Before I start, here is a picture of our sunset-view from Masuma hide yesterday afternoon:
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| Sunset at Masuma Dam, Hwange, Zimbabwe |
Okay, here goes... Today was a shocker! We were tested to the limit, but not by getting stuck, lost or sick. Things just didn't go well. After a perfect cup of coffee in the hide at sunrise, we decided to put up some photos of our friends and family on the inside of the Hilux's cab flaps. I set up the video camera to record it and realised with a shock that the microphone was plugged into the wrong port! Yes, we had recorded without sound for the past three days!! Both of us were speechless. It took us a moment to calm down and fortunately we had all the fantastic photos of our loved ones to cheer us up. Man, we couldn't have chosen a better time to put them up!
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| JI next to his "wall of fame" |
We left Masuma around 11:00, still a bit in shock from what had happened with the microphone. The road through the centre of the reserve is in a horrible condition and frustrated us even more as we dodged pothole after pothole on our way to Ngweshla - our next campsite. We finally arrived just before 16:00 and saw virtually no game along the way. The only thing that lifted our spirits at this stage was the incredible scenery around Ngweshla! Stunning grassy plains with tons of game and majestic leadwood trees surround our camp and gives us a great taste of what the Serengeti must look like...
Before we set up camp, we went for a short game drive. Despite the fact that the cats are still eluding us, we did see over 50 elephants, including one that gave JI a bit of a scare when he got out to fiddle with the GoPro video camera on the front of the Hilux.
Ngweshla is a tiny picnic site campsite in the east of Hwange and has a fence that might keep a sheep out, if it's really stupid. Anything can come in, but our camp attendant, Binga Dube, assured us that we're safe. I can hear elephants close by as I'm sitting here and the whole camp is surrounded by the sounds of frogs.
It was a long, hard day, but we survived. We even got some good wildlife photographs! I didn't take any today, so here are three of my favourite ones that JI took:
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| A small herd of elephants taking a mud bath near Ngweshla |
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| Zebra & Giraffe - a scene from Nyamandhlovu hide |
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| The bravest little warthog in the whole of Hwange! |
Highlight of the day:
Villiers: Elephants taking a mud bath next to the car.
JI: Toasting all the good things that happened today and that is going to happen over the next few days next to a fire with my friend Villiers.
Lowlight(s) of the day:
Villiers: Realising we didn't record sound on the video camera for three days! Getting really bad hay fever. Driving the tar road from hell through the centre of the reserve.
JI: Getting up at 06:00 to look for cats at the hide and seeing none. The whole sound-issue. The GoPro's battery going flat at a really bad time. The GoPro-clip that broke at a really bad time.
11 comments:
Ai julle... jammer om van julle dagi te gehoor het!! die foto's is ongelooflik mooi....wow engel jy impress my! Moet se my favourite een sover is vlakvarkie en Mnr kudu. Moes nogal n cheer up een gewees het. Zebra en giraffe laat my dink aan madagascar die fliek.....hahahah, net ek wat aan so iets sal dink. Love Love love die kar se decorations. Laat ons ook tog deel voel van die trip. Lekker slaap in Ngweshla! xxx T
Hi, julle! Moed hou, Afrika werk nie altyd soos mens beplan nie! Onthou dat selfs met al die terugslae ervaar julle baie meer as wat baie ander mense ooit die geleentheid voor sal kry en julle het die voorreg om hierdie 70 dae in God se ongelooflike skepping te spandeer! Geniet elke oomblik, die slegte oomblikke is alles deel van die stories waarna julle later gaan terugkyk en voor gaan lag! Sien uit om julle volgende week te sien! :-)
Hallo Julle, wil net begin om te sê, EISHHHHHHH!!!! Die klank issue is nie cool nie maar wat wel cool is is die feit dat julle nog meer as sestig dae het om met klank af teneem!! en mens kan altyd na die tyd in die studio biedjie klank by sit!!
Ek stem nogal saam dat daai Kudu en Vlakvark Awesome foto is, wil amper se one in a million shot!!
Geniet dit julle twee, ps , like die fotos op die hilux!!
Ai ouens, jammer oor die mic! Ten minste het julle dit na 3 dae al agtergekom...Julle gaan lekker lips sinc vir die eerste paar clips. Love die wall-of-fame idee, en die aerobics van die kameelperd en sebra! Ek hoop die ontwykende leeu steek sy kop uit vandag. F
Nice foto's !!! Daardie stuk pad is regtig ongelooflik sleg....ek weet presies waarvan julle praat. Is daar nog iets van die teer oor. Ons het laas half op teer, vol potholes natuurlik, en half op die grond gery. Ook min diere gesien op daardie stuk pad. Daardie kampplek waar julle gisteraand oorgeslaap het is nice. Enige leeus wat besoek kom afle het?
Sterkte en hou moed, moenie dat die tegnologie jul onderkry nie! Kannie wag vir die res van die trip report nie!
Hi ouens. Sterkte en voorspoed. Was al paar keer by Serengeti(21 keer, was 'n gids vir Karibu Safari) dit is great en julle kies in my oe die beste tyd.... As jy nie mind om bietjie nat te word nie! Die mooiste gesig in die wereld wag op julle.... Elke keer as jy dink nou het jy dit gesien dan sien jy iets beter en mooier! Ek kan nie wag om te hoor van die pad van Aurusha na Dodoma nie want ek wou dit nog altyd probeer veral in transit terug van Nairobi af maar is nog altyd afgeraai! Go Boys! Geniet dit en onthou vir altyd die Freedom wat julle nou ervaar. Ek en die wife is besig om te spaar vir ons trip in 2013. Moet haar ook gaan wys...
Wow! JI, jy gaan vir die "funny scenes"! Mooi gedoen! Die kameelperd en zebra kan inskryf vir 'n "Strictly Come Dancing"-kompetisie of "Hwange's got Talent"! Is die vlakvark op sy knieë en wat sê hy, wonder ek?! Voorspoed met die video's verder - nou kan dit net beter gaan na al die flaters. Geniet Kariba/Binga en oppas vir die kroks!! E
Hi! Where are the 'like' buttons?!
Looks like you're having an awesome trip so far - love the wall of fame idea!
Pity about the mic, but better to find out on day 3 than day 30! Think what fun you can have dubbing it later...:)
Good luck on the lion-hunt!
Sorry to hear about the GoPro's batteries.
Travel Safe !
good that you recognised it on day 3 and not later! but still bad.
Love the photo with the zebra and giraffe! and the one with the kudu and warthog is also fantastic
Thank you for the blog! so nice to read about your trip.
cheers up the wither in Denmark :-)
Wow, folks - you don't realise how much we appreciate today's comments! You really make us smile and give us hope for the days ahead. We love sharing all of this with you! Check out our latest post with the photo competition - we want your guesses!!!
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