Africa is a land of contrasts.
It has bustling cities and wide open, wild spaces. My focus is on animals
so in 1993 I ventured to southern Africa to see some of these wonderful
animals up close and personal. Below are some photos and excerpts from
my journal from my month-long visit to Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia.
The month I spent in Africa was from the back of a large overland truck. We did about a three thousand mile circuit through southern Africa. We did all of our own chores from setting up camp, to collecting firewood and cooking over an open fire. It certainly was one of the most interesting and exciting trips I've done. I saw so much and experienced so much that it's hard to pick out my favorite times. Below are samples of some of the definite highlights.
Chobe National Park in northern Botswana is home to the most dense
concentrations of elephants in Africa currently, which makes it one of
my favorite places to have visited. After getting to camp after a long days drive it was nice to sit by the river, enjoy a beer and watch the sunset. On my way back to the camp from the bar I ran into two traveling companions. One asked if I had a torch(flashlight) with me. I said I didn't and he said to watch out for the hippo. I thought he was kidding until I 
looked over to where he was pointing and sure enough there was a hippo grazing on the grass near the bungalows. He was just grazing leisurely on the grass. So unreal to be that close to a wild hippo.
The next morning we set off early in Land Rovers on a game drive and just after entering Chobe N. P. we came across a pride of lions right next to the road. It was a female with six offspring. The younger ones were almost the same size as mom but you could tell they were young because there was still 
some spotting on the legs.
We continued on and saw lots of game that day. We saw impala, baboons, warthogs, water buffalo, sable antelope, hamerkops, yellow-billed storks, a marabou stork, ground hornbills, puku, and of course lots of elephants. We had stopped to watch a herd of elephants and we
apparently disturbed one of the females. She trumpeted and mock charged us but then settled down. It did make for a great picture as you can see. As we were stopped and resting we noticed a commotion off in the distance. There were a great number of vultures circling and several land rovers gathered in one spot. When we got to the area we discovered that a pack of wild dogs had just killed a young impala. By the time we got there nothing was left of the impala save the head and skin. It was a pack of eleven dogs including six youngsters. Wild dogs are fast becoming one of the rarest mammals to find in Africa 
so we were very lucky to have seen them. As of 1991 there were no wild dogs in Chobe so they were making a comeback. In addition to the dogs there were also white-backed, lappet-faced, and white-headed vultures at the kill site. Chobe was definitely one of the most interesting places I visited.
Etosha was a big highlight of Namibia as was the Namib-Naukluft Desert. While in Namibia we visited Sossusvlei which is home to some of the world's highest sand dunes. Some have reached heights of 300 m. The sand has a 
reddish tinge to it which also makes it very dramatic. We visited Sossusvlei at sunrise. The sunrise was very dramatic as was the large fog bank which prevented us from venturing very far into the park. The fog rolls in off the ocean and this moisture provides the needed water for many of the plants that live in this desert. (The white through the middle of the picture is fog.) While in Etosha we again saw lots of game including two black rhino, a mother and calf. We saw them at night so unfortunately no pictures. Of course seeing the elephants on the pan
makes for interesting viewing. Because the pan has very light colored earth the elephants look lighter in color as they throw copious amounts of dirt on their bodies to protect them from the sun and insects.
Zimbabwe holds many special memories and it's hard to pick the best highlight. Without a doubt one of the most impressive sights in Zimbabwe is Victoria Falls. I was there in spring before the rainy season so there wasn't much water going over the falls. Even so there is a constant roar that surrounds the area from the falls. The native name for the Falls is Mosi-oa-Tunya which means "Smoke that Thunders". Named appropriately I'd say. If you ever get a chance to raft the rapids on the Zambezi River then definitely do it. One of the greatest thrills of my life. These pictures just don't do it justice. Of course they weren't taken on the roughest parts of the ride--I was too busy holding on to take pictures then.
A simply outstanding trip. One I will never forget. Can't wait to go back.
All photos by dc wagner, and are copyrighted
by nyami nyami photography. Use is prohibited without the written consent
of the photographer. If interested in any of these photos please contact
the photographer at [email protected].
