Lucy and I decided last minute that we were missing out on all the fun of setting up Chindeni so we caught a ride down with the opening stock going into camp on the Samil (ex South African Military vehicle) on Friday. We were opening on the Saturday!! We were supposed to set off at 12pm so I think we finally left the Lodge at 4pm. We spent the afternoon frantically gathering last minute requests from the construction team down in camp; from paint, mattress protectors to beer. At about 2pm when we were just about to leave, a freight truck from South Africa arrived with the remaining furniture for Chindeni. To stop the guys from just throwing the load up on top of all the veggies Luce and I climbed up on top of the Samil and directed. Everyone around of course thought this was hilarious.
Once packed we were ready to go, Luce and I opened the door to the cab and I jumped in to find there is actually one passenger seat and my seat was in the middle on top of the engine!! I managed to get myself comfortable with my feet up on the dash board (I have to add that the wind screen was completely broken). There was a bit of sponge for me to sit on, which I was very appreciative for it was half an hour in when I realised. We were quite snug as we’d got all our luggage in with us plus our cooler box of drinks and chocolates (essential) and three trays of eggs, which Luce hugged protectively for the whole journey down. It was now 3pm and we were finally off we drove round to the front of the lodge to pick up a radio as we didn’t have one. Unfortunately we couldn’t find a spare one so Lucy and I sat cooking in the sun while someone went off to search for one. With no luck on the radio front we decided to head off anyway. We got about 1km down the road when Lucy who still had mobile signal got a call saying we had to come back. The construction team had remembered something else they wanted. So back we went and found ourselves back outside the front of the lodge for another half an hour. Someone did manage to find us a radio this time so it was worth going back for.
So finally we were on the road only 4hrs after our scheduled departure, which after living in Africa for 5 years and working in the bush for 6 weeks I’d say that that’s pretty good going actually. Of course about half an hour into our trip we got a flat tyre. So we all piled out of the samil. Luce and I weren’t the only passengers we had about 6 guys on the back. The tyres for the Samil are so big and heavy it took all of them to lift the spare down to change. Thankfully it only took them about 15 minutes to change the tyre; I was starting to get a bit nervous about standing around in the middle of the bush. The cat density here is amazing and although I’d have loved to see one our way down, I’d rather it wasn’t whilst I was standing in the middle of the road.
Just before we got to Chindeni I saw a leopard in a little gulley stalking a herd of implala. I shouted to the driver to stop but we were going pretty quickly for such a big truck and about 500m later we finally came to a halt. We flashed my tiny little LED light at it and got a glimpse of it but we also got a glimpse of one of our safari vehicles, which then flashed their lights at us. Feeling very guilty for ruining their sighting we carried on our way. We then continued to tare through the park, which almost led to us having buffalo for supper as the driver finally heard Luce and I screaming buffalo over the noise of the engine. Was quite an adventurous journey and we were very relieved to finally arrive at Chindeni. It was by this time 8pm so we got straight to work. We had no idea where we were going to sleep as the rest of the crew were staying at another camp of ours which isn’t opening this year called Billimongwe. But Billi’s was pretty full so around supper time Andy suggested that we test drive one of the chalets, which had just been made up. So we did and I have completely and utterly fallen in love with Chindeni. The shower is amazing, the beds are the comfiest I’ve ever slept in and the sheets are divine, you just slip into them they’re so soft.
Luce had set her alarm for 0630 but unfortunately I’d forgotten to turn mine off, so it went off at 0600 and of course it was in Lucy’s bag and I couldn’t find it. So by the time I found it I was awake. Luce had also woken up and had suddenly remembered that she thought Andy had told the electrician to start work again in our chalet at 0600. It was at that moment that we heard one of the guys outside asking when we were going to get up as they needed to start work. So our night in the amazing Chindeni beds and sheets was over.
We started work straight away and got the kitchen sorted out. We’d finished unpacking and tidying in the kitchen just as the construction crew turned up, which earned us some brownie points. It was a great day despite the running around and hard work we all put in. I felt a bit like I was a part of Ground Force as every half hour I’d do a radio call to the main Lodge to see if they’d left and then to their guide along the way; I’d then go and tell everybody we’ got 2hours left or half an until they arrive. The whole camp worked so hard and we got everything finished in time and it just looks amazing. The deck is just breath taking. It was creatively designed around three big trees, 2 Tamarind and and an Ebony; which appear to be growing out of the middle. Although with the view where the camp is situated, the place would be amazing with just a roll mat and a torch. Instead it is pure luxury, well as much luxury as you’d want in a bush camp. They thankfully haven’t destroyed the essence of the bush camp experience.
The guests arrived and we sneaked off out the back as if we’d never been there.
We had a couple of more things to tweak in the morning, which we could do while the guests were out on their morning walk so I agreed to stay another night. I wasn’t lucky enough to spend another night in one of the Chindeni tents and was dragged back to Billi’s. We turned up in the dark and unfortunately I don’t think Chris Botha (who’s guarding Billis) was expecting us. We’d brought food over with us but there were no lights or water. Instead of letting this get us down, Monty, Phil, Caline and I celebrated the success of Chindeni with a whole bottle of whiskey!! Phil was actually drinking warm beer (also no ice) so it was just the three of us who polished off the whiskey round the camp fire. Chris managed to create something out of the food we’d given him (I’m not really sure what it was). I think he must have cooked a huge bag of rice as it looked like we had about 500g of rice on each of our plates. I have to admit I was very nervous at Billis because it was so dark and I’d never been there before so had no idea where anything was. That nervousness seemed to leave as the night went on, which of course was due to the whiskey.
We did a swing by of Chindeni in the morning for some last minute tweaking and then over to Kapamba to check all was well there. We’d planned to be back at Mfuwe around lunch time for a well deserved massage but of course keeping to bush times we arrived after dark. We did get to see a baby elephant and its mother playing in a lagoon on the way home though, which was lovely. Unfortunately I didn’t get a great photo as I had Chooks’ camera with me and I was trying to work out settings on it.
That night it absolutely tipped it down with rain, which is very unusual for this time of year. I got a very early night and had a very well deserved sleep.
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