DeeDee & Pops Do Zimbabwe

So I know there have been a few more current events that have occurred since the following narrative, but I am determined to keep things chronological.. I began this post before I got ENGAGED.. so you’ll have to wait until next time for that story.. 

Diane and David, my beloved parents, have had to put up with a lot from their youngest child.. I’ve given them quite a roller coaster experience in my lifetime. I believe in my early years I was a bit of a wild child, calmed down in my middle school years, got a little wild yet again in high school, and calmed back down to a reasonably responsible young adult in College. 

Just when they thought they were in the clear, I go and bring a boy home from ZIMBABWE —  Albeit a very handsome, charming boy. :) 

Mine and Cuan’s story is for another day. Although I believe most of you have heard it in some form or another, I’ll give all the gritty details once I’ve caught up with all the past events...

I’m not going to pretend to know or understand what was going on in my parent’s minds as they saw this relationship between Cuan and I grow and develop into something quite serious. I don’t think they had any idea as to what exactly would to come from it. But if there was a “worse case scenario” in their minds, I do believe that is the one I chose — not intentionally of course, and with a great deal of difficulty.

Despite the inevitable ups and downs of my parent’s trying to understand why I chose to leave my home, country, and family and move to the other side of the world, to a THIRD world country nonetheless -  We got through it, and we are still getting through it. 

The long and short of it is: You can’t choose who you fall in love with, and I followed my heart because it was speaking to me volumes louder than my head. 

I think once they began to grasp that, that I wasn’t choosing my boyfriend over my family. I was going where I felt the strongest pull, with someone that I couldn’t stand the thought of losing. And I knew that although I was physically moving away from my family, they would never leave me and never stop loving me. And that is what got me through my first few months, and years. 

Just for the record, making that decision to move (back) to Zim was THE hardest thing that I have ever had to do. I knew how it was going to affect my family, and it killed me. But in the same breath - I had to look forward and think inward. Cuan was my future, Zimbabwe was in my future, and I was chomping at the bit to begin the rest of my life, despite being completely torn about moving away.

WHEW!.. my apologies. I tend to get a little carried away on that topic. ANYWAY- back to my parents and their decision to finally come out and visit their youngest daughter in her new world. 

I had been hinting at it for a while, how much better it would be if they could just see what I was talking about. Breathe that sweet African air, and start to understand that this place isn’t so bad after all. I completely understand their hesitation in coming out. Obviously its a big trip regardless of the emotional implications involved. But when they finally booked that ticket, I’ll tell you my heart was filled with joy. 

Cuan and I had a bit more time to prepare for this one as we knew they were coming long before Haley and Jordan (read about their adventure here). But regardless of the extra time to prepare.. we came up with the same route as Hay and Jordan - just in reverse order. 

After months of back and forths, what to bring, anti-malarial, what to wear, etc. Diane & David were finally on the very long, quite uncomfortable trek to Zimbabwe. And for something that we had prepared so long for, you would think that Cuan and I would be on time to collect them from the airport right? Well, whoops… 

I honestly don’t know what happened to the time! I was so anxious about their arrival but before we knew it we were racing down the streets of Harare in pursuit of the airport before Mom & Dad thought we had abandoned them.. 

It didn’t help that the plane was actually early AND they breezed through Customs & Immigration like a couple of pros. But I felt terrible as we pulled up to the airport and they were already waiting outside with their luggage! I hopped out the car and ran over still in shock at the fact that my parents were on Zimbabwen soil right in front of my eyes. 

Exhausted and sore, they very eagerly climbed in the car so that they could get home and sleep fully horizontal for the first time in 2 days. 

But we didn’t wait long before beginning the adventure! Up at the crack of dawn the next day, we showed M & D around Squirrel’s house and garden before getting in the car for the long drive north towards, you guessed it - MASAU LODGE. I feel like the Meredith Family should start paying advertizing fees for all this promo I’m doing on their fishing camp.. ;) 

I was a bit nervous about this part of the journey with Mrs. Diane aka “Lady Di”. I know she has roughed it in the past — Back and forth from Mexico in her early nursing days, and she still has that adventurous spirit. But her grace and elegance as a woman of the South has outshone that side of her since I can remember. So I was a bit unsure how she would handle the long, bumpy, hot, ride into Masau without so much as a pit stop, aside from some tall grass and a clean roll of toilet paper.. 

As the bright lights of Harare disappeared in the rear view mirror and the paved road turned to dirt, I couldn’t help but wonder what on earth my parents were thinking. I’ve explained this trip in previous posts, so you seasoned readers know just how remote this place is. 

But despite what might have been going on inside their heads, they kept smiles (if not curious glances) on their faces the whole way. Even with a bum knee I didn’t hear one complaint from Pops! 

One thing that we love to bring with us when we head to Masau is a bag of candy for the children in the villages. I swear you would think you are handing them pure gold when you roll down that window. They jump and scream and run to the car as if their life depended on it! So I let mom partake in that experience.. 

Its incredible how much quicker that drive is when you don’t have 15 people needing to use the “bush toilet” or getting refill on their “beverages” every 5 minutes, and before we knew it we were at the Big Tree - signalling the final stretch into Masau.

We stop at this tree almost every time we go to the river. Majestic old Baobab just off the road with a massive “cave” inside his trunk. If that tree could talk, oh the stories it would tell!

Made it to Masau by lunchtime and were welcomed by the smiling faces of the staff. They are always there at your beck and call, so willing to help out guests in any way. The embodiment of one of the things Zimbabwe is known for - its compassionate, genuinely good people. 

It just so worked out that there was a wedding for a family friend of the Meredith’s just upstream of Masau a few days before. So the Meredith’s extended their trip to come down and meet my parents! The infamous Squirrel Doug (aka “Dad”), Cu’s brother Brynn and his girlfriend Leslie-Anne and his sister Kelly. 

It was so special to spend that brief time with my parents and Cuan’s family on the same soil. I know how rare these moments will be so I slowed down the shutter speed and took in every bit of those precious days. 

I’ve written enough about trips to Masau for you to get the general gist of how we operate things there - all day fishing competitions, “fines”, wildlife, sunsets, & laughter. — And this trip was no different. 

Except this is the first time I have ever seen Diane Hudson with a fishing rod in her hand! AND she caught us a bait fish and a tiger fish all by herself! (with a bit of help from Norman of course…) 

And Pops - who hasn’t had the most successful “catching” career (sorry Dad..), but in my professional opinion, an outstandingly determined FISHING vocation - was slaying the Tiger Fish! I think it was the patient guidance of Squirrel & Stormin’ Norman, but at the end of the day dad sealed the deal with at least 3 Tiger in the boat! 

We really had such a nice time exploring the Zambezi River, but there was so much left to do! 

Since Bulawayo is ridiculously far from Masau we decided to break up the trip and stay at the farm of some very close friends of ours, Steve & Sarah on the way down. This adorable couple has made quite the life for themselves on their farm - crops, chickens, pigeons.. and to top it off a new baby boy to join the ranks! Although I was not raised in Zimbabwe I can’t help but feel that was the lifestyle the most of the people I surround myself with today grew up in..

We spent a lovely afternoon around the farm, sipping tea in the garden, driving around seeing all the crops Steve has planted, even got dad to shoot a shotgun! They have a small skeet shooting setup there and dad gave it a whirl - and hit quite a few clays if I’m not mistaken! He’s a natural.. 

 - So Mom with a fishing rod and now Dad with a shotgun - two things I’m not sure I’d ever witness in my lifetime!  “When in Rome,” right?

The next day we carried on south towards Bulawayo! I was so looking forward to this portion of the trip. Although it didn’t involve any wild animals, or fish with teeth, or crazy stories - this is the place has become my home for the past three years, and I was so excited to show my parents this little piece of my new world. (don’t worry Mom - Louisiana will ALWAYS be home to me).

For the next few days we spent time together in our house, with the dogs, cooking supper with mom in the kitchen, just as if it happens all the time! They got to meet my Bulawayo Bestie whom I talk about all the time - Gaylo, Sharon my employer, and all our other friends in town. 

Got to see where I go grocery shopping, where I work, where we go out to eat and go to church... - So many things that I have tried to explain and describe for years now, but can only imagine what they were picturing. We ventured downtown to see the National Art Gallery, Natural History museum, and the street stalls full of local hand made treasures, I even took them to a Castle! ;) Who knew this little town has so much to offer?!

Despite the unseasonably cold, rainy weather, we ventured out to Matopos for a day. I don’t think I’ve spoken about this place in my blogs at all actually.. but its yet another remarkable place in this little country, only about 45 minutes from Bulawayo. Matopos National Park is an ancient land of massive “balancing” granite rocks filled with strange rock creatures not often seen in other parts of Zim. 

• Fun Fact of the day: “Matopos” in the local language actually means Bald Heads - describing the smooth rocky outcrops that cover this protected area. 

This place is quite different from the other National Parks I have spoken about. It is full of cave paintings, some over 10,000 years old, it’s also the burial site for Cecil John Rhodes - Zimbabwe’s first pioneer and founder of Rhodesia. Its a spiritual place, a historical place, with a landscape unlike any other. 

We had a picnic underneath a shady tree surrounded by towering granite monoliths, and baboons hoping to steal the scraps of our leftovers before heading to a tour of one of my boss’s properties - Camp Amalinda. 

There are not many lodges in Matopos, and perhaps I’m a little biased, but Camp Amalinda is by far the best and most unique place to stay in the area. It was literally built in and around the rocks and caves that encompass the National Park. One room even has actual cave paintings on the walls!

 It looks so unassuming from the outside but when you explore all the nooks and crannies of this mysterious hotel it reveals some wonderful things. Imagine sleeping in the same cave that the San Bushmen did thousands of years ago, but with all the luxuries and amenities of the modern day - best of both worlds! 

After a few days in Bulawayo we made are way northwest towards Victoria Falls.. 

Zimbabwe’s largest national park lies between these two cities— Hwange National Park.. I have spoken about this place quite a few times but it really is such a remarkable park. Every time I drive around this area I see something different..  It may be not anything extravagant for the seasoned traveller, but I'm my eyes there is always something new, an animal or plant or bird that I haven’t seen or learned about before - every time I go. 

We had organised a night at yet another one of the properties owned by my boss: Khulu Ivory. This safari lodge is located just outside Hwange National Park which I may have mentioned before, is not fenced. So regardless of whether you’re within the boundary of the National Park or not, you still see an incredible amount game. The wildlife doesn’t know the difference! 

This was the folks first chance at seeing a number of African species in their own habitat. And on our first game drive with good ole Dudley - they got the ideal african safari experience. Dudley is the head Pro Guide at Khulu and is full of interesting knowledge on the bush - even if there were no wildlife sightings on a portion of the drive he would entertain us with facts about the birds and the foliage.. very educational! Not to mention his great sense of humor. 

During that drive, combined with our self-drive through the park the next day, we saw loads of animals! - Giraffe drinking out a water hole, zebra, at least 100 elephant at various water pans, female ostrich with her babies, rare Roan Antelope, Sable, Wildebeest, Kudu, a heard of approximately 800 Cape buffalo, Snake Eagles & Secretary Birds and even Lions! 

As we drove into the park after a restful nights’ sleep at Khulu, we saw a vehicle stopped apparently looking at something off the road. Curious what it was we stopped and angled our binoculars in the direction of our neighbors, but we couldn’t figure out what they were looking at and shortly after, they drove off. As Cuan was panning the area before moving on, he spotted 2 lioness sitting on an ant hill off in the distance. - the complete opposite direction of where our friends were looking! 

These lovely ladies lazily lie there, yawning and posing for us as they soaked up the mid-morning sun. They weren’t even tempted by a warthog who was testing fate as he pranced around mere feet from the intimidating cats! - They had clearly enjoyed their fill the night before. 

It was later in that drive that we saw the largest herd of Buffalo I have ever seen. As we were approaching a huge dam in the park, we were forced to stop for the “buffalo x-ing.” They filed out one by one — babies with their moms, adolescents to the old “dugga boys” (aged males) —  not giving us a second glance as they disappeared over the hill in the distance. We were impressed with the size of this herd, having no idea what we would witness as we rounded the corner and caught sight of the dam.

Our small herd seemed to magically multiply to no fewer than 800 buffalo on the opposite side of the dam, the shoreline blanketed with the 1,000lb  beasts! 

For the little amount of time we spent in Hwange National Park, I was surprised and very happy with what we were able to show my parent’s of “Wild Africa.”  - a key component of our lives here and of my career! 

Speaking of my career, being in tourism I book trips for clients to Victoria Falls all the time, and have lived vicariously through their experiences in this tourist town. We visit there quite a bit, but rarely go and do the touristy thing, so I took advantage of having my parents with me to go and actually participate in these things that I sell! 

During our time there mom and I went on an Elephant Back Safari, the three of us went for a helicopter flight over THE Victoria Falls as well as viewed the Waterfalls from ground level. We also went on entertaining dinners with local food and dancing (dad even tried a local worm!), explored a 120 year old hotel, and sipped on signature cocktails on on my favorite sunset cruise.

I owe a huge thank you to Shearwater, The Boma, The Zambezi Explorer, & Lokuthula Lodges for being so generous when my parents visited. It really helped us end this trip with a bang! I always have a pleasant experience when dealing with these companies, and the fact they made an extra effort to welcome my folks to Victoria Falls won't go unnoticed!

And in the blink of an eye it was time to put mom & dad on a plane bound for the States..

Two weeks gone in a flash.. but so many memories made. I think the most important were the visuals that they walked away with. They can now picture where their baby girl decided to begin her young adulthood, and see that perhaps Life ain’t so tough in Africa after all.   

I may sound like a broken record on this topic, but I couldn’t be more grateful for the effort my parents made to come out and see me. I know its all a bit crazy and confusing, but it is the life that I have chosen and it means the world to me that you have learned to embraced that. 

I LOVE MY FAMILY! 

My Return from Hiatus

Helloooo?? Is anybody out there??? 

Wow. Is it really 2016? … and did I really not publish one blog in 2015? I may be all the way over here in Africa, but I promise I haven’t fallen off the planet.

I do have one excuse I suppose. Your girl got a real official J-O-B! This new venture required a lot of time on the computer and quite a bit of my creative brain at the beginning, so when it came to my personal writing endeavours, I just ran out of energy - I didn’t have any words left to write! Okay that’s an exaggeration, but you know what I mean. 

Now that its been almost 2 years that I’ve been employed by Stead Safaris (more info on that in another post..) I feel like I have learned to manage my time to allow me to share some more adventures. I have not however learned how to summarize very well.. so sit back and relax yet again for the ramblings of an American Zimmigrant…

It would be easy to just do a general recap of 2015 so that I’m all caught up and can start fresh. But there was just TOO MANY amazing things that happened last year there is no way I can abridge the stories.

I will however, skip past a few of my adventures in order to focus on the ones that meant the absolute most to me last year. 

I only really thought I would be saying this with the prefix “I hope..” or “One day..” but it is official:  my PARENTS David and Diane Hudson AND my BEST FRIEND Haley Nix and her boyfriend flew in a real live plane to ZIMBABWE to visit me - all within 2 weeks of each other! What a lucky girl I am! 

Lets start chronologically shall we? Haley Nix for those of you who don’t know was my roommate at LSU for 4 years (in 4 different apartments by the way.. what were we thinking??) and is still my bestie to this day. She had been throwing around the idea of coming to visit, but like so many people who said that, I would just nod my head and agree that she should, without really believing it would come to fruition. She was crazy involved in studying to become a big-shot lawyer that I never thought that she would be able to do it. Well lo-and-behold, I got a message from her with a photo of her (nearly) booked ticket to AFRICA! Could. Not. Believe It. 

Haley managed to squeeze in a little trip to Zimbabwe between taking the Bar exam and beginning her career as a lawyer in New Orleans. Before her and her boyfriend Jordan came out, Cuan and I worked out a little plan, but left some room to be spontaneous. We narrowed down the list of destinations to our top 4: Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park, Bulawayo (“home”) & the Zambezi River. Given more time we would have taken them to some of our other favorite little gems.. maybe next time. 

So after what I’m sure was a long trip out (been there once or twice..) Haley and Jordan finally landed in Victoria Falls! I waited and waited at that gate for what seemed ages before I saw that familiar face. I can’t remember how long it had been since Haley and I had seen each other, but it was as if no time had passed. We hopped in the back of the truck and headed into town to check in to the lodge. 

After getting settled, Cuan had an idea to go on a quick game drive in a section of The Victoria Falls National Park. I have never really had much success viewing wildlife in this particular Park, so wasn’t expecting to see much, but agreed as it was a nice opportunity for our friends to get out and have a chance at spotting some animals. 

Cruising along on the bench Cuan set up on the back of the truck we did see some game.. a heard of zebra kicking up some dust gave way to some nice photos.

As we were driving, Haley and I still on the back, exposed to all the elements and mostly likely distracted in catch-up conversation.. I saw a rustle in the bushes RIGHT NEXT to the truck and a tan-looking animal jump away from the car. With further observation before she disappeared into the overgrown forest, we realized that “she” was in fact a lioness that was lounging in the tall grass directly next to the road, and subsequently directly next to us! If that doesn’t wake you up I don't know what will. This clever creature was too quick for our cameras, but Haley and I did get a glimpse. Definitely not anything I expected to see on this drive. 

Further along we saw one lone Elephant wandering off into the bush. This was Haley’s first time ever to see this magnificent creature and I believe a very special moment for her. 

As the sun started to set and the temperature began to drop we jumped inside the car and made our way towards the exit on a long, narrow, straight, sandy road. Then all of the sudden Cuan (our trusty driver) slammed on breaks and stopped dead still in the road. 

It took me a few seconds to figure out why he stopped so suddenly. Then I saw them. Two lionesses and a young male lion crouched in the middle of the road about 40 yards ahead of us. The car was silent as we watched these beautiful beings saunter closer and closer. They were just as curious about our vehicle as we were about them. We sat there for a good 20 minutes watching them slowly approach the truck. They would take a few steps, then lie down, take a few steps, then lie down. This carried on until they were mere inches from the car. Undisturbed by our presence however, the cats simply walked around us and continued down the road towards what we assumed was the waterhole behind us. 

We all sat there stunned at what we had just seen. Less than 4 hours after landing in Zimbabwe, Haley and Jordan witnessed one of the most amazing lion sightings I have ever seen! 

I did try to warn them before they came, that this is real Africa and the real bush, so animal sightings are not guaranteed, but very likely given the time of the year. I think most people who come to Africa for the first time have this image of the Serengeti from a National Geographic show with wide open rolling plains and animals as far as you can see. If you want to see the "Big 5" in a day then go to a zoo. Don't get me wrong, we do have those areas here in Zimbabwe, but the landscape also ranges from thick forestry areas to desert to mountains, rivers, etc..  and some of the game can be very elusive, especially cats. But I was even surprising myself with what we had already observed. 

One of my favorite things of living in this part of Africa is the remoteness and amount of untouched wilderness there is here. In more popular safari destinations, at a lion sighting like that, there would be at least 4 or 5 other game drive vehicles full of other tourists snapping photos. But for this little stretch of National Park in Victoria Falls, it was just us and them. 

The next day was Cuan’s 30th Birthday! So we headed to a lovely little breakfast spot that serves a delicious baked egg dish that Cuan loves, before making our way to THE Victoria Falls. 

I’m sure I’ve said this before, but no matter how many times I have seen this Natural Wonder of the World, it never ceases to amaze me: the unbelievable cliff cutting across the Zambezi River, the deafening sounds, the thick green rainforest surrounding the Falls, full of vervet monkeys and birdlife. This was a particularly good time of the year to view the Falls. The water is just low enough that the smokey mist, created from the thousands of tons of water crashing at the bottom of the crevasse, doesn’t rise high enough to completely obscure your view of the actual waterfalls. 

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After a few hours of visiting the different viewpoints of the Falls, we headed across the road to a nice little cafe positioned over the Gorge just around a bend from the waterfalls. Also located here are a few of the most intense adrenaline activities on offer in Victoria Falls ("The Adventure Capital of Africa"). You’ll see from the photos just how deep and vast this gorge is. Wild Horizons, a popular operator in the Falls has taken advantage of this setting and set up a few high wire activities. One of which being the Gorge Swing.

Cuan and I built this up with Haley and Jordan the day before saying they had to try the Gorge Swing. This is basically exactly how it sounds —  a GIANT swing that goes across the entire gorge, after around a 70 meter (230 foot) free-fall drop before the swing catches. 

After a bit of hesitation (and a few beers) they decided to go for it! You can go in tandem so at least Hay had that support from her other half..

I personally haven’t done this one, but I believe its on par with the bungee jump if not a bit more terrifying, so very proud of Hay for committing! Needless to say they survived without having a heart attack. 

That afternoon we did a bit of shopping and chilled by the pool overlooking a private waterhole and some thirsty ele’s. Then onto the sunset cruise on the Zambezi Explorer. Seeing as it was Cuan’s birthday and all, I decided to splurge on the Signature (top) Deck of this amazing cruise vessel. The Zambezi Explorer company has the best sunset cruise boat in Victoria Falls, I go almost every time I’m up there. It just such a nice way to wind down the evening on the river, watching as the sun dips down below the water’s edge on the horizon. The free hors d’oeuvres and cocktails don't hurt either.. They even sang "Happy Birthday" to Cu! :) 

All of that and I’m only on Day 3! 

Got up stupid early the next day to make our way to the entrance of Hwange National Park. Our plan was to drive through the park and end up at Ivory Lodge, one of the properties owned by my employer. We would have liked to spend more time in Hwange, but Cuan and I both needed to get back to our day-job so could only spend the one night there. Ideally 3 nights in Hwange is what I recommend to get the most opportunities at seeing game. But of course I didn’t expect to see 3-day’s worth of game in one drive! 

As we entered the Park, Cuan begins speaking Shona (local language) to the Parks Authority, just making small talk. In my 3 years here I have picked up on some key words.. still wouldn’t be able to have a conversation, but I could get by. So I start hearing the word “shumba” being thrown around in the conversation. Shumba of course means “lion” in the Shona language, and I’m thinking no way are we about to have THIRD lion sighting in 3 days. 

Well sure enough, not 50 feet into the park, we see one vehicle stopped looking at something just off the road. This was a particularly dense area of trees so we could barely see through he foliage, but there they were.. a few lion surrounding what looked like a buffalo kill. Seriously?! Just so amazing. I hope Haley and Jordan appreciated what they were seeing as this is not a normal occurrence. 

Even after such an eventful start to our day, the rest of our drive in the park did not disappoint. One major highlight was the scene we witnessed at Masuma Dam. 

*Hwange education pause: Hwange National Park does not have any natural water sources, so when its the dry season, Hwange is VERY dry. Any water pan that is not pumped year-round dries up to a dust bowl closely resembling the surface of Mars. There are a few pans that keep water throughout the year, which in July-October times is a Hwange resident’s refuge and life-saver. 

We got to Masuma Dam around lunchtime so unpacked our picnic and settled in under the shaded viewing area overlooking the water hole. There were a few animals there waiting for us: hippo, kudu, zebra, impala, crocodiles… Then as if on que the elephant’s started coming in, by the 10s, 20s, 30s, and before we knew it there were probably at least 60 elephants around the pan! Big ones, tall ones, fat ones.. and mine and Haley’s favorites — baby ones. 

We could have stayed there all afternoon, but still had a few hours of driving ahead of us. Reluctantly we headed back to the truck for our final drive towards Ivory Lodge. 

Made it just in time for sundowners at the lodge and had a lovely evening chatting around the fire. 

The next morning we headed to Bulawayo so I could show Haley and Jordan our little home! 

Cu and I had a bit of work to catch up on, so we left Hay and Jordan to their own devises for a few days, before heading off again on another adventure! I’m sure that we did something while we were in Bulawayo, but that was 8 months ago and I’m honestly pretty shocked I’m remembering all that I have already..

So a few days later was the beginning of a long weekend. The first weekend in August marks what is called Hero’s Weekend. I’m afraid I don’t really know what its about.. but its a great excuse to get away! We took advantage of that and the fact that its was Cuan’s 30th Birthday to go back to Masau for some fun, fishin’ and sun. 

If you haven’t seen my other post about this little gem of a fishing camp, you can check it out here. Just to recap, Masau is located on the banks of the Zambezi River. Looking out from the pool you can see the mighty Zambezi, Zambia just across the river, and the Mozambique mountains off in the East. It is such a special place. 

If you have read the previous post about this place, then you are aware of how difficult it is to get there.. from Harare is takes about 6 hours, 2 on nice paved roads and the other 4 on dirt roads through remote villages. Its always a great trip on the way in.. and a pretty miserable one on the way out as its so sad to be leaving. 

So as per tradition we cracked open the first beer at the top of the escarpment (just before the paved road ends) and began our exciting journey through the bush! All 11 of us. Me, Cuan, Haley, Jordan, Lauren, Forey, Gaylo, Steve, Sarah, Hunter and (other) Lauren! Steve and Sarah were the crazy ones who decided to go on a motorcycle, and Hunter and Lauren met us from across the river in Zambia.. PLUS Cu’s dad (Squirrel) and his buddy decided they would come join in on the debauchery. 

Had a lovely and fairly uneventful drive in. I am just in awe at what goes on in such rural areas. In these little unassuming villages, you will see gentlemen wearing suits and ties riding their bicycles down the road.. going to where? I don’t know. Why in a suit? No earthly idea, especially considering in the Zambezi Valley temperatures can reach unbearable levels. Then the ladies carrying huge jugs of water on their heads, kids playing with a “soccer ball” made from old grocery bags, goats wandering around, blending in as part of the community. These people, so removed from society, function as if they are the only ones on earth. Its actually a bit humbling see the way they live their life, so simply and no doubt struggling, but doing it all with a smile on their face. 

The next few days was a whirlwind of fishing competitions, games, laughter, stories, and a few wildlife sightings. Was such a good happy crowd of people and so glad that Haley got to spend some time with my Zim friends! I think she approved of my choices in friends..

The men had quite an interesting few days on “their” boat. We split up the ladies from the boys for a few days, and when we met up with them at lunchtime on one of the days, there was something quite peculiar wrong with their boat.. It wasn’t steering or moving very much at all for that matter. Everyone of course had their theories of what exactly was wrong but it wasn’t until Cuan jokingly said, “Have we checked that we still have a prop?” did the boys figure out they in fact, didn’t have a propellor. Now, I don’t know a whole lot about boats, but I do believe that particular item is quite important to, you know, propel the boat! Baffled at how exactly that lost this all to crucial part, the boys were stuck tethered to the ladies and/or paddling down stream for the rest of the trip! DEFINITE fine for them. 

Inevitably there are challenges on the river for who can catch the most fish, the biggest fish, the ugliest fish, etc. I think its safe to say that the Americans dominated this trip. Haley and I caught more fish than any of the Zim girls.. and Jordan, after about a 20 minute struggle, managed to wrangle in a massive Vundu (catfish) - which is definitely the ugliest.. Go Team USA! 

Haley and I could not have done it without the patience and passion of the great “Stormin’ Norman!” He has been on the staff at Masau for ages and has dealt with clients of all angling experience. But being put on a boat full of all females I’m sure was quite the test of his sanity.. but he did it all with a big smile on his face. 

The “fines” session took place on the last evening and despite our accomplishments over the weekend, I think everyone received a fine or two.. 

This particular drive out of camp was even more dismal than normal, because it marked the end of Haley and Jordan’s African adventure!  10 days it just not long enough, but I do believe that we made the absolute most of their time here. 

We bid our friends farewell and set off back to the “real” world in Bulawayo. But only for two weeks before the epic trip with Diane and David Hudson!! I was going to talk about their trip in this post as well, but I figure I’ll give your eye balls a rest for a few days.. but its on the way!! 

Hayhay and Jordan: I cannot thank you enough for the effort you made to come out to deep dark Africa and visit little ole me. It means more than you know! And I can’t wait for you to come back! ;) 

Lions, Leopards, and Buff's, Oh my!

Now I’m sure most of your are aware that I've just returned from an amazing trip back home to see my family and friends (well, over a month ago now). That will for sure be a post in itself, but if you will allow me to divert from the chronological path that I have kept since I began this little blog, I am going to go a bit out of order here. I had an incredible time back home with the fam, but unfortunately I left my camera in Africa… so I wasn’t able to capture many photos! I will tell you all about it though soon.

Now for this particular story, I DID have my camera on me. And man, was I glad that I did.

So Zimbabwe has two back to back public holidays (“Hero’s weekend”) in the second week of August every year. This is always a good time to take a nice little long weekend trip somewhere close. We had originally planned on going up to Masau, which you will remember from my previous posts with Adam and Megan, but its actually a really long drive for us to get up there and back even if we did have a few extra days to travel.

So thanks to our friend Lauren Mallett and her brilliant idea.. we decided to go camping in Botswana instead! Brief geography lesson: This country is directly to the west of Zim, as the crow flies probably about 250 miles from Bulawayo. But even closer if you are travelling across the border from Victoria Falls! With some last minute luck we managed to find an available campsite in Chobe (Cho-bee) National Park. The lack of availability led us to believe that this was a pretty popular place, and for good reason…

So once the decision was made and the final list of travelers was decided we got together all of our camping gear and headed north(west) toward Vic Falls, and the Bots border! We were originally planning on having 5 of us total on the adventure, but unfortunately our other two guests had other prior obligations. So at about 5am Saturday (Aug. 9th) morning, me, Cu, and Lauren (“Lol”) hopped in the truck and headed to the border!

We crossed the border with ridiculous ease and before we knew it were inside Chobe National Park! As this was the first time that any of us had been to this particular national park (and my first time in Botswana! Another one checked off the list..), we had no idea really what to expect.

The Chobe River creates the northern border of the Chobe National Park, and stretches towards Botswana’s Okavango Delta. So we were prepared for a lovely drive on the “River Road” in the park, but did not expect the vast floodplains beyond the river that allow for uninterrupted views wildlife all the way to Namibia. As we entered the park we were welcomed with a large herd of Elephant and Buffalo grazing along the river and an unbelievable amount of birdlife bathing in its refreshing waters.

It was at that point that we knew this was going to be a special place. The deeper and deeper we got into the park the more wild it became. We took the long way to our campsite along the road that runs parallel to the river all the way through the park.

I will say the only negative thing about Chobe that we noticed right away is the amount of people touring the park. That is one thing that we take for granted in Zimbabwe, it’s a bit of a hidden gem for some tourists who still think that the country isn’t safe or don’t realize the beauty it holds. So you rarely bump into another vehicle when in Zim’s national parks. In Chobe however, there was another car every 5 minutes. It took away from the awe of our surroundings, but only slightly. There is a reason that so many people visit this place.

As we were cruising along, we came upon a lone elephant really enjoying himself in a mud bath. He was caked in mud from head to toe and spend 20 minutes wallowing and rolling around in the pit! What a funny little guy. During the rest of the drive we spotted more elephants, giraffe, sable, kudu, and tons of fish eagles (looks a bit like a small bald eagle).

After winding along the river road for a few hours, we made it our campsite. We were pleased to find out that our site was right next to river and the endless floodplains beyond on a private section that no one could access unless they were staying at that particular campsite.

So we set up our tents and got our campsite organized then headed back out for a short drive to watch the sunset. There is something about an African sunset that just cannot be put into words. We sat and watched a herd of over 800 buffalo made its way across the plains as the enormous sun made its slow dip into the horizon. Its moments like these that I really appreciate where I live and what I am fortunate enough to experience in my own backyard. Those sunsets will never get old.

And as if that sunset wasn't enough, it happen to be full moon that night, so we stayed and watched the unbelievably huge orange moon rising into the sky, humbled by its presence. I know its not scientifically possible, but when watching that scene, a small part of me feels as if, in the very spot I am standing, I am miles closer to the sun and the moon than any other place on earth. It just makes you feel so small and yet so privileged at the same time. 

That evening we were enjoying our campfire dinner and drinks, when a couple at a nearby campsite warned us to be careful as there was a leopard right by us! We jumped from our seats, managed to grab the camera and slowly crept to the other side of the tree sheltering our tents. Sure enough, an adolescent leopard was sitting there waiting to climb “his” tree. He was not deterred by our presence and went about his business ascending the large tree to have a look around. He stayed there, directly about our campsite for what seemed like hours before departing from the tree and trotting off into the distance.

What an unexpected treat! We were hoping to see leopard while we were there, but not this close! We all sat in wonderment for a good hour trying to wrap our heads around what we had just seen, before heading to bed for the night.

Woke up early the next day so we could head out and catch some early morning game sightings. Not 10 minutes into our drive, as we rounded the corner onto the river road we spotted two lionesses sitting directly on the road! They looked fat and satisfied from what we assumed was a successful night’s hunt. Undisturbed by our vehicle, the lionesses allowed us to observe them and get some great pics.

The rest of the day was full of some more incredible sightings. We spotted a leopard sitting high in a tree lounging in the safety and comfort of a hamerkop’s nest (small African bird), a large troop of banded mongoose frolicking and playing all around us and our campsite, the largest herd of giraffe I have ever seen (about 30 in total), and yet ANOTHER sighting of a leopard sitting in the shade of a nearby bush. We also spotted the rare Lechwe antelope found in very few regions of Africa, snake eagles, and zebra frolicking in the plains alongside hippo, warthog, elephant, and buffalo. Overall one of the most stunning sceneries I have ever witnessed.

After yet another remarkable sunset we settled back into our tents, falling asleep to the sound of buffalo ambling in the riverbed next to us. The next morning we packed up camp and slowly made our way out of the park and back across the border into Zimbabwe where we spent a night camping in the Victoria Falls National Park. Not many game sightings in that park, but still so nice and peaceful camping on the banks of the Zambezi River with the soothing sound of the rushing rapids next to us.

What a trip! I’m still finding it hard to believe that each time I venture into the bush I discover more new and amazing things. This place continues to astound and amaze me! Can’t wait for more adventures to come!

Until next time… 

Family, Red Fishin', and New Additions...

So after recovering from a wild few holiday weeks, Cuan and I got on the plane for Ameeeerica! We timed it this year where we would land in Dallas just before the Dallas Safari Club convention, a hunting show that Cuan’s taxidermy company TCI participates in every year. We had a day to catch up on sleep and get over the jet-lag before setting up for the 3 day convention. I sort of play Cuan’s assistant at these shows, helping to make the stand look “pretty” and deal with payments and customers when Cuan is busy, which is pretty much ALL the time. His clients really value the opportunity to see a TCI manager face-to-face and take full advantage of it when he’s at the shows.  

This year’s Dallas show went very well, made lots of leather sales and satisfied existing clients with updates on their trophy’s being assembled back in Zim. We spend our days in the convention hall and evenings out on the town with some of TCI’s loyal customers. I do enjoy participating in the shows, but this time because I hadn’t seen my family in 8 months, I was so anxious to get home! After it was all finished, we packed up all the products and booth supplies, sent it off to Vegas for the next hunting convention, and Cu and I headed to good ole Shreveport!

We decided that we needed to rent a car for the time we were in the States so that we could have some form of transport while we were there. (I sold my car last time I was home… felt so lost without it!) It took me a few minutes once I got behind the wheel to re-train myself on driving on the RIGHT side of the road. But I got the hang of it and we made it to Mom and Dad’s in one piece!  

I was so excited to see the whole family, how much my two nephews Hudson and Andrew had grown, and especially my expecting sister Lindsey! The last time I saw her she was driving off in her honeymoon vehicle with her new husband after an incredible wedding and reception.. there must have been love in the air that night because 8 months after the wedding she was one month away from having a baby! I was so excited to see that baby bump and catch up on everything that had gone on since I last saw everyone.

We spent the next few weeks hanging out with the family, eating amazing home-cooked meals made by Mrs. Diane herself, and shopping. There were days where Cuan would say “I’m just going to run to Academy and grab a few things,” and I would literally not see him for 3-4 hours. Who knew he was a bigger shopper than me?! He blames it on the shopping list he received from all his friends back in Zim, but something tells me he got a little bit distracted in the fishing section, or the gun section, or the boating section or the camping section, of Academy and Bass Pro. He really would fit in well in Louisiana…

So do you remember Adam and Megan? The two brave Americans who came to visit us last year. Well we were dying to catch up with each other so Adam organized a weekend down in Grand Isle. And not only that, but a weekend bow-fishing Red Fish in the marshes of Grand Isle! I was back and forth about going as Lindsey was literally about to pop! She had gone to the doctor 3 weeks before her due-date and he told her it could be any day! So understandably I was a little hesitant to go, but I convinced myself if there was an emergency I could make it back in time!

So off we went, down into the deep, Deep South. I don’t think I’ve been that far south in Louisiana before.. Although it was absolutely freeeezing down there right on the shores of the Gulf we still had an incredible time catching up and meeting new friends. As soon as we saw Adam and Megan, it was as if we had just seen each other yesterday! Went straight back to goofing off and acting weird.

We stayed bunkered up in the cabin, laughing and playing games until it was dark enough to go fishing. Now I didn’t really know much about this bow-fishing thing so it was all a new experience for myself and Cuan.

We met Captain Dave or Mike (I can’t remember his real name since Cuan was calling him Captain Phillips the whole time..) and his daughter down under the bridge just inland from the Gulf. To put it lightly, I think this is the first time Cuan got to meet some REAL Louisiana Cajuns. I have spent years trying to convince Cuan that people from Louisiana are not like what you see on TV - Swamp People, Duck Dynasty, Bayou Billionaires, etc. But this duo on the air boat in the marshes of Louisiana just threw my whole argument out the window. Definitely would have needed subtitles had this evening been on a reality show…

But it was truly an experience unlike any other. We were each given our own crossbow and arrows equipped with a fishing line and reel, hopped on to the airboat fitted with lights surrounding the outer base of the boat, and headed off into the darkness to catch us some Red Fish! First time I have been on one of those air boats, it was so cool! Felt weird just being able to cut straight over the marshes without worrying about the motor getting stuck. Although it was quite frigid out, we had bundled up enough to not feel much of the icy wind..

 It was slow going at first, but once we spotted the fish the arrows were flying all night. Everyone else on the boat got the hang of the bow, and how to adjust your aim according to the deflection of light in the water, waay before me. I think they were starting to feel bad for me that I hadn’t caught a fish yet, but I was still having a good time! Eventually… I did manage to get one! I think it was pure luck, I still had no idea what I was doing, but I got one in the boat! So we all finished the night will at least one catch. I could not believe the time when we were wrapping things up and headed back to the boat yard. We started just after 6pm and fished for what felt like 3 hours or so, little did I know it was past midnight by the time we made it back!

I had such an amazing weekend in Grand Isle and was really glad that I made the decision to go, and luckily Linds didn’t have her baby while I was away!

When we got back it was almost time to get ready to head to Vegas for the second Hunting Convention that TCI was a part of. Again, mixed emotions about going since Lindsey was even closer to her due date. A big part of me visiting during that time was to be able to be there for her when she had the baby, and of course meet my first little niece! So I was not really looking forward to this trip and being away from her, and I think Cuan could sense that… So he told me not to worry about going to this show, that he had enough help in the booth so he would be fine. What a relief! So for the next few weeks I got to spend more time with the nephews, hanging out with the bros-in-law and catching up with all my series with mom and dad at the end of the day.

Of course, as Murphy’s Law goes, Lindsey didn’t have the baby during the time that I would have been in Vegas. But I’m still happy that I didn’t go, would have been too worried the whole time I was there I would not have enjoyed it, and of course I got to spend more time with the family!

Now this next bit deserves to have a blog of its own, but again as I'm trying to catch you up, I'll put it all in one! 

My beautiful oldest sister had a bit of a surprise when she found out that she was pregnant with her first child mere weeks after she became a wife! Exciting/terrifying realization for her I'm sure. But she grabbed the bull by the horns as they say, and carried on with her new life as a working wife and expecting mother without even skipping a beat. I do wish that I could have been around for her more during the pregnancy, but I have no doubt that the football team of family support surrounding her more than made up for my absence. 

Since baby girl Tison was so ready to come into the world, the doc decided to schedule and induction. Baby T was going to grace us with her presence on February 13! So when D-day finally arrived the whole Tison/Hudson/Merrick crew headed to the hospital to check how Linds was doing. I could tell she was in a bit of pain, but as we entered the hospital room, Lindsey put on a big smile and told us that she was doing "okay.." We were asked to leave the room for a quick check up on the mommy-to-be, but were told shortly after that this little baby girl was so eager to enter the world, we needed to stay in the waiting area until she was born! 

Anxious and excited, we spend the next few hours awaiting the announcement of the first female in the next generation of the Hudson family. After we heard she was born happy and healthy and Lindsey was doing just fine, we all breathed a sigh of relief and waiting on the edge of our seats until we were allowed to go meet this little angel. 

As we re-entered the hospital room, the atmosphere had taken a complete 180 degree turn. There was a sense of peace, and an overwhelming feeling of love throughout the room. Tison was holding his newborn baby girl and introduced Miss Evangeline Marie Tison to the rest of her family.  

It was such a special moment, Lindsey couldn't hold back her tears of joy, but I don't think I've ever seen her look more beautiful. Any worry about being a mom had completely vanished from her face, and she was just full of pure joy. She, along with Tison and the help of the Man upstairs, created that adorable, tiny little being, and was going to be her mother and role model and friend for the rest of both their lives. I was so happy and proud of her, and grateful that I was there to share that moment. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

For the next week and a half I spend as much time as possible with that little bundle of joy, but of course it is never enough. I was excited to get back to my life in Zim, however, I felt so broken having to leave that newborn baby EvANGELine, knowing the next time I would see her she would be almost a YEAR old! But I am so thankful for the amount of time I got to spend with my family back home, almost 2 months in total! So I am keeping all of those memories very close to my heart until the next time I am able to visit home!

Always Late But Worth The Wait - 2013 Recap

Where on Earth has this year gone??!?  I think most of you know now that I'm pretty terrible with keeping up with a regular posting schedule, but this is just ridiculous.. half way through the year and not ONE post?? I am a bit disappointed in myself, but I just really can't believe where the months have gone! In an effort to catch you up on the 2014 goings-on so far I am afraid I'm going to cut the text down to a short story as opposed to my usual unabridged novels, and entertain you with more of a photo journal. As soon as I feel I have adequately caught you up to date, I will carry on with my more than detailed recounts of my adventures in Zim.

Let's see, where did we leave off...   ah yes, just before the end of 2013. First here is a small recap of the first half of 2013:

Got an amazing opportunity to hang out with a few kind elephants and witnessed one of my best friends getting proposed to by her lovely boyfriend in stunning Mozambique!

Absolutely unforgettable "Bike Trip" with the boys last July (weekend of the 4th), and just goofing off....

The Holiday season was full of festive parties and countless trips into the bush. It was my first time to be away from home during a time like this and I will say that the feelings were a little mixed. It was just so strange to be celebrating Thanksgiving (yes, good friends who own a restaurant were delighted to host a dinner for this American tradition), and leading up to Christmas wearing shorts and sunbathing! It was very nice to be so warm don't get me wrong, I hate the cold, but at the same time it was difficult to get into the holiday spirit when it felt like the middle of June! But nonetheless, the house was decorated with trees and garland and, much to Cuan's dislike, songs of Bing Crosby and Dean Martin echoed through the house even before Thanksgiving...

Christmas this year was spent with Cuan's mom and family up in Mkushi, Zambia. We spend a lovely week with them on the farm and for the first time I was one of the "adults" watching the kids open gifts on Christmas morning! It was really an incredible experience and I felt very welcomed and at home with the Meikle family. They made me feel so comfortable and knew how sensitive I might be during my first Christmas away from home. It was different but beautiful and so lovely to see the traditions of another family. On Christmas day after indulging in an amazing meal, (the "pig on the spit" was still delicious even though it feel off the spit!) Cuan, myself and the younger sisters took boxes of gifts to the families who live and work on Steve’s farm. It was such a special experience, and felt really good to give those small children something on Christmas, however small. Our little gifts meant so much to them! It really put a big perspective on how lucky we are and truly made us grateful and appreciate the meaning of the holiday. 

The days after Christmas were spent relaxing in the pool, playing volleyball by the dam, and taking a day trip to a stunning waterfall! After saying our goodbyes, Cuan and I got in the truck for the long trip back town to Zim for New Years!

New Year's was spent back in Zimbabwe at Squirrel and Cat's house in Harare. The theme of "I can't believe you wore that" brought some veeerrry entertaining and interesting guests! We partied the night away, literally, watching the sun rise on the first day of 2014. Needless to say I didn't see much of the rest of the day as I needed to catch up on my beauty sleep! Definitely an excellent way to ring in the new year... 

Up next: Recap of my trip back home in January-February! It will come soon I promise...