Well, hello there. I hope that you are splendidly well and are sitting comfortably ready for this week’s updates. So, the question this week is not what we have been up to but what haven’t we been up to!
Lets cut to the chase and let everyone know that this week the cats have been somewhat elusive in the Luangwa but at the end of the day that doesn’t mean all that much as there is so much to see. And so, the guides have been having a blast finding all sorts of awesome little things like terrapins hiding in the quickly drying up puddles, chameleons that are small enough to sit on your fingertip and leopard tortoises crossing the roads.
When back in camp we have been keeping the children entertained with hours of splashing about in Robin’s House swimming pool and some catch and release fishing in the lagoon. The chefs have been super busy, and I think we have had lunch more times out in the bush than in camp this week. Absolutely everyone has been getting out into the park and enjoying this magical time of the year.
Kiki has been busy with some regular safari goers that were more interested in the smaller things. They have been having plenty of fun looking at tracks and signs, flowers, trees and doing some incredibly long walks as well as seeing plenty of the bigger animals including heaps and heaps of elephants and their babies splashing around in lagoons and puddles. He was also reunited with a young leopard that he recognised from a year and a half ago that was born in the Wakumba area but now the mother and cub have moved towards the pontoon but seemed very very happy with their new home.
Willie has been stretching his legs and exploring with his guests in the Nsefu sector as well as exploring the small channels by boat and sneaking up to kingfishers perching on the riverbank and being low enough to not be seen by the animals up on dry land before suddenly popping their heads up and looking about at what is hiding in the long grass. The storks are in at the stork colony and there is an almighty noise as they are getting excited about building their nests and the crocodiles and marabous are getting ready to take their somewhat unpleasant posting under all the nests waiting for any unfortunate hatchlings to drop out.
Yesterday Nkwali had quite the afternoon when a storm hit with such a blast that Elizabeth and Mwelwa were spotted running across camp chasing cushions that were being blown away and Kiki and James were hanging on the shade nets trying to tie them down to avoid too much damage. As soon as the storm had passed everyone hopped into action clearing and tidying, sweeping, and drying things up. Whilst it wasn’t huge amounts of rain it came with such a wind behind it, it really was something else and has left us all very happy that that doesn’t happen every day!
Other than that, well the wild dogs have been busy running up and down roads leaving signs of their muddy footprints everywhere and have been spied dashing in and out of bushes and terrorising the poor impala as they decide whether to commit to the hunt or not. And over at Luangwa Safari House Yona and the team have been enjoying the storks and hippos in the lagoon in front of the house as they have been working feverishly to get it open for guests arriving this week.
Golly I could go on but instead I shall graciously finish my ramblings and wish you a wonderful week ahead with plenty of smiles and laughter and don’t forget to look after one another.
