Day Three

I trouble sleeping last night and the only thing I can figure is I don't want to miss one minute of this trip.  Shepard woke us with our coffee and opened the doors to the river.  Caroline and I  sat up at the same time and stared out at the hippos and the Zambezi river.  After breakfast on the open dining deck which overhangs the river (no railing) we had a game drive with just the two of us and our guide Chris.  

We sat with a breeding herd of elephants and watched them mourn a dead sister.  It was sad to watch them touch and smell her.   We also saw oodles of impala, elephant, some waterbuck, warthogs, two jackals, a mongoose, all while listening to my favorite African sound which is the Cape Turtle Dove call.  In the morning they say "work harder, work harder" and in the evening it's "drink lager, drink lager."

We were out until 11:30 so needless to say we had to make do with a bush and drip drying.  Lunch is at noon and I hear we're going out.

Part B

We took a pontoon boat to a shallow sandbar which had been set up with a table, tent, and chairs in the water.  We wadded over to get a cool drink and watched them finish barbecuing the meat in the river.  Lunch was special sitting in ankle deep water in the shade of the tent.  The dining table is always dressed with nice linens, glasses and more silverware than I can find uses for.

Caroline took  long nap outside on the deck and after our down time and being trapped in our room for awhile by a bull elephant we met our guide for tiger fishing.  The tiger fish is a member of the piraña family and puts up a great fight.  First we used worms to catch our bait.  I was the camera man and worm collector.  Caroline pulled them in like she had done this before even catching several small tiger fish however we came up empty for big tiger fish.  I will say that there is very few things better that a Mosi Lager in one hand and your rod in the other with crocs on our left and watching the red sun set behind the mountains on the Zambezi river.

A land rover met us upstream for a game drive back and we found a pride of lions.  Two lions, two lionesses and five cubs.  The baby jumped on dad, he slapped the baby and mom popped him.  

Oh Lord, there's trouble when we return and now it's not one spider on the wall but one on our bed post inside our mosquito net and get this, a flattie (BIG, husky spider) on the zipper of Caroline's duffle.   I gave him the what for with a can or Raid but he took leave under the dresser without us knowing his fate.

Drinks by the fire pit, dinner on the deck with hot coals under tables and lanterns around the bar.  Shepard had to do a thorough room check with his flash light. 

Tidbits:

We have shared the room with a little frog including the toilet seat, shower and sink.  We showered together last night.

The hot water bottles in our beds are still warm in the morning.

This bed is the most comfortable bed I've been in, soft sheets, thick comforters and that hot water bottle, o la la.

Every meal has not only been good but has been outstanding.

Canoeing the Zambezi.

Tiger fishing. 

Me being a creep.