Southeast Africa part two

The last portion of our 30 overland trip was from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe to Johannesburg, South Africa with the majority of the time spent in Botswana. Highlights from the last portion of our southeast Africa tour include Chobe National Park, the Okavango Delta, Baobab forest and the rhino sanctuary are below.

Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to some of our group in Victoria Falls, while the rest of us continued to Johannesburg. 

CHOBE NATIONAL PARK game drive...

For anyone that wants to try out the water buffalo hair style, here you go...

Warthog family, the mom is preying for less kids next time.

Thanks to Rob's days of playing Big Buck Hunter at the Cooler in Denver, we know this is a Sable!

OKAVANGO DELTA

Okavango delta, where we spent (American) Thanksgiving.  The delta is a really amazing place and is the world largest inland delta.  It was formed by a fault that heaved and blocked the flow of water from the Okavango river to the ocean.  Most of the 11 trillion liters that flows into the delta every year is lost to evaporation (36%) and transpiration (60%) by plants and only a small amount percolating.  It supports a tremendous amount of animals that have to swim from island to island in the delta.  Even large cats are willing to get wet in search of prey.  Botswana was good to us for game viewing as we saw many large animals including water buffalo, lion, elephant, rhino, hippo, warthog, wildebeest, giraffe, crocodile, etc.

First makoro boat ride to our campsite in the Okavango.  These boats are poled through the delta in narrow alleys through reeds that open up into larger lily ponds where hippos are frequent.

Enjoying the lily pond :)

This is the only elephant that we saw from the ground (not truck) on one of our hikes through the delta.

African sunsets make some people want to dance, especially Rene and Stuwart

The men and women of the Okavango

PLANET BAOBAB

These Baobab trees are said to grow about 5mm per year.  The one below is the biggest that we saw and is likely over 3000 years old.  

Sundowner drinks after an evening hike

Juvenile White Rhino

From Johannesburg we jumped over to Cape Town... next post will be "Cape Town and the Garden Route!"

Southeast Africa part one

We are en route from Kenya to South Africa passing through Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana on a 30 day overland camping tour operated by Nomad.  Our group has been great and has ranged from 7-17 people, most of which are from western Europe. We are currently in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe with some time to share some highlights of the first portion of our "tour" through southeast Africa.

Marvin, our overland truck leaving from Nairobi, Kenya

Big, beautiful, purple flower Jacaranda trees all over Nairobi and several other towns/cities in southeast Africa

Baobab trees are native to southeast Africa.  Huge trunks and sparse root-like branches initiated the legend that Baobab angered the gods in a past life so they made him a tree and planted him upside down.

The Masai in Tanzania and their native dress

Tarangire National Park

Arusha, Tanzania

Mt. Kilimanjaro, we didn't climb it, but we did drink it (Kilimanjaro beer)

Amazing beaches of Zanzibar...

Indian Ocean sunset

Happy birthday for Nicole and Marium!  Great night out, we stuck out a bit at this pub in Zanzibar, but enjoyed mixing it up on the dance floor with the locals.

Zanzibar is known as the spice island.  We enjoyed a spice farm tour and fresh fruit. 

Long hike (about 19 miles) up to Livingstonia from Chitimba beach camp on Lake Malawi. 

Vincent! A great cook and hilarious guy to travel with his pancake breakfast dances and big laugh.

School in Linvingstonia village

Manchawe falls

South Luangwa National Park in Zambia.  Elephants and hippos (among other animals) are common in and around the camp where we were staying.  We woke up several times one night to the sound of hippos grazing right next to our tent.  In the morning there was also fresh elephant droppings about 30 feet from our tent.

Camping is better with a pool :)

Elephant yoga

This little guy is less than two weeks old we were told since he still rides on his mothers stomach

Game drive in South Luanga National Park.

Cass was delighted to find this little guy on her first step out of the tent one morning

Mangos

Coffee

Pedestrian bridge in Malawi

Village walk near Kande Beach, Malawi

One of many small villages in Zambia

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.  Although we happen to be here at the lowest water level of the year, the falls are still impressive and one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

In higher water levels the falls span the whole cliff in this picture and about an equal distance beyond the limits of this photo (1.7 kilometers worth of falls)

Unfortunately, we say goodbye to part of the group in Vic Falls and some others will join us on Sunday for the remainder of the trip through Botswana, ending on Nov 27th in Johannesburg, South Africa.  We will continue on our own to Cape Town before we leave Africa on December 12.