Day 86: 9/07/2011 – Track and Trail River Camp, South Luangwa – Zambia

We decided to stay for an extra day at Track and Trail. We would like to have gone into the park again but for US$165, we decided that we were seeing the animals anyway, either in our camp site or on the river banks. The morning was spent chilling on the loungers watching the river and doing some ‘house work’.

After spending our first night being the only happy campers, Dee and Derren, a Canadian couple arrived. Every couple of years they hire a 4x4 in South Africa and tour around a section of Africa for a few weeks. They are a great couple and so easy to chat to, we really have met some amazing people on our travels.

As sun set last night another lager of campers and caravaners arrived and set up camp next to us. These 3 Afrikaans families, 2 now living in Canada, were very pleasant and all pitched in to help set up. A good lesson for us not to tar everybody with the same brush.

After lunch I decided to do some admin, so we set up the lap top, attached it to the new external screen and external hard drive and lastly to the cell phone – this was all done under a little thatch gazebo, that has a power point.  It has become quite a mission to get e-mails and blogging sorted. Dee and Derren came across for a chat and we swopped notes on travel destinations. While we were chatting a snake dropped out of the thatch and slithered under my chair, I lifted my legs, thinking it would pass by but it decided to wind its way up my chair, I levitated.  This was more wildlife than I wanted for the day. The kids sensing a commotion asked what was happening, on being told there was a snake, Ga and Robs ran across to inspect and Kirst headed up the ladder into our tent. Shortly after chasing the snake into the bush, I found a little, white tree frog on the table, he was really cute.

In the afternoon we went on a drive into an area, outside the park, that had been recommended to us. It was a stunning dive through Mopani Forests and eventually we came to a spring, with an island in the centre. On the grassy island was the most amazing scene – around 200 crowned cranes, all gathered together. This is probably one of those once in a life time sightings.

From there we went to Wildlife Camp, also on the banks of the river, for a sun downer. On our return to Track and Trail, we headed off to the restaurant for hamburgers. After our Amarula nightcap, we headed off to bed – it was 9:30, a late night.

                                          Crowned cranes

                                          Sunset at Wilderness Camp