Final Stat Attack

Now that we are at the end of our journey, we are updating the statistics that summarise our African Adventure.

• Countries covered: Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe
• Distance travelled: 6849 miles, 10958 kilometres
• Days of sunshine:  51 out of 68
• Percentage of trip spent camping: 33%
• Number of national parks/game reserves visited: 10
• Roadside recoveries and rescues: 2 (rescuing others)
• Breakdowns: 0 (long live the legendary Nissan Patrol)
• Elephant standoffs: 2 (one in Chobe National Park and one in the Karoo)
• Jaywalking jeopardies (animals walking on the road in front): springbok, baboons, cattle, spring hare, turtle (on the highway!), giraffes, rhinos, elephants, guinnea fowl, lizards, iguana, warthogs, snakes, kudu, chicken, squirrel, baby turtle (family tradition?!), goats, dogs, donkeys
• Grilled game consumed: ostrich, eland, kudu, warthog
• Different cheeses consumed: 13 (only 9 of which were actually edible)
• Pictures taken: 5,153
• Video clips made: 231

Injuries:Cuts / bites / bruises / bumps / coral scrapes:
Joost: 29 / 0 / 1 / 2 lumps on head / 2
Christel: 3 / 84 (including a bee sting that took 5 weeks to go away) / 8 / 0 / 1

Favourites:

Best beach: Pomene Beach, Mozambique

Nicest accommodation: Flamingo Bay Lodge, Mozambique

Nicest campsite: Pomene, Mozambique

Most remote campsite: Pipers Pan, Central Kalahari, Botswana

Best drive: Through Nyanga National Park, Zimbabwe

Funniest moment: Honey Badger thwarting and trumping a Lioness, in the Central Kalahari, Botswana

Nicest swim: Snorkelling in the 'Aquarium' Bazaruto Archipelaego, Mozambique

Most memorable food: Chilli Fish and Chips, Mossel Bay, South Africa

Best 'home' cooked meal: Nasi Goreng in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

Biggest predator seen: Male Black-Maned Lion in the Central Kalahari, Botswana

Least favourites:

Worst campsite: Fatima's Nest, Tofo, Mozambique

Worst accommodation: White Horse Inn, Zimbabwe

Worst day: Crossing into Zimbabwe and witnessing a horrific accident (and then staying in the cockroach-infested White Horse Inn)

Toughest drive: From Livingstone, Zambia, to Savuti in Chobe National Park, Botswana. Long day of driving on a very rough sandy track, filled with elephants.

Lake Kariba: Last Stop on our African Adventure

Our border crossing back into Zambia went rather smoothly and within a few hours we made it to Lake Kariba, one of Africa's largest artificial lakes formed by the creation of the Kariba Dam. We booked a night at a hotel with lovely views of the Lake and spent the afternoon going for a swim and planning what trips we might be able to do on the Lake the following day.

Unfortunately, the nice weather was short-lived and we were quickly faced with downpours of rain coupled with roaring thunder and lightning.

Our umbrella didn't save us much as we walked to and from the restaurant for dinner that night.

It was quite spectacular seeing the flashes of lighting over the lake, though luckily we got to watch it from the warmth and comfort of a room. As we woke up the next morning, the rain was still pouring down and it looked like the rainy season truly had started. There were no signs of the weather easing up so we decided to head back to Lusaka that day as there isn't a great deal of sightseeing you can do in such conditions!

We were just thankful we hadn't chosen to spend an extra night in Mana Pools National Park as the parks tracks aren't in good condition and it is highly recommended not to visit once the rains start, in particular because they do not have the facilities to help any cars that get stuck in the mud.

During the drive back to Lusaka the weather cleared up a bit so we had a good end to the trip (aside from a crazy driver that nearly swiped the side of our car just 1km from our end destination).

We were warmly welcomed by Leo upon our arrival and we spent the rest of the weekend unpacking the car, washing clothes and enjoying being back in a home again.

This final blog update is being posted from Lusaka where we will be spending a few more days until we fly back to Europe for Christmas and New Years. And with this post, marks the end to our rather amazing African Adventure!

Harare and last stop with the animals in Mana Pools

After four nights in the Eastern Highlands, we made our way to Zimbabwe's capital city, Harare. We were originally planning on taking a longer route towards the west of the country, but were forewarned that the rains were coming again so we decided not to take our chances and get stuck driving long distances with drivers who don't take the treacherous conditions into consideration.

We found a small guesthouse towards the north of the city in the Mount Pleasant area, which had decent ratings on tripadvisor, and it turned out to be a good place to stay for a night. The owner was lovely and gave us tips on where to go out and eat. We didn't have many expectations of Harare, only knowing it from the news and what we have seen on television, but the city really surprised us . It is a really lovely city, especially around the outskirts. It has large houses with beautiful lawns, decent roads, nice shopping areas and good restaurants. We went out for a delicious dinner and all the restaurants in the area were nearly full - on a Wednesday night!. There was a great atmosphere and we felt quite safe, in comparison with a number of other places we have visited or driven past along the way.

After one night in Harare we headed for Mana Pools National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the north of the country. It is the one game reserve where you are allowed to get out of your car and walk in the park without a guide, as the landscape is quite open and barren that you have clear visibility ahead (although you still have to be extremely cautious of course).

Mana Pools was a beautiful park with quite a lot of animals, however, as rainy season usually begins somewhat earlier, there were hardly any other people in the park as the roads become impassable when wet. We were lucky that the weather was good when we were there, however, a bit more wind would have been appreciated as it was so hot in the tent that night. The other unique feature to Mana Pools is that it is an unfenced park, so animals roam freely, including in and around the campsite. This also makes it a bit scary for the campers!

We had buffalo about 20 meters away and hippos came out of the water and walked about 10 meters away from our tent at night. The hippos also decided to make a lot of noise throughout the night, so together with the hot temperatures I didn't manage to sleep much unfortunately.

We were up very early the next morning to go on a game drive, where we saw the varied landscapes and pools within the park and lots of different animals.

We didn't see any lions, much to Joost's disappointment, but as we were driving out of the park, we spotted two lions under a tree. We decided only to stay one night in Mana Pools, worried that the rains were coming, so after the game drive we packed up and ventured towards the Zambian border on our way to Lake Kariba.

Zimbabwe's Stunning Eastern Highlands

So after our rather traumatic arrival into Zimbabwe, we headed to an Inn outside Mutare. The place, called the White Horse Inn, had a good reputation. Unfortunately, the place itself had not stood the test of time, lack of customers and the Zimbabwean economic ruin. The first room we received was musty, damp and infested with a number of cockroaches and other insects. After asking for a better room, we moved across the hall, and despite it being larger, it suffered from the exact same problems as the first. I went on a bit of a killing spree, annihilating entire families of cockroaches, and before we went for a bite to eat, we sprayed the aptly named Doom into the room. Upon our return it quickly became obvious that it had worked its poisonous magic, as bugs littered the floor and bathroom. We asked room service to clean it all up and went to have some lovely tea by candle light (there was no electricity). When the generator went on, we were able to quickly go online and check out some alternative sleeping options in the Eastern Highlands, and settled on spending one night in the world famous Leopard Rock Hotel.

Whilst the service and food at the Inn was excellent, it is just tragic to see how dilapidated the building and rooms were. We didn't sleep very well that night, aware that distant relatives of the roaches that we killed might be on the warpath. As a result we were happy to leave the next morning, and we headed up the foggy roads towards the Botanical Gardens. The fog was so intense that at times we were just crawling along at 10 km/h, and the botanical gardens were not worth visiting that morning as a result. The Leopard Rock Hotel was also shrouded in an almost snow-like substance when we arrived, but luckily the fires were already roaring and their service and hot tea was exceptional. The place had been undergoing a bit of a renovation, although some parts still felt like they were stuck in the mid 20^th century. When the fog cleared up a bit, we went for a walk through the gardens and golf course, apparently the 2^nd toughest in the world. The dinner that night was quality, and as a treat, we went to check out the Casino and play on the slots. It was like entering a 1970s Vegas Motel, what it lacked in class it made up in kitsch. We spent 10 dollars on the slot machines, discovering along the way that about half of them were broken and not functioning. The staff were great and very happy to see gamblers though, and helped us out every time the machines broke down.

The next morning we did manage to go to the Botanical Gardens and have a walk around through the different gardens and forests.

We subsequently drove back through Mutare towards Musangano lodge, where we stayed for two nights in a lovely chalet overlooking the nearby hills. We went for a day trip to Nyanga National Park and visited Cecil Rhodes' old house, which has been turned into a hotel. Though closed at the time that we were there, they were kind enough to rustle up a hearty lunch for us. The park itself was stunning, and we went for a short hike to the waterfalls, visited the ruined forts and generally admired the great vistas.