Zambia, Victoria Falls

The morning of the 321-st day of the journey in a camping site near Livingston began with the issue that the monkeys stole all the white bread meant for my breakfast. Again. I guess I was about 5 meters away But my own fault, there is no need to leave something out. And last night the guards had advised me to take everything edible and also inedible - such as the camping table and chair, into the car, because the elephants were known to linger around in the dark. It was very polite of them to warn me because on the road and also on the lawn there were odd dark piles. And not of unknown origin.

The number one attraction in Livingstone and in Zambia is definitely Victoria Falls, located on the River of Zambezi (known in the local language as Mosi-oa-Tunya, The Smoke That Thunders). The Zambezi River is Africa's fourth longest (2674 km, the first three are - the Nile, Congo and Niger River). Tonga Zambezi means "Great River" in the local language.

The height of the Falls is 105 meters, it is higher than Niagara Falls, which is 51 meters. Impressive is the length of the cascade - 1,707 meters, or nearly two kilometers.



The waterfall is located at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Here you can see a small part of the waterfall and the pedestrian bridge, which is located in the Zambian side. In the top left there is the big bridge connecting Zambia and Zimbabwe. It was designed in England, the construction took 14 months and the bridge was ready by 1905. One can see a small part of the waterfall in the right side.

Zambia, Evening guests

Wildlife - this time smaller specimens that are moving and flying around everywhere. The earth is full of ants, they know how to bite and up from the trees some kind of smaller creatures are falling down between the collar. Usually the first reaction is to get this "somebody" quickly out from between the collar before the stinging or biting, or some chewing begins, and only later the idea that a picture of the insect should have been taken comes to the mind , but it is usually too late then.

Some, however, are captured. This one looks out like an advertisement of Lipton tea, but never mind.

Zambia, Kalimba Reptile Park

Day 316
Lusaka,
Pioneer Camp


At the camping both WIFi and internet of variable speed can be used and so I made a search in Google to find out what else is there interesting and worth to see here in Lusaka .
Basically, of course, markets and a few bigger shopping centers and Munda Wanga Park (already visited ), the National Museum (also visited). And then there was something unvisited - Kalimba Reptile Park, located 10 km north of Lusaka. Finding the place was no problem because already entering the city at the intersection a sign "Reptile Park," caught the eye, never mind that GPS showed another and a longer route.

In Africa it is generally safer to follow the signs and signposts, and if necessary, ask the local than to trust the GPS data on maps. So it was this time as well. Twenty minutes of driving along the red dusty African road - and there they were.

The place was like a usual reptile zoo with a picnic site and separate swimming pool for guests. The residents were the crocodiles of various sizes and ages, and there were indeed many of them , and also snakes, turtles. The ticket was 20,000 Kwacha or 4 USD.


The main inhabitants were the Nile crocodiles, the guide said that there were about 6000 of them of different ages and sizes. And they are raised primarily because of their skin.

Zambia, Munda Wanga

Day 313.
Written in Zambia, Lusaka.

Munda Wanga is Wildlife Sanctuary, Botanical Gardens, Educational Centre and much more - as the label below informs us. It is located 15 kilometers south of Lusaka just by the big road.

Basically, the Botanical Gardens and the Zoo, but Zoo not in the usual sense, but for this kind of animals that are confiscated from poachers and also for injured animals and birds to be healed before the release to freedom.



Both places can be visited by the same ticket. The ticket cost 25,000 kwatshats or 5 USD. And yet - there is no special price for local residents and a different price for tourists. All are equal. During half a day I saw there probably 5 visitors.

Zambia, Lusaka

Day 310
Written in Zambia, Lusaka

In fact this post could be titled as "relationship with wildlife , as probably there is much more wildlife here than in Europe.

Some examples:
I am about 100 meters away from the car and suddenly I hear a very familiar signal, the signal of my own car. Well, the driver's side window was wide open, and someone gave the signal. We all know who that someone is. Anyway it is the someone who briefly stepped on the signal button, hastily came out of the window again and climbed on the roof. I took the camera out of the car and turned the window up so that the monkeys could not get inside again. Then I walk around the car and see that my guest is engaged with the window again.



The antenna has been bent as well. The trouble with monkeys is that they are a kind of big thieves. Edible things will be stolen within seconds even when you are only a few meters away and sometimes something is left in return.

Zambia – South Luangwa National Park

Day 308
32989 km since the beginning of the journey
Written in Zambia, Lusaka

More details about the crossing of Malawi-Zambia border, visas and other procedures will be described in the next post. Because right after crossing the border I made my way to one of the most famous natural park of Sambia, 150 km away.

It is now this kind of a post that has lots of pictures of African animals and little other issues. And no "Action".

Retrospectively sorting images it comes out that, as always, the zebras are leaving the picture and so are guinea fowls, and in this park the wart hog can`t not tolerate any shooting at all, but otherwise the elephants didn`t run away from the camera and I managed to have some other animals in the picture as well.



Some differences in visit-regulations – in most East-African parks the ticket is valid for 24-hours, but here the ticket is valid just that day. So you can enter park in the morning at six o'clock and a drive around till six o'clock p.m.