Immy Takes A Walk In The Bush

Ok so I had a great week. Last Sunday I went out for sundowners with Lucy and Monty. We went to a spot, which is called “Big Baobab” you can guess why but apart from the big Baobab tree the spot is on the edge of a lagoon where we saw two big water monitors plus a hippo. We stayed and watched the sunset, which was stunning. It was so nice to get out of the office for although it’s very hard to forget I’m in the bush when you’re chased by baboons to work and stalked by toads in your bedroom it was still nice to actually take a break from my desk and get into the actual bush. An African sunset is truly magical. Plus on the way home we came across a leopard, which seemed fairly agitated. Unfortunately we didn’t have a spotlight with us just my little LED torch so we couldn’t actually make out its spots but we were fairly close and he hung around for a bit. We were trying to work out what was agitating him so we were focused on him and the surrounding bush when a hyena walked straight in front of our car. To top it all as we were driving into the lodge a family of hippos walked past us. A Daddy, Mummy and tiny little baby hippo. So it was a very good night.


I then went down to the bushcamps, which I was very excited about. The morning of the day I went down I woke up early and showered. There are times like these that make me wish I was keeping a video diary of myself in the bush. I was really enjoying my shower because the water was lovely and hot, which has been a bit of a rarity here at Mfuwe Lodge since we opened (solar heating isn’t quite what it promises to be). So anyway mid shower with a head full of shampoo and something falls from the ceiling and hits me on the head. I threw myself out of the shower so quickly that I slipped down the shower door and landed spread eagle, naked on the bathroom floor. Luckily I didn’t hurt myself but I just started to laugh at how pathetic I am. I laughed even more when on inspecting the floor of the shower to see what had fallen on me I found a tiny bit of wood or concrete from the roof above.

I then transformed into “bushgirl” as I’ve been working some pretty cool outfits for work but not quite suitable for the bush. So put on my brown linen shorts, a vest and my bush shirt. I had my backpack packed and was about to put my boots on when I remembered Dave always saying to me shake out your boots before you put them on. So I picked them up and gave one a half hearted shake not really expecting anything to be in it and it rattled. So after a couple of hard hits to the floor my toad prince came shooting across my bedroom floor. That explains why I hadn’t seen him for a while, he’d obviously bounced into my boot and couldn’t get out again so had died in there. So when people tell you to check your boots each time you wear them, they really mean it. I now keep my boots high up on a table just in case anything else decides to move in.

Before I left for the bushcamps I went to check on Chooks as she’d come down with malaria. She’d got through the worst but was still looking very pale. Quite a few people are down with it here at the moment. I’ve decided that I’m immune to it (well that’s what I keep telling myself anyway, positive thinking). From Chooks’s house I then walked up to the lodge and found a dead snake. A dead snake is better than a live one but still not nice as it reminds you they’re there. I’ve actually seen or heard about a lot more snakes than I wanted to in just a few weeks so can no longer keep telling myself they don’t exist. I carried on up to the lodge and of course my friends the baboons were there and the big Daddy was also there sitting on the path and he is very big. I carried on walking and kept my head down but as I got closer I saw they weren’t going to budge so I cut across the lawn around a tree and back onto the path. So I guess they’ve won as I’ll probably be doing that most mornings now.

The River road, which closes during the green season, is now open so we took that route down to Kapamba. It’s a nicer route to take guests along as the game viewing is much better and on our journey down we saw plenty of game including Puku, Impala, Elephants, Warthogs and a herd of Giraffe.

We did a site inspection of the camps still in construction on our way down. Our next camp to open in Chindeni, which is a tented camp on the Luangwa river and the whole setting of the camp is truly stunning and the tents are gynormous. They have a fitted bathroom and lounge inside plus deck overlooking the river. They are twice the size of the tent Dave and I stayed in at Lugenda. We stopped off at Kapamba to check on a few things there and I got to chat to Mike the camp manager there. The returning guests from Kapamba have been raving about it so it was great to get a chance to see it completely finished and it does look amazing. The Kapamba River, which the camp is situated on is completely clear and shallow (so apparently no crocs). Guests go out swimming there, which is so nice and in the evenings they have bush dinners on the island in the middle of the river.

On our way into camp we’d seen a big Puff Adder, which had put an end to any bravery I’d started to feel. We spent the night at Zungulila again, which I think is going to be my favourite camp when finished. It is another tented camp on the Kapamba River and the interior designer’s theme for the camp is “Out Of Africa”, which of course is one of my favourite films. I was in the same tent again on the end and after seeing that Puff Adder earlier I was very nervous. Plus Monty had seen a leopard on our way into camp. A herd of buffalo moved into the grassy area in front of our tents and the hyena were calling very close by. I could hear the warning call of the Puku and then for the first time I heard the rasping “saw” of Monty’s leopard, which I’d almost past for his imagination as no one else had seen it. The saw of a leopard is the name for his roar.

The following morning I got talked into going for a walk, which I found I couldn’t get out of. I was very nervous the grass was almost as high as it had been in Lugenda. Our first task was to cross a little river with a plank as a bridge. Once past we then parted the grass and started our adventure.

My nerves settled down as I started to enjoy really being a part of the bush. James was our guide and he was great. He pointed out loads of different tracks and we found the track of our leopard from the previous night. Unfortunately or maybe fortunately we didn’t run into anything exciting on our walk but it made me realize that this was what the real bush experience is.

So a bit of a breakthrough for me this week.

Oh and I almost forgot I got to go on a night drive with some clients and saw a male and female lion so has been a pretty amazing week for Immy in the bush.

The Frog Prince Returns

It rained last night so guess who was on my door step when I opened my door this morning.  My friend the Frog Prince or Toad Prince in fact.  I made sure I shut the door quickly behind me as I don't want a repeat of last week.  Although I don't remember holding the door open for him last week so I suppose he has his own ways of getting in.  Will just have to wait and see if he comes to see me tonight.  Although hopefully he wont be able to get through my mosquito net.

I'm getting used to sleeping under a mosquito net.  There's something quite romantic about it and lit up by bedside lamp there's something very special about getting into bed.  That and being very tired.  I just wish David was here.

Baboon Business!!

I made it safely through the baboon gauntlet this morning.  I usually come up to the office around 6.15am after being rudely awaken by the baboons dancing around with each other on the corrugated tin roof above my head.  Between 6am and 6.30am seems to be the worst time of day for the baboons to be on the path from the staff quaters to the main lodge but today they were too busy chasing each other.  There were a couple of times when they stopped and looked at me but I just kept my head down so as not to make eye contact again and carried on walking.

They are becoming quite a menace at the moment, they seem to have doubled in number since I first started.  There are a couple of troops around and they often coincide and clash with one another.  So there's a lot of gang warfare going on.  With the two troops around though they are becoming more brave and invading our areas more.  During our morning meeting today one sneaked up and stole a muffin from the table next to us!!  Another one was enjoying the brand new sofas in the lounge, which I'm sure the interior designer wont be too pleased about.

David has suggested I carry round a big stick for defense in case I get attacked again but if anybody else has any suggestions for disciplining baboons in a way that wont frighten the guests please let me know.

Immy and the Toad

I don’t know how the story about me picking up a frog leaked out but I seem to have all the toads and frogs in Luangwa knocking on my door now.

I’d only been asleep about 10 minutes last night when I woke up to find a red back toad 2 inches from my head on my pillow. I shooed him off and went back to sleep only to wake up again to the feel of something on my back. I flipped over and heard a thud on the floor, which with further investigation with my torch I found it was the same toad. It was now 3am and I was beginning to feel a bit spooked by this toad as I was worried about what else it would attract to my room. So instead of going back to sleep I read, which was good timing as I got to hear the lions roaring and the hippos. I eventually drifted off to sleep but woke up again this morning to the toad sitting on my chest winking at me!! I threw off the sheets, which was a bit of a mistake because I then couldn’t find him. I almost thought that maybe I’d dreamt the whole thing so I got out of bed and after searching everywhere for the toad went into the bathroom. I came out of the bathroom to find him sitting on my pillow!!

Well he was persistent but there was no way I was going to kiss this toad. Red Back Toads are very poisonous if you were to start licking them. It’s their defense to stop animals from eating them.

Chased by a baboon to work....

I’ve been getting quite used to the baboons and monkeys around the lodge as they usually just walk away when they see you coming. However I had a run in with a baboon on my way to work the other day. When I walked up to work there were a couple of baboons on the path grooming each other. I was expecting them to move as I got closer but instead they ignored me. Eventually I stopped, not really knowing what to do and then one looked at me and unfortunately we locked eye contact and he started to come towards me. So I turned round and he really did come after me. I was carrying my laptop and really didn’t want to be chased by a baboon. So with pounding heart I turned round and faced him and shouted at him. He stopped but he still didn’t look like he was going to leave me alone. I then stepped off the path and he made another strike in my direction but I stayed calm and shouted at him again. He then strutted away off behind a tree, which he jumped out at me as I passed. Luckily by this time I wasn’t far from the lodge so I felt more confident as I didn’t think he’d chase me towards it. When I got up to the lodge my heart was still pounding and then I saw that the guides and the guests who were having breakfast were all laughing at me as they’d watched the whole thing. With the relief of making it to the lodge safely I was also laughing. Fannuel, one of the guides said that the baboon chased me because I was a woman. Apparently they are scared of men so would have scarpered quickly if a man had walked up the path. I’ll have to work on my man stride!!

My Next Adventure Starts in the South Luangwa

So I have lasted my first week in my new role as Operations Manager for 5 bush camps in the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. It was hard saying goodbye to everybody in Dubai, I didn’t want to stay but I was very nervous about what was in store for me in Zambia. I hadn’t worked for such a long time I’d forgotten my own capabilities and was beginning to doubt whether I could do the job or not. My first few days at the lodge I read as much information about all the bush camps as they could give me so I could get an idea of how it all works. I hadn’t realized how big the lodge was so I have to admit I’d started to panic slightly. But slowly I’m starting to feel a bit more at home. The wildlife is beautiful here and the game viewing is brilliant. Every time you go out you see a big herd of elephants. I have to admit that there is a lot more sitting in an office than I imagined being in the middle of the bush but I am definitely starting to enjoy myself. We try to get out in the bush as much as possible and we’ve had a couple of staff sundowner trips, which have been fun. I’ve seen plenty of elephants with tiny little babies with them. But still yet to see any cats. We get quite big prides of lions out here and more often than not the clients come back having seen a leopard on their drives.


On Monday I went down to see a few of the bush camps, which are about 3 hours away. I went with my boss Andy and the design team (the lodge and bushcamps have been under major refurbishments these past few months). The bushcamps are stunning. Each sleeps about 8 people and they are all different but very remotely situated, which is great if you enjoy the bush. We stayed in Zungulila, which is a tented camp with thatched roofs. It is set on the Kapamba River and the scenery is truly stunning. We had a Mongolian braai that night, which is a stir fry cooked in a wok over a fire. The food and atmosphere was amazing. One of the girls with us was even more scared of the bush than me, which seemed to make me braver so I ended up sleeping in the furthest tent away on my own. The tent was lovely and it was so nice to sleep in my own room for a change. I have been sharing a room with someone else, whether it was David, Francesca or Chooks for a few months now so it was nice to have some time to myself. We had an early start and the chef cooked us toast on the fire. We went back to Kapamba, which was opening on the 6th May to help get it ready for the beginning of the season. As we were opening different boxes I noticed a little frog inside one of them. Lisa, one of the design team has a big phobia of frogs so I now had to get rid of the frog before she saw it. It was a very cute reed frog which was sitting very still as it was probably hoping he could hibernate there. I plucked up the courage to pick up the frog but it wasn’t as easy as I’d imagined it to be. As soon as I tried to pick it up it flew into the air in a starfish position but after a few attempts I finally caught him. He was very cute and was a creamy colour with little orange feet. He eventually took one final jump off my hand and free falled from the balcony onto the ground below. Unfortunately I left my camera in Dubai and nobody believes me that I picked up a frog. So as soon as I get my camera back I will have to stage a photo for you all.

What to Wear in the Bush

What to Wear in the Bush!!

Ok so I thought that I should give a few tips on what to wear in Africa after telling you all “What not to wear in the Bush”. So if you were thinking about making a trip out to the African bush here are a few pointers I’ve got for you. Sorry boys you can adapt this as you like or take a tip from David, which is pretty much take two pair of shorts, a couple of pairs of t-shirts, a pair of flip flops and a pair of boots and you’re set. Us girls need a bit more careful planning.

Footwear!!

A decent pair of footwear is essential. A worn in pair but as you saw what happened to my trainers in Mozambique not too worn in. Leather boots are preferable for comfort as they mold to your feet. They also look much cooler as you don’t look like a Snowdonian hiker, which fabric boots tend to make you look like. The Courteney Boot is the most popular boot for Zimbabwean hunters and guides, who tend to live in them, which shows how sturdy they are. If you don’t want to go and splash out on a pair of new boots though trainers are a good alternative.

As well as a pair of boots you need a pair of flip flops. The flip flops I have are a navy, foam pair from Abercrombie & Fitch and they are the comfiest things ever. I bought them in London a couple of years ago when the shoes I’d decided to wear that day were giving me unbearable blisters and I had to find a quick replacement and they have lasted me so well. They still look brand new and I have practically lived in them. The only drawback to them is the colour. Although I love navy and they do go with pretty much everything, they don’t go with black. I had an awful occasion in Mozambique when I had to wear my zebra print dress with them. I was lucky I was only with David as he didn’t notice.  Whereas if my Mother had been there she would have been mortified. So when I was in Dubai I did pick up a pair of dull gold Havaianas so the occasion won’t have to arise again. So I would advise if you can only fit in one pair of flip flops like I could in Mozambique I’d choose a neutral coloured pair; but most importantly stick to ones with a sponge sole as not only are they comfy they are easy to clean and waterproof for if you end up being somewhere through the rainy season and might find yourself stuck in the mud.

Bottoms!!

I pretty much lived in 2 pairs of shorts for 5 weeks. One with an elastic waist band, mid thigh length and green (got to blend in) and the other pair were brown and drawstring. Both were light weight, had big pockets (which are desirable as you’ll find that your Mulberry just doesn't quite right in the bush so you need somewhere to put your lipbalm, tissues etc) and were colours, which not only co ordinate with the scenery but were great for getting dirty in. I had another useful pair of shorts with me which were just above knee length, tailored but also light weight, which were great for times when I had an occasion to be slightly smarter or for travelling in. No I lie I had another smart pair, which were khaki but tighter and very cool. I didn’t wear them as much as the others because I can’t bare wearing tight clothes in the heat but I just love them so I had to take them. They’re from Kingsley Heath, a new South African label stocked in Stutterfords, an equivalent to A&F but with an African twist. A pair of longs (trousers) is essential for those nights you spend outside as the mosquitoes are so bad that not even the mouti (Zim word for medicine). For these occasions I had a pair of green cargo pants (trousers) but I also took a pair of beige tracksuit bottoms with me, perfect for those times you want to be cosy when it rains.

Tops!!

I took quite a few tops with me. They were mainly vest tops with shelf bras in them, which are ideal for when it’s too hot to wear a bra. They were all very neutral colours (can you see a theme here, I was almost completely camouflaged). I had a couple of short sleeved t-shirts and a couple of long sleeved t-shirts plus two bush shirts. Stay away from the colour blue as it attracts all the flies and mosquitoes for some reason they love that colour. The bush shirts doubled up as good for flying in as it’s always really chilly on the flight and vital for fishing because I would have been burnt to a crisp without one of those shirts to cover me up but at the same time I didn’t get too hot in them. I also took a fleece that I didn’t take up to Lugenda with me because it was just too hot there but I wore quite a bit in the evenings in Zim for although it was reaching 35˚C during the day, winter was on its way and it could get quite chilly at night. David advised me not to take a waterproof saying that if it rained I’d just stay inside. It was a good job I knew better than him and went against his advise on this occasion otherwise I would have spent a vast amount of my time in Lugenda either being stuck in the tent or the lodge. Luckily for me I’d slipped a last minute poncho in before we left so I could move freely about camp without getting wet. Plus it was perfectly sized so didn’t take up any extra space in my suitcase.

Headgear!!

A hat is very important. I took two hats with me. One was a wide brimmed straw hat that had a wire around the rim so could be folded up into my suitcase and then molded back into shape again. I also had a green cap with me, which had I been brave enough to walk round the bush would have been ideal for that. It was also great for fishing as I didn’t have to worry about it flying off as we were speeding down the Zambezi.

Extras!!

David insisted on me packing some clothing which wasn’t khaki, green or brown. Although these colours were the most practical it’s always good to add some bright colour in there just to lift your spirits a bit. I took an orange halter neck which co ordinate beautifully with my brown or green shorts but also made me look less like jungle girl all the time. I also took a couple of light weight sun dresses for running round Pemba in.

Ideally bush clothing needs to be practical and comfortable so you can enjoy your surroundings without getting too hot or itchy. Having a set of clothes which you can mix and match with reduces the amount of clothes you have to take but try not to go too frumpy.