Where the wild things are

Many years ago I spent a year backpacking with my Significant Ex. We were young and anxious (and I am particularly anxious about water) and we spent a while discussing water safety with a nurse at a travel clinic. She showed us a mini-water pump and purifier (which we bought and carried around and never used once) saying well, if you find yourself drinking from the Zambezi, this is the thing.

Zambezi, I thought, yeah *right*. Like I'm ever going to get that far. But thirteen years later, I did. Lower Zambezi National Park, in fact, spending five days camping by the river in a camp lit by paraffin lamps, canoeing past hippos, walking through the bush with men who know every animal and insect and bird and plant, doing 4WD drives through the park and showering in the open air with a view of Zimbabwe.

It is the wildest most beautiful place I have ever been to. The highlight was a night drive when the air was heavy with the smell of blood and we found a pride of lions lying heavy with their full stomachs, panting slowly and looking at us with their 'we could have you if we could be bothered' stares. Magical.

I needed a holiday, and I have definitely had one*. Back to Pretoria today to work on the handover for the knowledge map, flying home on Wednesday night. I am very sad to be leaving Zambia, it's been an incredible experience.

jo

*Oh yeah, and Victoria Falls was pretty good as well.