Paradise lost

All good things have to come to an end and today is that day. I left Flatdogs this morning where everybody knows your name, hippos and elephants pass through reception and monkeys steal your breakfast in the blink of an eye. What a great place. What I loved about it was the very rustic relaxed feel, the very unspoilt surrounding, good food and world class staff all in one paradise .

I spent three glorious nights in the company of the fantastic staff at Flatdogs Camp, enjoying lazy days and nights experiencing the wild bush of the Luangwa National Park . My days comprised of long and lazy game drives with the very knowledgeable guides Bwalya and Johnathan tracking game, and enjoyable evenings at dinner with fellow guests from all around the world. I will not bore you with the details but needless to say I had some great sightings and loved that part of Zambia.

On one of our morning game drives one has the option to mix it up a little with a drive and a bush walk with one of the rangers from the park . Batwell, a 20 year veteran in the Park, was our guide and took us on a 2 hour walk tracking a couple of lions through the bush . In theory it sounds fantastic , but for some or other reason the spoor seems to get much bigger when you jump off the game drive vehicle and start off on foot pursuing two large cats with only five rounds of ammunition and a park full of predators that don’t purr and you can’t buy their food from a vet. We lost the spoor in the long grass, tried tracking a leopard for a bit then lost that, so all in all we just trekked for two hours. Thank you for always being in front Batwell and putting yourself between us and them. It is much appreciated.

I have now arrived in Chipata – my last stop in Zambia before I cross the border into Malawi to go and find the lake. I spent the day with Jacob organising currency, having conversation and coffee, surrounded by Chipata life. Thank you Jacob for all your help – a true gentleman you are.

For those who love bush pictures I have posted a few , enjoy and thank you to all those who champion my ride with their mails and words of support.