and two soldiers were killed in the park while protecting a road used by civilians fleeing the rebels.

“We are worried about the mountain gorilla population from direct exposure to war and trauma as well as unregulated exposure to troop encampments which could harbour infectious diseases that could be fatal to the gorillas,” said Gorilla Doctors Co-Director Dr. Mike Cranfield. “The secondary effect of the conflict is the inability of our veterinary team and the Virunga National Park staff to monitor the health of the gorillas and perform medical interventions if necessary. We are all hoping for a quick resolution to the problem.”

Virunga National Park rangers and Gorilla Doctors staff hiking through Virunga National Park Photo © Molly Feltner

Chief Park Warden Emmanuel de Merode has been posting regular updates about the situation on the Gorilla.cd blog. Rumangabo, the Virunga National Park headquarters and site of the Senkwekwe Center for orphaned mountain gorillas, remains secure.  The Gorilla Doctors Congolese staff is safe in the Congolese city of Goma, which is 1.5 hours’ drive from Rumangabo.

The birth was the first installment in what is to be the story of Salome (the mother) and her three cubs. Watch the story unfolding on A Cheetah Cub’s Tail.

If you missed it, or want to see it again, it’s a rare and special sight – go ahead…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoYQn5GvlfM

Video © Africam.com

Jemima and Cayley: stuck in the mud!

“Do we know where we’re going?”

“Yep.”

This sounded fairly confident, so we leapt into the Concession 4×4 in our clean white shirts and smart black skirts, and headed out into the bush. We were running late, and had about a half-hour drive ahead of us, to a beautiful spot where the bar was set up as a surprise for the guests who would reach the place by mokoro (dugout canoe).

As we approached the area, we radio-called the barman to find his exact location. The response was a collection of mutterings about airstrips and water crossings. Cayley’s confidence did not wane, and we bravely headed out into the nearest body of water, convinced that we were on the right track. About halfway through said water, the engine stalled. A nervous giggle, and we re-started, Cayley trying to find low range and reverse the vehicle out of the spot. We sank further. A spray of mud flew from the front wheel, and the engine seemed to scream at us to stop.

A few choice expletives followed.

There then followed an argument about the best plan of recovery. Cay wanted one of us to stay in the vehicle while the other was rescued and continued on to host the guests. I refused to comply with this suggestion, feeling it was best to stay on our little car-island together. Eventually, we removed our white shirts and climbed out of the car windows so that we could wade through the muddy water in our highly appropriate cocktail dresses…

Having found the high-lift jack, we discovered that it had rusted onto the side of the vehicle, and would NOT come off. We pulled, we tugged, we wacked it with a large spanner. Nothing … We were now officially living out a cliché.

Then began the radio-calling, so that the entire concession could now witness our humiliation. We giggled as one of the male managers advised us to “use the little stick thing near the handbrake and PUSH TO THE RIGHT to get into low range,” (we can’t even be offended by this) and were soon assured that help was on the way.

Pelo, one of the camp-hands, arrived to find us standing on the roof of our now stubbornly stuck car. It was only as he reached us through the water that he informed us that, in fact, his 4×4 was “having problem” and was “not strong enough to pull us out.” He did, however, manage to get the jack down. We thought it would then be a bright idea to find some sticks to place under the wheel if he could raise the vehicle.

Nothing to do but stand on the roof and wait!

Going for the most logical option at this point, we waded across undoubtedly crocodile-infested waters, to then throw ourselves at these small trees in disastrous attempts to break off the not-so-spindly branches. Don’t ever try to do this in a mini-skirt. It does not end well…

A suspicious splashing sound a few metres from our vehicle prompted screams of terror and a lightning-fast leap back onto the roof of the car. Pelo decided he had had enough and tried to depart from our swampy location, only to discover that he too had now become stuck in the mud.

We were informed, to our amusement and embarrassment, that “the tractor was on its way.” However, a guide from the neighbouring lodge, ignoring all warnings to the contrary and insisting that after 30 years of driving in the Delta “he would never get stuck in the mud,” decided to join us, fetching the barman and bravely motoring towards us to pull us out. About one metre into the quagmire and he was also stuck. I updated the Concession via the radio that the total number of sinking vehicles had now risen to three.

Trying our best to get free with the jack

It was now pitch black, and the suspicious splashing noises had increased. There were now about 10 of us, (one man had arrived prepared and was wearing a speedo) wading around in the dark trying to find sticks and shouting unhelpful encouragement to those who were diving into underwater holes to try to dig the cars out. Some of us were frantically harvesting vegetation and emerging from the darkness like great grassy yetis, carrying whatever we could to stick under the deeply-embedded tyres. Finally, headlights behind us announced the arrival of the tractor. Maybe, just maybe, we’d be pulled out…

It was not to be. Five minutes into the tractor’s efforts, there was an ominous engine-dying murmur: the battery was flat. By this point, we really could only laugh. Jump leads were fetched, there was more wading about, more profuse, shivering apologies from us and a lot of testosterone-induced camaraderie as Mr Speedo and the gang finally managed to pull us out, 4 hours after we had first headed out for our peaceful sun-downer.

EVERYBODY getting involved!

We are still struggling to live this down, and it is the general consensus that neither Cayley nor I should ever be allowed out alone while there is water/mud to be stuck in, as we will find it, and we will disrupt everyone’s evening as a result!

Day 12

Due to some rookie errors, we managed to lose track of each other in the 8 foot swells.  We’d already lost half our team – Matt, Caiden and myself paddled to a point and waited for Sam and Guy for about four hours. After a long walk up and down the beach we decided to carry on, thinking that they were ahead of us. We landed up camping apart for the first and hopefully the last time…

Dark days on the water: losing team members in 8ft swells... Photo © Hope for the Future

We were stuck with the sleeping bags and Sam and Guy with the mattresses – and it definitely wasn’t our best decision to have put all the phones in one boat. Caiden had a humbling experience when he went to the local village to get us some dinner;  the chief (an old lady) was very happy with what we were doing and through a bit of translation, she said that she knew that God would bless us and ‘may the wind be at our backs’.

Once again the friendly Malawians have been there for us. When we pulled into the beach we were greeted by a local by the name of Victor. We were astounded by the knowledge he had of South Africa – he even knew where Wartburg was and half of South Africa doesn’t even know where it is! With the help of the locals we collected some firewood and boiled some water for the next day.

Caiden was kind enough to buy some Nali hot sauce which tickles the taste buds and makes horrible tasting food taste great. Three grown men stuffed into one Cape Union Mart tent wasn’t great but we had to stay out reach of the mozzies! It was very hard to sleep that night; we didn’t know where the other half of the team were…

Day 13

We were up early to catch Sam and Guy. We paddled straight across the bay to Kande Beach, where once again the owner (Dave) was very kind to give us free accommodation. We still couldn’t find Sam and Guy…

We used a hotel phone to try get hold of them. This was the first time our parents were hearing of this as we didn’t want any unnecessary alarm bells ringing back home. We left messages and finally reception got a message for us to stay put until they arrived … turned out they were just around the corner from where we had stopped!

Relaxing at the bar that night, we were greeted by a familiar voices – sopping wet and absolutely buggered from a very long paddle were Guy and Sam. We exchanged our gratitude that everyone was safe…

Apparently Guy had shot off a flare and we didn’t even see it! He told us of an experience he’d had on our night apart: while visiting the local ‘chimbudze’ (toilet) he’d made one foot fault and landed knee-deep in local digestive by-products! “Not your best Robertson,” we agreed, and we also agreed to never let each other out of sight on the water again…

Day 14 was a day of relaxation and a short 8km paddle to the next lodge. Richard and Lauren Slater were kind enough to give us a bed and a free meal. Good old South African steak and braai broodjies. We have been so blessed it feels as though we are slowing down but I know that it is going to be totally different on the other side and we need to stock up on protein while we can.

Day 16

We woke up as the sun was peeping over the horizon and we were on the water for the final day of stage one. The scenery has changed incredibly over the last two days, it has become mountainous and the water has become crystal clear.

A reunited Hope for the Future expedition team celebrates reaching the end of stage 1 Photo © Hope for the Future

As we came around the corner into Nkhata bay the water changed to a deep blue, it’s amazing how it can change over such a short period. I must admit that towards the end of the day’s paddle I was feeling a bit over it and my right shoulder was giving me some problems – but it is so worth it when you get out of the water after a long paddle.

This is the end of the road for Sam and it has been a pleasure paddling with her! She has really helped us out along the way. We wish her safe travelling mercies back to Senga bay and we will definitely join her for a cold one in about 2 months time.

*I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to all our sponsors, monetary and equipment, without you this trip would not be possible. We have lived in our reef ski pants and rash vests everyday paddling and none of us had the slightest hint of bum rash. Island tribe sunscreen has kept the sun burn to a minimum, Ark dry bags have kept all our stuff dry…

Harry was operated on earlier today to repair an umbilical hernia, which had the potential to cause gut strangulation. Unfortunately he suffered respiratory arrest and ultimately heart failure, despite repeated attempts to resuscitate him, Harry passed away on the operating table.

 Toni Inggs, Harry’s ‘mother’ and care giver, who lovingly referred to him as a ‘pint-sized jelly baby’ is reportedly devastated, as are all the staff at the Cango Wildlife Ranch in Oudtshoorn, South Africa.

Harry became something of an overnight sensation with media worldwide reporting on his health. In Harry’s short life, he managed to raise much needed awareness for his species, and their plight as Endangered. Found in West Africa, there are currently less than 3, 000 Pygmy Hippos left in the wild, classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, Pygmy Hippos face further loss of habitat in Upper Guinea and subsequent hunting pressure (as forests become more accessible).

Harry had a very rocky start in life after being rejected by his mother Hilda, and although his life was short, Cango Wildlife Ranch assures us it was a happy one, with constant bottle-feeds, baths, playtime and love.

Find out more about the plight of Pygmy Hippos 

Join Harry’s Facebook group

Read previous posts about Harry’s birth and his 10kg weigh-in

The image is quite disturbing… and one can’t help but wonder how it was physically possible to kill so many poor impala in one fell swoop. The driver must have been going at some speed to take out all seven at once!

Reckless driving: Impala lying dead in the middle of the road.

Initially, the offender was given a meager R2500 fine, but public outcry over the incident has now caused SANParks to issue a five-year ban from Kruger on the driver.

In a statement released by SANParks, they announced that a further penalty amounting to R21 000 would be imposed on the main contractor of Kgokole Mmakole Trading & Projects CC for failure to comply with the Code of Conduct in respect to the death of seven Impala.

The Managing Executive of the KNP, Mr Abe Sibiya said “I am completely saddened by this incident and would like to warn all contractors, suppliers, staff members and guests to strictly adhere to the rules and regulations of the Park. Otherwise, severe action shall be taken against any perpetrator without exception. People cannot be allowed to continue to disobey the rules and go unpunished.”

“We will up our ante and there will be more arrests and harsher penalties for transgressions in the Park”, Sibiya concluded.

No hope for the poor impala...

In a park famed for its wildlife experience, it comes as a vote of confidence that SANParks have taken such a strong arm approach to the incident. Good going!

And we can only hope that lunatics like this are prevented from entering the park grounds in the future.

Safari interactive magazine and Nomad Africa Adventure Tours invite you on the overlanding trip of a lifetime! Leave Nairobi for 14 days in the wilds of the Masai Mara, the great Lakes of Kenya & Uganda, and a chance to trek with East Africa’s magnificent mountain gorillas.

To stand a chance of winning simply answer the following question:

Q. In Sean Messham’s ‘Overlanding East Africa’ feature, what was the name of the family of gorillas he met in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest?

Click here to ENTER THE COMPETITION

A winner will be announced in early July 2012.

Competition closed 30th June 2012.

Photos © Sean Messham

Trip Itinerary

Day 1 Masai Mara National Reserve
We leave the capital and travel to the Masai Mara National Reserve. Today the tour enters this huge area of spectacular game viewing to photograph some of Africa’s most abundant wildlife. Famous for the annual migration of around 1.5 million wildebeest, the Masai Mara is also home to many other animals, including lions. Cultural interaction with Kenya’s native Masaai people completes our experience.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Day 2 Masai Mara to Lake Naivasha 
We travel north to Lake Naivasha. One of the more popular optional activities in Hell’s Gate NP, is to go game viewing on a bicycle. Optional Activities: Cycle hire in Hell’s Gate NP, High Tea at Elsamere.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3 Nakuru National Park
We travel towards Lake Nakuru NP, a great place to spot flamingos. White Rhino also inhabit the transitional savannah area surrounding the lake
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 Uganda – Kampala
Leaving Lake Nakuru we drive to the Uganda border, and then stop for a photo at the equator. Later we arrive in Uganda’s capital and largest city, Kampala.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 Kampala / Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary
Although officially this day is set aside for everyone to explore Kampala, most people take an optional day trip to the Chimpanzee Sanctuary of Ngamba Island. This non-profit eco-friendly project was set up in 1998 to care for orphaned chimpanzees. Optional Activities: Ngamba Chimpanzee Excursion, Kampala Markets, Dinner Out.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6 Lake Bunyonyi
Lake Bunyonyi is a small but attractive lake with steep sides and abundant birdlife. Ringed by mountains, the lake is best known for its dense Otter population and stunning scenery. We make use of this beautiful spot to relax the night before the final drive to the gorillas.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7/8/9 Gorillas
The mountain gorilla is extremely endangered and while exact numbers vary it is widely assumed that there are only around 650 left. Visiting the gorillas is a great way to support their future on earth as the money spent on permits is used for their protection. An extremely important part of the future conservation of the remaining gorillas rests in the community development work – as local communities change their attitudes towards wildlife and start to protect rather than poach, the future of the mountain gorilla is assured.

As permits granting permission to visit the gorillas are extremely limited we require flexibility in both the tour itinerary and where we actually visit them. The home of the mountain gorillas is completely at odds with man-made borders and so their range encompasses Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Whenever possible we choose to make use of the National Park in Uganda, but this depends on the availability of permits.
Should we not obtain permits to visit the mountain gorillas in Uganda then we will inform all passengers beforehand that the tour will travel to Rwanda or DRC.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Please note: Although there are 3-days allocated to Gorilla Trekking you will only spend one-day on the trek. The other days are there to provide a large enough window in which to obtain permits and to allow the entire group to trek if there are more than 6 of you on the tour.

Day 10 Queen Elizabeth National Park
Many game species are to be found in this wetland park including the (elsewhere elusive) giant forest hog, and the legendary tree-climbing lions of the Ishasha Sector. Optional Activities: Kasinga Channel Sunset Cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11/12 Jinja
The morning is spent on further game viewing and this afternoon we travel to Jinja. Jinja is Uganda’s second largest city and is famous as the point where the Nile (officially the Victoria Nile) flows out of Lake Victoria and begins the 6695 kilometre journey to Egypt and the Mediterranean. Optional Activities: White Water Rafting.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 13 Kenya – Eldoret
Returning to Kenya we visit Eldoret, the country’s 5th largest city. The Great Rift Valley is still the dominant geographical feature of this region and the altitude at Eldoret is 2100 metres above sea level.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 14 Nairobi
Returning to Nairobi, the largest city in the East Africa region, there’s an optional dinner, where we can swap stories and exchange contact details. Optional Activities: Meal out in Nairobi.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Terms & Conditions

• The prize includes the tour cost only, Activity Package and Gorilla Permit will have to be booked separately
• Standard Nomad Adventure Tours terms and conditions apply
• Prize is valid for travel before 1 June 2013 and dates subject to availability
• Can not be used in conjunction with any other offer
• Excludes travel to and from Nairobi
• Excludes visa costs if required
• Africa Geographic (Pty) Ltd, bigFIG LTD cannot be held liable for any costs, injury or damage incurred during the undertaking of this prize.

For more information please visit Nomad Africa Adventure Tours

The wedding party was made up of family and friends from the surrounding villages who joyously sang and danced, laughed and cried, as Nolary was welcomed with open arms into her new home. Lekishon couldn’t wipe the smile from his face as he tied the knot with his beautiful bride.

We were treated as honoured guests and given traditional Maasai outfits to wear during the day. We felt fortunate to be a part of such a special occasion and will treasure the memory of this day forever.

We are now heading for the Masai Mara to go wildlife watching and see if we can spot the Big Five. Time to get the binoculars out!

Marcus and Kate Westberg are a writer/photographer team travelling across eastern and southern Africa. For more stories and photographs from Marcus and Kate, please visit Life through a Lens.

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