My first time in Africa, June 2010 or How I've got that Virus

[ElenaH]

 

I just started to prepare my trip in September-October 2024. The part of my trip goes to Moremi Game Reserve. And it was also a part of my first trip to Africa. This is why I decided to start a history TR to refresh the memories and to live through my very first impressions or to tell how I've got that virus. The Africa-virus.

Before that trip I was just a very normal human who was visiting some cities and exhibitions. I loved animals, loved to take pictures of people and cities, didn't know anything about Africa and was happy.

Then I heard my partner saying one day: "You are good in photography. You need to see Africa!" 

And I thought, I would travel there to make a few pictures of elephants, to show them to my friends making them jealous, to mark one more destination and forget about it.

But it turned absolutely different. You know it.

 

The itinerary was made by my partner because he has been to Africa already and wanted to show it to me. I always thought that to see the animals I need to go to Kenya. But my friend said - Botswana! I even didn't know where it was! Why Botswana? It seemed to me like the end of the world.  And how good that it was! The place of a few humans and a lot of animals. Actually it was not the end of the world, but it was the another planet…

 

Our itinerary looked so:

29-30.05.2010 Zambia, Livingstone, 2 Nights

31.05 -02.06.2010 Namibia, Ntwala, 3 Nights

03.06.-05.06.2010 Botswana, Xakanaxa, 3 Nigtts

06-08.06.2010 Kwando Little Kwara, 3 Nights

So, it was a short journey and actually when I see that plan now I don't like it  - to go from one country to the other for a few nights... hmmm 

 

29-30.05.2010 Zambia, Livingstone

 

We started in Livingston because I, like a traditional tourist, wanted to see Victoria Falls. It was a wrong side ... It is known that Zimbabwean side is better. But they said it was not safe in Zim in 2010. I didn't even check it, for me it was not safe in whole Africa. I was a bit afraid of African authorities, criminals and everything I didn't know and wasn't familiar with.

 

 

We booked to Royal Livingston Hotel, and it was really royal. The beautiful colonial still told many stories in its big nicely decorated rooms. I was overwhelmed.

There were plenty of animals in the hotel ground: impalas, zebras, and giraffes. You can imagine my reaction when I saw a head of the giraffe from my room on the first floor.

 

It was time when we liked to make selfies:

 

 

The monkeys felt very good in our balcony. And we were a bit sloppy, we thought it is just fun! But then one monkey stole a dark European bread from our room! We brought it with us from Europe! The monkeys were bold and cheeky!

 

We were lucky to watch a music performance in our hotel and the next day we went for the supper to the other hotel where I even played on the domestic instrument looking like a xylophone with a group. But well. It was only a few notes to play.
We were young, beautiful and happy!

 

 

 

 

We also made a quad bikes drive and visited a local village.

 

 

The main attraction – Vic Falls were not so impressive like from Zimbabwean side but up to that time I’ve never been to Zimbabwe so I didn’t know. You could walk on the bridge up to the Zimbabwean bolder, and people from Zim side could do the same. And so I met a Zim guy who told me about Zim and was very cheerful so, I was not sure that in Zim was so unsafe if there were so happy people. Baboons were also walking on the bridge. So there were Zim, Zam people and Wild on the bridge. Perhaps, we all were wild somehow.

 

 

[ElenaH]

31.05 -02.06.2010 Namibia, Ntwala - Boat Safaris

 

After two nights in Zambia we flow to Namibia or better to say to Chobe/Zambezi River.

Here are some pictures of VicFalls from above:

 

 

Here is a plan:

 

and here is a very happy person with a world reflected in her glasses .. 

 

 

My partner previously stayed in Susuwe lodge. But it was either booked or closed and the Travel Agency changed it to Ntwala lodge of the same company. We didn’t know that Ntwala is located in the middle of the flood plains … and quite far away from Chobe National Park. 

 

 

In the bathroom I could dance.

 

There was also a private pool.

 

The lodge was gorgeous! It was even better than Livingston Hotel – huge room and a huge bathroom surrounded by tall grasses and beautifully decorated. I have never seen something like this earlier. So, I was never a luxury girl. Rather a Cinderella. 

The owner of the lodge has changed and now it is a Cascade Island Lodge and it looks differently.

We were alone in the lodge and I felt myself a bit uncomfortable because of all that attention showed to us.

 

 

We made a sunset bout cruise and I was astonished by a beauty of Chobe sunsets. We even didn’t drive far away. The hippos were just beside our lodge. The lodge itself was on the island.

 

We were staying there for two nights and were travelling to Chobe National Park by boat every day. The way was quite long. We were racing along the narrow channels until got to the park where we should stay in our boat and couldn’t embark to the river banks of Botswana. I remember it was very cold on those trips.

 

 

 

I put everything what I have on me but I didn't have really warm cloth.

 

 

 

 

[ElenaH]

Chobe

 

Actually, I realized that Africa wasn't at all how I imagined it... As we were flying from Livingston to Ntwala, there was water everywhere. It was unclear to me where the river began and ended - a mirrored expanse of water stretched to the horizon. Here and there were small islands of trees. I had never seen so much water before.

 

 

 

So, my initial perception of Africa as a desert was shattered. Just as the expectation that Africa is warm. During that my first journey, I often thought about my down jacket... It was frosty! In winter in Africa, for example, in the Kalahari, the temperature drops below zero, and in the morning, when you open the tap to wash, you may find that there is no water... It's frozen. But during the day, the temperature rises to 20 degrees Celsius, and you can warm up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were lucky with good sightings of elephants and birds. My wildlife photographic abilities kept in limits. I was used to people sitting still and didn’t understand that the best friend of wildlife photographer is a fast shutter speed. I had D700 what was not so bad in 2010 and Sigma 150-500mm which I bought for some unknown reason few years ago. Now that lens was important! Its time had come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The name of our guide was Gotfried. I was surprised by his name but even more of his knowledge! It was encyclopedic.
We also visited Impalila Island Village. Everything was so new for me and I soaked all impressions, sounds, smells and feelings.

 

 

 

 

I still love to make boat cruises on the Chobe river. There is always something to see :-)

[janzin]

Very glad you started this report Elena! The photos are fabulous, not surprisingly. Love the first two photos of the falls in the mist!

[KaliCA]

Great pictures and a trip down memory lane! Well done. The firsts are always staying in our memory and last as well. First Giraffe, Zebra, Elephants, and first lions… we all know exactly where that was.

 

Thanks for posting!

Katrin

[John M.]

Wonderful photos, Elena, especially the aerials. I love the aerial "waterscape" viewing the falls from 'behind'. It's magnificent, a relatively unusual view that I hurried to put on a big TV screen.

Edited February 12 by John M.

[ElenaH]

9 hours ago, janzin said:

Very glad you started this report Elena! The photos are fabulous, not surprisingly. Love the first two photos of the falls in the mist!

Yes, I had a good opportunity and I loved and love photography. But I had D700, not very good skills and I lost my RAW files 

But well.. it was a very first time.. later I got more skills and saved my RAWs 

[ElenaH]

5 hours ago, KaliCA said:

Great pictures and a trip down memory lane! Well done. The firsts are always staying in our memory and last as well. First Giraffe, Zebra, Elephants, and first lions… we all know exactly where that was.

Yes, that's true! Tnank you, Katrin!

[ElenaH]

4 hours ago, John M. said:

Wonderful photos, Elena, especially the aerials. I love the aerial "waterscape" viewing the falls from 'behind'. It's magnificent, a relatively unusual view that I hurried to put on a big TV screen.

Yes, that's true, I had a good opportinity. Just thinking to take a Heli-flight from Maun next September. They have a reasonable price if you fly from Maun and there are more competitoers now lowerinf the price. 

[AfricIan]

Ahh yes, that “one-off” trip to Africa - how little we knew!

 

Thanks for taking us back down your “memory lane”. 

[Bush dog]

Your second and third pictures are gorgeous.  They look like Turner-style impressionist paintings.

[ElenaH]

4 hours ago, AfricIan said:

Ahh yes, that “one-off” trip to Africa - how little we knew!

 

Thanks for taking us back down your “memory lane”. 

Thank you, Ian.  I think, it is important to write trip reports even for yourself. Who knows, maybe I wil forget something? 

And then open and read .. it is like doing a trip one more time 

[ElenaH]

33 minutes ago, Bush dog said:

Your second and third pictures are gorgeous.  They look like Turner-style impressionist paintings

Thank you, Mike. It is becasue of the water. It gives a painerly look or effect. Tha's true 

[TonyQ]

Beautiful photos from your first trip to Africa. The cold can come as a surprise!

[michael-ibk]

The magic of seeing an Elephant, Lion or Giraffe for the very first time can never be repeated. My first trip was back in 2011, and like you I was lost. Beautiful photos and narrative!

[ElenaH]

On 2/12/2024 at 10:53 PM, TonyQ said:

Beautiful photos from your first trip to Africa. The cold can come as a surprise!

Thank you, Tony!

[ElenaH]

13 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

The magic of seeing an Elephant, Lion or Giraffe for the very first time can never be repeated. My first trip was back in 2011, and like you I was lost. Beautiful photos and narrative!

Where did you get your Virus Michael? Where was your first trip?

[michael-ibk]

5 minutes ago, ElenaH said:

13 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

The magic of seeing an Elephant, Lion or Giraffe for the very first time can never be repeated. My first trip was back in 2011, and like you I was lost. Beautiful photos and narrative!

Expand  

Where did you get your Virus Michael? Where was your first trip?

Tanzania, northern circuit, link to the report in my profile. 

[ElenaH]

16 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

Tanzania, northern circuit, link to the report in my profile. 

Yes, I had alerady look at your profile and found out that we were Zim the same year and same month 10/2017 - need to read it ;-)

I remember it was very hot there in October 2017

[ElenaH]

03.06.-05.06.2010 Xakanaxa, Moremi Game Reserve - A mystic place

 

 

Probably here I started to get an Africa virus... 

The Third Bridge above. Or one of the bridges. This place has something magical, something special. I don't know if it is because of landscapes or animals or animals in landscapes...

 

 

 

It looked very peaceful and eternal.

 

 

Yes, even when Hippo showed us who is the boss:

 

 

 

Moremi Game Reserve looked like a fairy-tale place for me with all its trees, grasses, calm animals and soft light.

 

Our camp was Camp Xakanaxa. It was less luxury but it was situated in the middle of Moremi game reserve and I could explore the beauty of the landscapes.

 

 

 

 

In the morning it was very cold – about 0 or 2 degrees only and I remember it was difficult to get out of the blanket.

 

 

Here a squirrel stealing bread:

 

 

Under our tent lived a huge water monitor and sometimes I met him by return from a game drive. 

 

 

 

Our guide was an excellent driver but not really a good guide. He was just driving around or at least I had a feeling that it was so. 

We also helped others to get out of Moremi mud.

 

 

 

 As we drove by camping sites I thought that it must be very difficult and uncomfortable to camp. I didn’t know that three years later I would do the same. 

 

 

Nevertheless, the first day we found 12 lions on a buffalo kill because some other game drive vehicles were already there.

 

 

 

I was absolutely overwhelmed to see the lions so close! One female was very furious. Probably it was a huntress who caught the buffalo and didn’t want to share it with a male. It was very interesting to watch them.

 

 

 

We saw also buffalos which were alive:

 

 

 

We mat also a very nice giraffes family:

 

 

 

We had a close encounter with an elephant where I was scared a bit.

 

 

And we’ve been to Dead Tree Island. It was an unforgettable place, and I still want to visit it again but didn’t manage it since then. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took pictures of a few birds. But that time I was not a birder and didn't know actually how to photograph birds.  Here is a famous LBR:

 

 

Not bad for year 2010, I think ;-)

I was totally fascinated by starlings. Probably, I am still fascinated by these birds, their calls and glossy colours.

 

 

I loved the red eye of Coucal.

 

 

I think, I was hypnotised of red eyes ;-)

 

 

Or a red colour in general. Or I just didn't see the other birds ;-)

 

 

I made some tries of BIF:

 

 

I certainly learned a closet-sign of Waterbuck:

 

 

But found it nice also from the front:

 

I met Lechwe the first time in my life

 

I knew already kudu because I saw some in Chobe River Front:

 

 

The nice pic of hippo with kind of jewellery. During next 16 trips I wanted to repeat the photo or make a similar photo but without success ;-)

 

 

And a nice lion:

 

 

The elephants from above and a family on the ground:

 

 

 

I think, it was the old airstrip with big trees and a small terminal:

 

 

 

We came to Xakanaxa by plane. But we took a boat ride to our next destination - Kwando Little Kwara. 

To be honest, I’d like to come back to Xakanaxa.

[mtanenbaum]

Your photos are so beautiful! Thanks for sharing!

[KaliCA]

The Xakanaka area is also one of my happy places on this earth. I have a few favorites. 
Thanks for sharing your lovely photos. Some are so dreamy…

[ElenaH]

19 hours ago, mtanenbaum said:

Your photos are so beautiful!

Thank you very much!

[ElenaH]

15 hours ago, KaliCA said:

The Xakanaka area is also one of my happy places on this earth. I have a few favorites. 
Thanks for sharing your lovely photos. Some are so dreamy…

Thank you, Katrin. Yes, Xakanaxa area is something special!

[ElenaH]

06-08.06.2010 Kwando Little Kwara - one in a lifetime sighting!

 

 

Our last stop was Kwando Little Kwara camp in private Kwando concession. We got there by boat from Xakanaxa moving along hippo channels and beautiful lagoons.

 

 

 

 

 

My partner captured a buffalo kill the previous stay in Kwara and he wanted to come back, so we did. I didn't know anything about Kwando, of course.

Our guide was Balepi or Bali. With him we had more interesting sightings. Like, for example a lion who was walking just beside the car. The lions was big and beautiful. I would say, in his best age. He drunk water and then walked to our vehicle. As he was just about half a meter from me, he looked directly into my eyes... I moved on the opposite seat.

“Elena! Take a picture! Now!”, Bali was screaming. But I was paralysed with fear and didn't move. I have never experienced such a big majestic animal so close to me. It was my first safari ;-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have followed him a bit.

 

 

 

You know, in Okavango the lions are aquatic.

 

 

The tail must stay dry.

 

 

Sure, we saw also other animals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We saw fighting or playing giraffes:

 

 

And fighting or playing impalas:

 

 

 

Suddenly Bali jumped out of the car and was flying (yes, flying on a wing of happiness) behind the termite mound, got a very strange creature and was dancing and screaming of excitement!  I starred and didn’t understand what happened. 

“I cannot believe it! You are most lucky persons to have such a sighting in your first safari!”, he screamed. 

I didn’t understand what could be better than a leopard…

Here was just a very strange animal with scales… It was a pangolin!

 

 

 

I made some pictures of pangolin and Bali and thought I would never see Bali again … How wrong I was … 

“As a guide I see a pangolin once in 10 years,” said Bali.
It looked like we had a safari jackpot.