Hot Times in Mana Pools with SafariChick & Atravelynn

[SafariChick]

My recollections of the second full day that @@Atravelynn just described are these: Lynn kindly lent me a little duct tape to at least very temporarily tape my old blue sunglasses together, seeing as I'd now lost my alternate pair! As mentioned, we went on a long drive into the Wilderness area, our goal being to try to find the Vundu pack of dogs. We were all anxious to see dogs on this trip and so far we'd had no luck. It was a fairly quiet drive and we saw virtually no other vehicles. We did however find a few unusual things along the road in one area - a large hunting knife, some porcupine quills, a beer can, and a mechanical part that appeared to have come off a tractor! We joked that perhaps some kind of murder had taken place, and speculated it might have been Mr. Porcupine with the hunting knife in the bush! (Clue, anyone?) We did pass a few young men in a truck or tractor, I forget which now, and half jokingly asked if any of the items belonged to them. They seemed anxious to take the knife but I think Doug thought better of it and did not give it to them, not knowing who they were!

We stopped at what felt like a beach area along the river and walked a little and scanned around with binos but no sign of the dogs, so we got back in the vehicle and drove on. After a while, we ran into that lone lion cub that @@Atravelynn posted a photo of earlier in the report. Here's my photo of the cub:

 

 

After a little while, it slunk off into the tall grass that surrounded the area. We hung around quietly for a little while, thinking the rest of the pride must be nearby - rumored to be about 22 lions! -- but to no avail. As we prepared to determine our next move, which was likely driving on a bit further, I suddenly realized that my iPhone, which had no service but which I was using to take notes and the occasional photo, was nowhere to be found! Yes, I'd done it again - I'd lost something - but this was a lot worse than losing my cheap sunglasses! I remembered using it when we stopped at the "beach" area a while back and thought I'd put it in my pocket - one without a zip or button or other closure - another one of my mistakes! I thought it had probably fallen out as I climbed back into the vehicle after the stop, but Elijah speculated it had bounced out of my pocket along the very bumpy road. I felt very sheepish but felt we had not choice but to retrace our steps. So we turned around and drove slowly back along the way we'd come, with everyone peering out at the road. After about 10 minutes, Doug stopped the car, got out silently and walked a few paces. He returned triumphantly holding up my phone! Luckly it was undamaged, not cracked or anything else, just a little dusty -- though it did have a message on the front that looked a bit alarming:

 

 

I had not seen that before! But after about 5 minutes it recovered and was good as new - phew!

 

A few more photos the first being from this morning and the subsequent three being from the afternoon before, but which I neglected to post earlier.

 

 

 

 

 

I am very fond of waterbuck, and they looked so pretty in this light, I thought. As we headed back to camp in the late morning, that is when I see photos of the female kudu with the injury on her belly that Doug thought was from wild dogs. We also saw some eland that I was able to photograph for once!

 

 

At lunch time, we returned to camp and Elijah offered to try to fix my sunglasses with some sort of super glue type formula he had around camp. He did so and they were perfect for about 24 hours! They then broke again, and he dutifully repaired them once again and then they lasted for the rest of the trip! By the way, they can be seen before they broke in the photo @@JulieM posted of the two of us at the start of our trip 7th photo down in post 81 here: http://safaritalk.net/topic/16863-how-doug-came-to-know-what-australian-for-lion-iszimbabwe-2016/page-5

 

When taking a shower during the afternoon break, I encountered this praying mantis hanging out on the chair placed in the shower area

 

 

In the afternoon, we went for a walk through some mopane woodlands looking for the dogs. It was very pretty but it was hot and there were many little mopane bees that were flying all around our faces. They do not sting but they are annoying! This is where the photos Lynn posted were from, the photos of the trees and leaves and termite mounds. I also don't have a ton of photos from that afternoon. My guinea fowl photos did not come out well either. But here is one of Doug:

 

 

We didn't find dogs, but it was a pretty walk.

 

We saw another beautiful sunset this evening:

 

 

 

The end of another lovely day in paradise.

Edited December 5, 2016 by SafariChick

[KaliCA]

That Mana light with animals is just magic! You both captured it so well. Never seen a red termite mound before, looks more like a coral under sea. I find that when we approach going on a safari as in " let's see if we can find wild dogs" or "let's see where the leopard is our neighbor saw yesterday" we are more than likely to end up disappointed.

Better to just go and see what you can find, set low expectations but be grateful when you see something amazing. So for me, I would never want to follow a guide who says lets go find wild dog, because what if he doesn't?

I mean how do you deal with that?

[KaliCA]

That last sunset is stunning. While in Botswana in October, we also had that band of haze sitting above the horizon and it made the sun all fuzzy.

[bushbaby]

This has been an amazing and amusing trip report with STers ganging up on a plan which Id have absolutely signed up for but for my Uganda trip. Im now even more excited to make this work one of the summers - pretty soon. Lovely sunsets too ! The heat should be ok for me - I was in Saudi this summer at around 55 deg C ! But ofcourse not walking so much ! Many thanks for sharing both of you.

[Atravelynn]

That Mana light with animals is just magic! You both captured it so well. Never seen a red termite mound before, looks more like a coral under sea. That's it! I knew it reminded me of something else! Coral. I find that when we approach going on a safari as in " let's see if we can find wild dogs" or "let's see where the leopard is our neighbor saw yesterday" we are more than likely to end up disappointed. Wild dogs are a highlight of Mana Pools. To go there and have a guide not make a serious effort to see them would be remiss and a disappointment to me and I know it would have been for the other 3 members of our party. What is so special about Mana Pools wild dog sightings is that you can view them at their level on foot.

Better to just go and see what you can find, set low expectations but be grateful when you see something amazing. So for me, I would never want to follow a guide who says lets go find wild dog, because what if he doesn't?

I mean how do you deal with that? I can answer that from personal experience last year when the dogs were nowhere to be found during our visit in late Aug, also with Doug. We tried to find them, but there were no signs of any packs. Tracks at the airstrip were about it. Fortunately Mana Pools has so much to offer, that we enjoyed what we did encounter, so much so that I was inspired to write the whole report in haiku form.

 

In fact on the day I mentioned that we went to look for wild dogs, we did not find them. I think we all dealt with it fine, again knowing that's nature, and appreciating what we did see along the way.

 

Similar to Giant River Otters at Sandoval Lake in Peru that is known for them--The otters were AWOL when I went despite our best efforts to find them. But the Hoatzin birds and monkeys and other creatures were a treat. It's nature, no guarantees, but I do want to make a concerted effort for fascinating species when I am in their backyard.

 

 

This has been an amazing and amusing trip report with STers ganging up on a plan which Id have absolutely signed up for but for my Uganda trip. Im now even more excited to make this work one of the summers - pretty soon. Lovely sunsets too ! The heat should be ok for me - I was in Saudi this summer at around 55 deg C ! But ofcourse not walking so much ! Many thanks for sharing both of you. 55? We encountered nothing like that!

Edited December 5, 2016 by Atravelynn

[Kitsafari]

oh no @@SafariChick - you'll need to chain/pin everything to your clothes or belt or camera to avoid losing them.

 

gorgeous sunset photos from both of you. and how marvellous to see Boswell.

 

one more term for takeout, takeaway, food to go... is "tar pau" in Singapore (either cantonese or the chinese language). it's directly translated into "packed to go", but in HK, it had a negative connotation, so never use it there!

[wilddog]

@@SafariChick The glasses saga is a bit of a nightmare.

 

As Doug will attest I am notorious for loosing lens caps.....................having spent many a time retracing steps to try to locate them. Not only for my sake but, also as you know, Doug hates any litter. I am afraid to say that there is probably one lens cap still lurking on an island off Chikwenya. Hopefully Doug or someone else has come across it and taken it away.

[optig]

@@wilddog I have to mention that Ant Kaschula is passionate about not leaving any imprint on the environment. He also has gone out of his way to instruct the administration to ensure that the campers don't leave any litter behind. I've observed him telling campers not leave their garbage behind.

[wilddog]

@@optig I am sure that is the case with most guides, particularly those from Zim

[Whyone?]

I would also encourage anyone walking in the bush to collect any rubbish they find and dispose of it in an appropriate manner.

 

It is depressingly common to find bottles, tins and plastic whilst out and about at Mana.

[SafariChick]

@@Whyone? we did collect some trash we found along the way (not to mention a large knife!) so hopefully we made up for my lost sunglasses - and I hope and expect some other guide found those and kept in camp for some other hapless tourist to borrow when they lost or broke their own!

 

@@Kitsafari yes I do need to have everything firmly attached! After the iPhone incident, I only put it in my pocket if it was one that velcroed shut!

 

@@wilddog Luckily my lens cap hangs from a string off the camera so it cannot be lost or else I'm sure it would have been!

[ld1]

@@wilddog I tie my lens cap to the camera body with strong cotton. Seems to do the trick, the other thing I have done is take a Lens cloth and a hair band and cover the lens with that (I managed to lose a lens cap at JNB). I think maybe I prefer the lens cloth/hairband combo to the cotton!. Nikons have the worst lens caps!!!

 

@@SafariChick and @@Atravelynn such an awesome report. If I weren't going back to Zim with Doug next year your report and @@JulieM s would have me pining for the pools!

[Kitsafari]

@@optig I am sure that is the case with most guides, particularly those from Zim

 

on every safari trip I've been to no matter where it had been, the guides always made it a point to pick up trash, even if it's just a tissue paper or a sweet wrapper. it's a great model to have because it encouraged me to tell them whenever i saw any "un-bush" material.

[Atravelynn]

I am always pleased when guides pick up or burn litter. I have thought about getting my own lighter for that purpose. I'd only ignite the paper under supervision, though. All the guides on this trip attended to the litter and as @@Kitsafari states, I think all my guides have done that. Picking up litter in my own parks at home is my next biggest hobby next to wildlife travel.

 

 

INTERLUDE FOR THE ADAPTER AND BARBIE'S BIRTHDAY BALLS

 

The Adapter: Type G is all I used throughout this trip and the trip last year.

 

Background on Barbie's Birthday Balls: In 2015 when I went to Mana Pools with @@wilddog and @@Blue Bird, there was a bit of confusion when Doug would call out Lynn because both Wilddog and I went by that name. We discussed other alternatives like our middle names or last names, but nothing quite fit.

 

Our conversation topics were diverse and we eventually got around to that woman who had plastic surgery to look like a cat. That led to the woman who had plastic surgery to look like Barbie. I divulged that Barbie and I are the same age (year of birth) and that I would celebrate my significant birthdays that ended with a 0 at work with a Barbie decorated cake that read, "Lynn and Barbie turn 30" or "Lynn and Barbie turn 40" and so on...

 

I believe it was Blue Bird who picked up on that fact and labeled me Safari Barbie. That solved the name dilemma. Safari Barbie stuck for the trip. I was Safari Barbie. We had lots of fun suggesting accessories for Safari Barbie and making Barbie jokes during the trip. While planning this 2016 trip, the Safari Barbie theme continued. Doug told me he'd be on the lookout for a pink Safari Barbie canoe coming down the Zambezi, which was the first leg of my trip.

 

Barbie and I turned another year older together while I was on the canoe safari--Sept 29 was my birthday. During the planning stages, I had asked Doug for some chocolate to celebrate. The Lindor chocolate truffles carefully arranged by Doug somehow got misplaced in the wrong Natureways cooler on their way to someone else, so there was no chocolate on the 29th. But the Lindor truffles materialized when I was being transported by truck from the canoe safari to the next destination. (That's also when the birthday quiche turned out not to be birthday quiche). Anyway, after sharing some of the individually wrapped spherical “truffle balls” with the Natureways staff, there were still quite a few left. I think Doug even had another bag on hand for the walking safari.

 

The end result was on a couple of occasions during our safari we were able to partake in Barbie’s Birthday Balls! At one point, we thought the Barbie’s Birthday Balls became misplaced a second time. Oh no! But ordered was restored when the birthday balls materialized and we finished them off!

 

In addition to Barbie’s Birthday Balls, there was also a festive birthday cake made, made with Wisconsin-grown cranberries that I had brought along. The state of Wisconsin harvests enough cranberries to provide everyone on earth with 26. I brought more than that allotment for our group and the Natureways chef expertly incorporated them into a tasty cake, per my request.

 

I’ll never have another birthday like this one!

 

Edited December 7, 2016 by Atravelynn

[SafariChick]

@@Atravelynn and that was a delicious cake!

[Atravelynn]

90°F, 32°C at 8:30 bed time.

Recollections of our Third Full Day in the Floodplains, 4^th night, Mucheni #4

5:30 am departure and 75°F, 24°C

Bottom 2 photos, outside of vehicle crouching near ground, top was from inside the vehicle

 

That first running dog was seen at about 6:45 am and caused great excitement among us! We had found the Nyakasanga pack, 12 adults and 9 pups about 5 months old. They were chasing impala, then we saw them eating what looked like impala and baboon. We had found the dogs at Vundu. This pack, which usually stays around the Nyakasanga River, had pushed the Vundu pack out.

How exciting to see the chase

 

Looks like a baboon hand - Nyakasanga pack

 

taking a break

 

gangly pup, one of 9, about 5 months old Nyakasanga pack

 

It was 90°F, 32°C at about 8:00 am when we left the wild dogs in their shady resting spot. The Nyakasanga pack sighting at Vundu was about 11 kms from our campsite, Mucheni #4.

Edited December 8, 2016 by Atravelynn

[pomkiwi]

@@Atravelynn and @@SafariChick I'm really enjoying this tag-team report with lovely photos and a diary that really helps experience the trip. My interest is somewhat selfish in that I'm going on the ST trip with Doug next year and taking in all of the practical tips......

[Atravelynn]

Thanks @@pomkiwi!

 

One more practical tip: You'll likely be picked up from the airport by one of the Doug MacDonald's Safaris to Africa office staff members. They love cinnamon gum but can't get any in Zim. If you bring some packs, the office crew will appreciate it. Doug told me this and I arrived with about 4 packs.

 

Lucky you heading out with Doug. Where and when?

[SafariChick]

I remember this being such a happy happy moment! We were so excited to find the dogs at last! Doug said it was ok to leave the car and jump out and we all tried to walk quietly and calmly towards them, pausing to take a photo or two as we got closer in case they disappeared and that was our only chance!

 

The ground between the car and where the dogs were was dried, cracked mud so we had to tread carefully so as not to twist an ankle!

 

My zoom was still not working properly but I did the best I could - the dogs are well-camouflaged in some of these shots!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a couple of short videos also from once we got a bit closer:

 

Dogs playing with their food:

 

 

Settling down to munch on remains:

 

[Atravelynn]

Great videos. You really stayed on the one who left the dinner table @@SafariChick!

Edited December 9, 2016 by Atravelynn

[pault]

@atravelynn You probbaly shouldn't have shared the Safari Barbie pseudonym but I am glad you did. Doug's idea of the pink canoe is perfect. There are so many Paul T's around that perhaps I shoudl rebrand too. I was glad to read that the Barbie's Birthday Balls section didn't involve Ken as I had feared.

 

@@SafariChick You are already branded ready to accompany Safari Barbie! You seem to be having a mishap a day! Half of your report ia bout mishaps. haha . Haopefully that's them all out of the way now you have found the dogs.

 

Great report both of you. Highly entertaining.. I have to say though that you did though miss the opportunity to "set the scene" and "build suspense" for the dog sighting. After all the damb squibs, despite Doug being keen as mustard to find them for you, the reveal itself doesn't really explode as expected. Not a complaint though. I am more than happy with the latest installments.

[pault]

I don't know why I am writing multiple short sentences. I sound breathless.

[SafariChick]

 

 

I was glad to read that the Barbie's Birthday Balls section didn't involve Ken as I had feared.

@Pault and I did have an awful lot of mishaps but the camera one had really happened a few days earlier, just was continuing to be difficult for days. Of course it ended up fixing itself right about when the trip ended. And you're right, SafariChick and SafariBarbie sound like a good pair - we are perhaps a bit more like Lucy and Ethel I'd say, though I'm not sure which of us is which!

[pomkiwi]

@@Atravelynn Thanks for the tip about cinnamon gum, not a common product here in the UK but can be sourced via Amazon or similar I will add it to the packing list

 

I'm going next November on the ST 'special'. The itinerary looks similar to yours taking in both Chitake Springs and the Floodplain (7 nights in total) plus one night at the Guinea Fowls Rest in Harare to start with. Having been to South Africa on a few occasions as well as a planned short trip to Kenya in February I am looking forward to a complete change of style for this trip

[Atravelynn]

Nice itinerary! Nov is Doug's fav time, @@pomkiwi. I also found that cinnamon gum is not as popular as it used to be.

 

I don't know why I am writing multiple short sentences. I sound breathless.

Your rebrand has been born, "Breathless Pault." After 6 pages without the dogs, we thought we better bring 'em on without further delay.

 

Ken stayed at home and did not even get to partake in Barbie's Birthday Balls as none were left by the end of the safari.

 

Very funny that you mention Lucy and Ethel, @@SafariChick. The very last sentence of my trip report of the safari just prior to this one was: "So my goal for (my next trip) is to prove...I can be a normal client and not a Lucy episode."

Edited December 9, 2016 by Atravelynn