We are more than a little frustrated by guided excursions but we have little choice. One could theoretically be attacked even on lodge grounds. Yesterday we elected a birding trip in the fishing skiff with Frazier, the staff bird nerd. By seven-thirty the blood red sun had risen high enough to make for great photos and the birds didn’t disappoint. We were out for three-hours and saw many species, plus tons of hippos, several elephants and even a leopard lounging on the shore. When I spotted a bar-winged owlet on a distant tree, Frazier exclaimed, “Well sighted, John!” Very British, don’t you think?
This morning we opted for a walking safari on the other side of the river. Rick and Ava, from Vienna, joined us with guides Akmed and Frazier and Crispin, the armed park service guy. You can see many details while walking but you will seldom get near the larger game but the birding was pretty good. We could actually move around to get a better angle on the critters and improved many of our photos. By the end of the walk even our Austrian friends seemed to have taken an interest.
It’s hard not to exchange travel stories when you are all confined to the lodge area. Rick and Ava are well-traveled backpackers, still getting around by unscheduled bus or by hitching. Rick is an ex-pat from North Carolina but they live in Vienna. He trooped around Africa in the 70s when it was true adventure. Josh is an architect from Zimbabwe. He lost his farm and his apple trees but not his sense of humor. Guiliem, the Frenchman, his exotic Nigerian wife, Michelle, and 2-year old son Paul, just moved to Lusaka from Lagos.
