We were already on the trail following Vincent, our M16 toting guide, when the blood red sun rose just after six AM. I don’t think the rifle would have stopped a charging puku antelope, let alone a hippo or elephant. It was nice to walk around the lake but there were surprisingly few birds at Kasungu. We didn’t even see any of the elephants the park is known for. They probably equate us with the massive poaching of a generation ago.
Evans picked us up on schedule and we set off for Kasungu town to drain yet another ATM while he tended to our first puncture. He is a very careful and conscientious driver and we are glad he noticed the problem while we could have it fixed. The first part of the road to Vwarza Marsh National Park is good but you pay for it on the last 40 km. We didn’t arrive until after dark, until after “the man with the key had gone home.” This is a common tale in Africa but the assistant man with the key let us in.
There are no signposts in Vwarza – the elephants, we were told, tear them down – so we missed the turn to camp. Evans insisted on pushing on even after we told him it was back near the gate and we didn’t get to the “chalet” until 6:15. No electricity, of course. We could see the hippos moving nearer and nearer in the moonlight as we chowed down on beans and franks.
