Day 53 Kanunshya Bush Camp

Up early watching the local wildlife and a small stream of locals walking past our camp site to go fishing and brave enough not to worry about the crocodiles. With the camp packed and breakfast consumed ready for a long days drive further north decided to tackle the small matter of the missed 4x4 track, with camp staff pointing the way we crossed the river bed and headed off round the 6km track – plenty of wildlife to see and a very large pod of hippos as the highlight at the end of the trail.

Back on the main dirt road heading north and signed in by rangers to Transit through Luambe national park and understood no fees were due. Whilst Jane did the honours filling in our details in the inevitable ledger – I helped improve international UK- Zambia relations via an impromptu few games of draughts!! However whilst the board may look the same and the improvised bottle top counters start in the same places after that the Zambian rules diverge somewhat from the classis English game with reserve jumping allowed and kings that can traverse the board in a single move – hence duely thrashed. 2^nd game closer and with a little advice for some onlookers held out for a draw.

Back on the road and having transited the Luambe park in less than an hour we are trapped at the exit gate as ranger insisted that we must pay for a full days park fees some $45, whilst we insist no fees are due as per advice at entrance gate and guide books! 20 minutes of heated discussions, reviewing of paperwork, a compromise is reached, we pay for the car +1 passenger and hand over $30 and get on our way.

As we head north from Luambe, villages start getting more numerous and in inverse proportion the width of the road gets narrower and narrower until its down status of local track and just about wide enough for the landrover, we even had our picture taken by one of the local villagers on this mobile – we must be a novelty!! Finally reached Kanunshya scout camp gate to pick up a game Scout who’ll direct us to the camp site. Whilst waiting inundated by children and villagers after 15 minutes we have Game Scout on board and set off on the last 6km to the camp site. With the track non-existent in places we’d have struggled to find the camp but finally arrive at Kanunshya camp which overlooks a pod of over 200 hippos majestically swimming in water pool on a bend in the river. Whilst this is an awesome sight – there are some slight draw backs – i) hippos are definitely not the quietest animals around and tend to only have one volume setting “say it loud” ii) with the river dried up water in the hippo pool is limited but the volume of hippo excrement isn’t and the reminders of farmyard smells back home come to mind.  Sausage and bean casserole for tea, showered and an early night in an very hot tent, but woken by rain showers in the night - not a good sign with our plans to travel further north.