Returning home from Oregon

Whittington's House near Eugene, Oregon

We woke at 3:30 and dressed for the flight home. Robert was up and ready to leave for work as we were leaving at 4 am. Cindy took us on the 45 minute drive and dropped us off at the Eugene airport. We made it through security with no problems although I was pulled for a screening of electronics since I was carrying a laptop.

Our short flight from Eugene to Seattle didn’t take long and was smooth. There wasn’t an opportunity to gate check our carryon bags so we would carry them to Seattle then to Cincinnati airports. We had a couple of hours in Seattle so we picked up breakfast sandwiches from Wendy’s then a deli turkey sandwich from Pike and Pine to split. We would eat the sandwich for lunch during the flight from Seattle to Cincinnati. We were pleased to get exit row seats and there were only two seats in our row. The flight was a little late leaving since the water to the galley wasn’t working and took about 30 minutes to repair. Although the flight left late, we arrived in Cincinnati on time at 5:30 pm Eastern Time.

We called the Hilton to get the hotel shuttle as soon as we deplaned and were told that the van would arrive in 10-15 minutes. Mary called the hotel again after 6 pm to see when the van was to arrive. She was told that the van had just left for the 5 minute drive to the airport. The van eventually picked us up at 6:35. Needless to say, we planned to give the service a poor evaluation and no tip for the driver.

On the drive back to Georgetown, we stopped at Sam’s Club to buy a few of the Member’s Mark Southwest Salads and some fresh grapefruits, We ate the pizza combo from the snack bar in Sam’s then drove home where we unpacked, turned the water heater on and adjusted the heat.

As always, we enjoy spending time with the Whittingtons.  We all enjoy the same kinds of things: hiking, spending time outdoors, listening to music and enjoying each other's company.  We look forward to seeing them soon at their Florida home.

Working on the fence and programming the sauna

Mark & I started walking the dogs along the canal then turned around to cross the highway and return via Greenwood Road. Mary & Cindy had left later than us so they met us at the crossover to Greenwood Road.

When we returned to the house, Mary continued to remove English ivy and Asian blackberry plants from the edge of the back lawn going toward the McKenzie River. Mark & I moved the temporary fence to enlarge the area accessible to the dogs. Because the order of additional fence panels and posts had not yet arrived from Home Depot, the fence lacked three 8’ panels from being complete. The gate that was damaged in transport also needed to be replaced so part of the temporary fence remained in place. Mary had picked up some wood filler for me when she and Cindy were out yesterday afternoon, so I repaired the superficial damage to the right side of the sauna when the panel toppled during the assembly. We dug around the irrigation line that was damaged when we dug one of the postholes. We dug a trench under the gate to allow redirecting the line. Once we had the ditch dug and the lines cleaned, reconnecting the line was easy. Mark went to the shed and turned each irrigation line on to test for leaks and to help him identify which irrigation circuit fed which area with irrigation water.

Lunch was a sandwich of deli turkey on seed bread with potato chips and Kirkland dark chocolate almonds. Michael came by to visit and have lunch with us. It was good to see him doing well.

We positioned the latch on the gate that we installed earlier in the week and assured that the self-closing mechanism would lock the gate keeping the dogs from getting out. We helped Mary haul some of the cuttings away from the clearing work that she was doing. She had created a space outside the fence that would be an ideal site for a small vegetable garden that is within reach of their irrigation system.

We brought ladders and extension cords to the area outside the front door where Mary & Cindy strung three 90’ strands of white mini-LED lights in the shrubs along the walk. Mary & I worked to set up the controls for the sauna. We were able to get everything to work on using the touchscreen panel inside the sauna. However, it took some time to get Mark’s iPhone connected with Bluetooth to turn the sauna on and off, adjust the temperature and time and control the lights. We were eventually able to get his iPhone to send audio to the sound system inside the sauna. We believe that the major obstacle was my unfamiliarity with settings in the Apple operating system. We were pleased that Mark and completely control the sauna from their bedroom allowing him to get the sauna preheated before he goes out.

We were all filthy after working outside in the wet soil from last night’s shower so we bathed and did laundry before dinner. Mark grilled some wild caught halibut that was given to him by a friend who was fishing in Alaska. Robert came in as we were finishing dinner.

Since we had an early flight, we turned in early.

Assembling the sauna

We woke around 5 am this morning and did our morning language lessons and had our hot beverages. We took the dogs on a walk along the canal and met the project manager for the decommissioning of the EWEB (Eugene Water and Electric Board) canal. Jeremy told us that the EWEB property would be returned to a more natural state with a winding stream and gentle slopes. He was very pleasant and informative. After returning from our walk, Mark & I loaded a huge amount of cardboard (mostly from the sauna) for recycling as well as several bags of trash (mostly Styrofoam from the sauna) to take to the nearby transfer station. The older lady checking us into the transfer station was very friendly and helpful charging us $13 for our large load. Mary & Cindy worked on removing English ivy and Asian blackberries from the slope going to the McKenzie River,

Assembling the sauna

We continued on to Home Depot in Eugene to return the damaged fence gate. The person at the customer service desk told us that since the gate was part of a larger kit, we would have to return the entire order for exchange. Since most of the materials were already in the ground with concrete, that was impractical. However, Mark has an additional gate on order and the damaged gate could be exchanged using that order. While at Home Depot we got some Christmas lights for Cindy, a section of 1 inch PVC and fittings to repair the irrigation line that I cut into while digging a post hole. We also picked up a few pavers to place under and in front of the sauna. This would made a stable base for the structure.

We made a quick stop to pick up dry cleaning for Cindy then returned to the house for a lunch of turkey sandwiches and potato chips. After lunch Mary & Cindy went into Eugene to shop at Costco, Walmart and Albertsons. Cindy is hosting a holiday party on Saturday and needed to get supplies. She contracted a chef to come to the house and prepare beef wellington for the 8 people expected.

While the ladies were gone, Mark & I started assembling the sauna. It took over 30 minutes to place and level the five pavers under the sauna. Assembling the sauna was fairly easy attaching the four walls and roof to the base. Connecting the wiring between wall panels was straightforward. The only mishap was when attaching the right wall. In the process of lining this panel up, we inadvertently disconnected the left panel. While grabbing the left panel, the right panel fell to the ground sustaining some minor damage. Once both side panels were in place, the front panel with the door was attached and the roof was added the structure. We connected all of the wiring and added the door handles completing the build. Once the base was in place and level, the assembly took only 40 minutes. We blew leaves from the bigleaf maple tree off the driveway then came in to relax.

Ike's Pizza & Broasted Chicken

Mary & Cindy arrived around 5:30 with a large load of groceries and supplies from Costco, Walmart and Albertsons. After we helped them bring the supplies in, we went to dinner at a local favorite called Ike’s Pizza, known locally for their “broasted chicken” and potatoes. There were only two older ladies working and they appeared to be moving slowly. The menu in chalk above the counter amused us with the grammar and spelling errors including “potatoe” wedges, 4 “peices” of chicken and “Ceaser” salad. Everyone except me had the broasted chicken but I ordered a Canadian bacon and cheese sandwich. The chicken was fine but not exceptional. It was moist and tender but the coating seemed odd. Cindy ordered a to-go order of 4 piece chicken dinner for Robert. After we finished our meal, we waited for Robert’s dinner to come to our table. Around 7 pm, music started playing loudly and we asked the waitress about the meal. She told us that it was being held in a warming oven for us and that the restaurant closes at 7. The music is a signal for diners to leave.

Back at the house, we sampled some mixed drinks that Cindy would prepare for her guests on Sunday evening. She was wanting a tasty bourbon or gin based drink with a fall feel. I preferred the whiskey sour with a little apple but we all had varying recommendations. Robert came in from work and enjoyed his chicken followed by his usual large serving of popcorn as he watched television.

Hiking at Clear Lake in Willamette National Forest

After a breakfast of cold cereal, Mark and I drove into Eugene to pick up the Hosauna T-59C3 infrared outdoor sauna that we would assemble on Thursday. The sauna was in a large semi trailer that would be unable to get into their driveway or turn around to leave the house. Mark decided that it would be easier to pick the sauna up at the trucking company office so we drove into Eugene to get it. The man working at the freight company was very helpful and placed the three boxes containing the sauna into the pickup. The boxes were too wide to fit between the wheel wells so he put the boxes on four pallets and placed them into the pickup’s bed. The sauna weighed over 600 pounds and being raised made the load top heavy so we secured the load with rachet straps and started back east toward their house.

After arriving at Whittington’s house, we unloaded the boxes into a bay in the garage. We changed clothes for a trip to the Willamette National Forest where we planned to hike around Clear Lake, Since it was nearly 11 am by that time, we had an early lunch of rice cake and a yogurt parfait.

The drive to Clear Lake took over an hour northeast through the Willamette National Forest. We paid the $9 day use fee and took the path around the lake. As the name implies, the water in the lake is remarkably clear. The lake has a maximum depth of 170 feet and was created over 3000 years ago when a lava flow created a dam in the stream coming out of the mountains. As we walked along the five mile path around the lake, we went by the spring that is the origin of the McKenzie River lava fields and hemlock forests.

Sahalie Falls

After returning to the car, we drove down the McKenzie River to Sahalie Falls, a 120 foot waterfall in the McKenzie River. Sahalie Falls is the first in a series of three waterfalls and many rapids in the river within a short distance. The trail out to the falls from the parking area was short and provided great views of the falls.

After arriving back at the house, we had dinner of a Caesar salad and butternut squash soup that Mark made. I went upstairs to read but was asleep by 7:30. I woke around 10 pm, brushed teeth and went back to bed.

Working on the fence

I was awake especially early so I went out to the loft area between the two upstairs bedrooms and read then did my morning German lessons. After hearing Mary stirring, I went downstairs to make tea. After Mark and Cindy awoke, we had oats with raisins and nuts before taking the dogs on their morning walk. We walked downstream along the EWEB Canal then crossed Rt. 126, the McKenzie River Highway to Greenwood Drive parallel to the highway and along Greenwood Landing Park. There had been a light rain last night and we saw several banana slugs on the path along the river. I took a few snapshots of the slugs to send to Nicholas who seems amused by them.

Banana slug

After returning to the house, we went out to work on the fence. We put concrete in all of the postholes that had fence posts over to the break for the second gate. We used T posts placed at an angle to support the fence panels vertically straight while the concrete hardened. Mary and Cindy relocated some ferns and heather plants then worked on removing some of the English ivy on the bank leading to the McKenzie River.

While digging the posthole on this side of the property, we hit a few rocks that we had to remove before continuing. There were a lot of roots from the plantings along the property edge that we had to deal with. We used Mark’s cordless Milwaukee Sawzall to cut through the roots allowing us to get to our desired depth. Although we had used all of posts and panels that we had, we continued to dig the rest of the holes back around to the porch. When we started to install the second of three gates, we found that the gate had been badly damaged by the shipper so we sat it aside to return to Home Depot on Thursday.

We came in for a quick lunch of a salad of the leftover chicken and lettuce as well as potato chips and some of the Costco dark chocolate covered almonds.

Because we had a gap for the gate, we were unable to set additional posts in concrete. However, we could dig the postholes for all of the remaining posts and panels. In order to complete the fence, we figured that we would need an additional 4 panels and 6 posts as well as some hardware for connecting the panels to the posts. We would need six more bags of concrete and 2 bags of landscape stone. Mark placed an order with Home Depot for the remaining fence components to enclose the area that they wanted to use for the dogs. While digging a posthole, Mark cut into the coaxal cable running from the house to the satellite dish. We weren’t concerned about it since it is highly unlikely that they would go back to satellite television.

Dinner was enchiladas from the roast beef leftovers from Saturday’s dinner along with steamed broccoli. Mary & Cindy finished the 2,000 piece jigsaw puzzle while Mark and I talked about plans for finishing the fence and assembling the sauna that we were to pick up tomorrow morning.

Walking along the EWEB Canal

As usual, we were up early. While the clock said 4:30, our brains told us that it was 7:30. Robert has Sunday and Monday off, so he slept in. After a breakfast of cold cereal, we took the dogs on the canal but this time south toward Greenwood Landing. We saw a number of waterfowl as we walked including mallards, buffleheads and mergansers. A home with several pens holding chickens, ducks and goats was to the west of the canal. The two large geese were especially noisy. As we walked, we saw a bald eagle fly over us and perch in a fir tree near the canal path.

When we returned to the house, we placed the post across from the gate allowing it to swing and strike in the latch. We continued digging more postholes along the edge of the area to be fenced. Each hole had to be at least 27 inches deep and spaced 8 feet apart for the steel fence panels. We placed the posts in the holes, attached the panels to the posts then put concrete around some of the posts allowing some to remain free until we got another gate installed going to the path to the McKenzie River. We stopped for a lunch of deli turkey sandwiches with potato chips. I had a parfait of blueberries and granola in Greek yogurt.

Mark and I programmed their garage door opener to work with the built-in openers with their Highlander and Dodge pickup. It was easy to program but both of us needed to press buttons on the opener as well as the cars.

We continued working through the afternoon digging more postholes and assembling fence panels until we quit around 5 pm to shower and relax. Mark grilled chicken breast strips that he had marinated then glazed with a savory Asian flavor. After dinner, Mark and I watched an episode of Justified on streaming television while Mary and Cindy continued to work on the puzzle.

Starting on the fence at Whittington's

We woke early by Oregon time. Although the time was 5 am, our bodies thought it was 8 am. We did morning Duolingo lessons and had tea while we waited for Mark and Cindy to wake. Since Robert has Sunday and Monday off work, he slept in until late morning.

After a breakfast of bacon and eggs, we walked the dogs along the canal for their morning exercise. When we returned to the house, Mary and Cindy did some cleaning, unpacking and organizing while Mark and I started preparing to erect the Fencer Wire metal fence from Home Depot. The materials that were shipped to the house included 14 fence panels that were each 8 feet long as well as posts and connecting materials. The fence is all steel with a system of clips and bolts to attach panels to posts. Self drilling screws secure the clips.

We drove to Jerry’s Home Improvement to get 8 bags of Sakrete, 4 bags of crushed stone, two treated 2X4s and some Tapcon screws. The stone would fill the bottom few inches of the holes then one bag of concrete would secure the posts. The boards and Tapcon screws would provide an attachment point to the house. Jerry’s is very much like Menards with a large selection of hardware and other items at competitive prices.

Mark digging postholes for the fence

Back at the house, we used Tapcon screws to attach a 2X5 to the stone house foundation to attach a fence panel. We dug post holes for the other end of the first panels and the gate. The soil was not very hard or rocky so digging the 26” deep holes wasn’t very difficult. While digging the hole for the hinge side of the gate, I hit a PVC waterline about 12” down, however, it was a line for the irrigation system and shouldn’t be a difficult repair. We filled the holes around the steel fence posts with concrete and positioned the fence for the concrete to harden overnight,

We took the dogs on a walk along the EWEB Canal (Eugene Water and Electrical Board) where we saw markers and some equipment of possible construction soon. The path was a little damp from the overnight rain but was a pleasant walk.

View of the McKenzie River from Whittington's deck

When we finished, Robert was back from visiting some of his friends then Michael arrived around 5 pm. Mary had made meat loaves with the Schmidt’s Restaurant recipe and Cindy made a huge macaroni and cheese with several varieties of cheese. Mark made hard rolls and everything was delicious. We enjoyed visiting with the boys and catching up on their lives. We are hopeful that Robert can navigate through his divorce from Sheena and get shared custody of Zella and the baby that is expected.

After dinner, Mark and Michael watched a football game while Mary and Cindy worked on a 2,000 piece jigsaw puzzle of Las Vegas at night. Robert worked on some lessons and questions provided by his attorney that would help him in gaining custody of his children.

Since our bodies were still on Eastern Time, we turned in early and slept well.

Traveling to Whittington's new home in Oregon

We left home before 4 am for our 7 am flight to Eugene, Oregon with a stopover in Phoenix. Mark and Cindy used some of their Alaska Air miles to bring us to Oregon to assist them in moving into their new home. We were concerned about our flights since we were in the middle of the longest government shutdown in US history. TSA agents and other federal officials have not been paid in weeks, and many airports have had to cancel flights because of a lack of workers.

We reserved parking at the Hilton on Turfway Drive in Covington, Kentucky through onestopparking.com for less than $50 using some of our points and a discount code. We parked at the Hilton a little before 5 am and caught the shuttle to CVG at 5 am. We ate a breakfast sandwich of Clifty Farms ham at the airport then went through security without a problem. There seemed to be plenty of TSA agents, and we had no problems with our personal items or carryon bags. Since we had some time before our flight, we walked through some of the concourses at the Cincinnati Airport then made our way to our gate. The American Airlines employee at the gate was asking passengers to agree to gate check any carryon bags. We were pleased to get our bags checked all the way to Eugene so we wouldn’t have to mess with them until we arrived.

On the four-hour flight to Phoenix, we both read. I enjoyed Anne Hillerman’s Shadow of the Solstice in the Leaphorn and Chee books. We were fortunate to not have a crying baby, an uncontrolled dog or someone hacking from a cold or flu nearby. At Phoenix, was had lunch at Panda Express splitting a meal of orange chicken, broccoli and fried rice. It was surprisingly affordable since one meal fed both of us.

The flight from Phoenix to Eugene was delayed by about 30 minutes waiting for the aircraft to arrive at the gate. This was a much smaller aircraft and carried fewer passengers. Like the flight from Cincinnati to Phoenix, the flight and landings were excellent.

On our arrival to the Eugene, Oregon airport, we were met by Cindy at the arrivals area of the airport then made the 40 minute or so drive to Whittington’s new home stopping at Albertson’s grocery store for a few items for the week.

The living room in Whittingtons Oregon home

We had a tour of Whittington’s beautiful new house then Mark showed me where he wanted the new fence and what the materials. We took the dogs on a walk along the Leaburg canal that formerly brought water to an electric generation plant near their home. We were impressed by the growth of horsetails and invasive Asian Blackberries. The Whittington’s house has four bedrooms, three of which are upstairs. One of the bedrooms is concealed behind a bookcase. There are many large, exposed beams that are six inches thick, 16 inches wide and up to 30 feet in length. There are three huge fireplaces and lots of windows overlooking the McKenzie River.

Robert was living with Mark & Cindy for the time being until there was a resolution to his upcoming divorce from Sheena. He was happy telling us about his job driving a semi carrying waste forest products like sawdust, wood chips and bark. We are hoping that the legal and personal issues surrounding the divorce are settled soon, especially custody of their daughter, Zella and the unborn baby.

Dinner was a beef roast from Idaho that Mark cooked in the Instant Pot then shredded for slider buns with cole slaw. Since we were up at 4 am this morning, we turned in early and slept well.

Leaving Africa and returning home

We woke at 4:30 when a pod of hippos in the nearby Zambezi River were vocalizing. This would be the last morning that we would hear the hippos, so we didn’t mind the early wake-up call. We showered and finished packing for the drive to Jeki airstrip then to Lusaka to get a commercial flight to Johannesburg followed by a grueling 16 hour flight to Atlanta and a two-hour flight to Lexington. We organized the tips for Clement, our guide, Ashsefu, the valet ,and the other Potato Bush Camp staff. Because he had been so special on our evening of fishing, we also gave Lazarus a tip to show our appreciation.

Breakfast area at Potato Bush Camp

The valet came to our tent with tea at 7:00 and we went to the breakfast area at 7:30 putting our bags outside the tent before we left. Mary and Cindy had sunny side up eggs, while Mark and I had omelets with ham and cheese. There were also muffins and breads as well as several fruits and cereals including porridge.

We said our goodbyes to the staff as we left on our last day in Africa. Clement took us along the Zambezi River to the landing where we loaded into a Land Cruiser. The couple from Ottawa met us there since we would be on the same flights as far as Johannesburg.

Cape buffalo herd near Jeki Airstrip

The jeep trip to Jeki airstrip was only about 10 minutes, but we took a brief detour to see a herd of over 200 Cape buffalo grazing with a few zebras and impala. A few elephants browsed in the distance. The six of us boarded a six seat airplane not counting the pilot and copilot’s seats. There was no copilot on this brief 30 minute flight to Lusaka, Zambia’s capital city. Although much larger than the aircraft that we flew into Jeki on Cindy, and the female from Ottawa were still very nervous.

Our flight to Lusaka, Zambia

Representatives from Green Safaris shepherded us through the Lusaka airport and to security and passport control. We were fortunate to get through before a large group of high schoolers on a school trip arrived. We had a little over 2 hours until our flight to Jo-burg, as it is called, so we walked through the international terminal, visited the duty free shops and went with Cindy to buy a gift for her granddaughter.

The flight boarded on time at 2:30 and departed soon thereafter. We were seated across the aisle from Mark and Cindy and were pleased to have bulkhead seats with plenty of legroom. The flight to Jo-burg was easy. A nice snack was served around 3 pm which was welcome since we had breakfast at 7:30. We landed in Jo-burg around 4:30 and began making our way through the process of entering South Africa again. Going through customs was easy as was picking up our bags. We had only checked our bags to Johannesburg which we learned may have been a mistake.

While we were in line, a rumor circulated that our flight to Atlanta would be diverted to Puerto Rico to get airline staff. We later heard that the flight would be cancelled. Since we were early, the flight wasn’t posted on the departure board yet and there was nothing on the Delta app. There was an additional checkpoint at our gate involving checking our carry-on bags for powder. Everyone on our flight had to allow their bags to be hand inspected.

We met with Mark and Cindy and found a Mug and Bean restaurant that had available seating. We and had a very good meal at an affordable price, which surprised us for airport food. The service was a little slow; we think that our server was new. When we got to the gate we noticed that about a third of the passengers were wearing camouflage. We learned that June is a very popular time for big game hunting in Central Africa.

Our flight was posted to Atlanta on time and with no scheduled layover in Puerto Rico. The flight appeared full, but we boarded early with our Comfort Class seating. Mark and Cindy were one row in front of us in Premium Class. Our seat mate was a young woman who had been hunting with her father and sister in South Africa. She had killed a kudu with 50 inch horns, a large hartebeest and a huge warthog. Her father killed a zebra and giraffe and her sister killed a wildebeest. Her father said that the hunt was far less expensive than big game hunts in North America.

As expected, the flight attendants fed us dinner at midnight. We had chicken with rice which was okay, but we only ate a little of it. We read, watched movies and tried to sleep. We only got about 2 hours of sleep during the 16-hour flight.

Landing in Atlanta was smooth, but we had a 30-minute wait for a gate. We had a message from Delta that our flight to Lexington was cancelled. Once we deplaned, we went to customs only to find that the Global Entry kiosks we not functioning for passengers on our flight. The airport staff then put us at the end of the line for regular entry. This is the second time that Global Entry slowed us down in Atlanta. We later learned that TSA had learned that our flight was canceled and removed access to the Global Entry kiosks for that flight. We were concerned that TSA was getting flight information through social media. 

Once we got through customs, we had to get our flight to Lexington rescheduled before we could go through security. Mark and Cindy went through, but we waited in a lengthy line to see a Delta representative. When we got in the line there were four associates working. However, they were soon moved to another area leaving one staffer to deal with the long line. It was well over two hours by the time we were able to get to the help desk. Mary was on the Delta app the whole time waiting for assistance through the app. Once we made it to customer service we were put on a flight to Lexington that was only two hours later than our original flight. We were given standby status rather than assigned seats. Although we had paid for upgraded seats, we would be happy with any seat for the 90-minute flight.

We got through security easily then met Mark and Cindy for lunch. The food court area was packed so there was no room in any sit-down restaurant. Mark and Cindy bought pizza slices, and we got McDonalds. The service at our McDonald’s was terrible: the young man at the register was rude to everyone, and the food was slow and cold. We joked that the staff in African airports was friendlier, and more people spoke English than in the Atlanta airport.

At our gate we saw that we were numbers 22 and 23 awaiting seat assignments for the flight to Lexington. We saw another Delta representative who said that we were highly likely to get a seat on the flight and that another flight to Lexington was scheduled later in the evening.

Once standby passengers were assigned seats, we were pleased that were were in our upgraded seats for the short flight to Lexington. The flight was only a little late for departure since a passenger was concerned that bags had been misdirected. Our seat mate on the flight was expressing his frustration with a few minutes of delay by huffing and puffing, stamping his feet and just being annoying.

Like prior flights, we read during the short hop to Lexington. Our checked bags made it quickly to the carousel, and we met Ian outside who took us home and helped us with our bags.

It was the trip of a lifetime, but it is great to be home. We have a lot of laundry to do and weeds to clear from the gardens. The neighbor, Sam, kept the yard mowed, but we needed to mow the field and around the trees. We kept the thermostat set to 80 degrees in the house while we were gone, but we took it down a few degrees now that we are home.

We will miss a lot of things about Africa. Having meals custom prepared for us was nice. Having wine and mixed drinks brought to us, tea delivered to our rooms when we woke were great. The biggest thrill was going to the places that Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom visited. We saw the African Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant. rhinoceros and Cape buffalo) and the African Ugly Five (hyena, vulture, wildebeest, marabou stork and warthog). We saw only two of the African tiny five (buffalo weaver and antlion).

Given the cost and time involved, it is unlikely that we will return to Botswana and Zambia. However, we will hold the memories of our time in Central Africa forever.

Lower Zambezi National Park

We were awake when we our valet, Ashsefu, came to the tent to wake us and deliver our breakfast beverages of choice. The camp chef made each of us omelets to order along with toast and muffins. As we ate, we talked with Ross from Ottawa about his fly fishing for tigerfish. He had no success in any of his flyfishing attempted on the Zambezi River. We also wished Phil from Santa Fe well as he prepared to leave for another camp.

Clement, Francis and Mary at a huge hollow baobab tree

For our game drive in Lower Zambezi National Park, Francis, a National Park ranger, met us at the lodge. The four of us along with Clement, Francis and Alex, got into the truck for a walking safari in the national park. Francis was armed with a .375 high powered rifle for our protection. We also learned that Alex was a National Park ranger prior to becoming a safari guide.

Cape buffalo skull

After driving into the park for 30 minutes, we left the truck and walked through the national park. Clement, Alex and Francis pointed out tracks of hippos, elephants, lions, baboons, impalas, water bucks and hyenas. We spotted a small group of zebras and a large herd of Cape buffalos. There are lots of impalas and baboons with a fair number of elephants. We stopped at an especially old baobab tree that was hollow inside. The tree had gained significant damage from elephants.

Clement showed us difference in dry wood termites, fungus eating termites and harvester termites. The many termite mounds found throughout Central Africa are fungus termites that join saliva and soil to make the mound. They bring sections of leaves into the mounds to grow a fungus that is eaten by the termites.

Elephants crossing the Lower Zambezi River

After returning to the truck, we had tea while we talked with Clement, Alex and Francis. We took the 30 minute drive back to camp and had about an hour before we were to leave for a shore lunch at a nearby landing. The guides talked with us about the Arab slave traders who came to the area obtaining people to be sold to Europeans. They also talked to us about how the tribes dealt with each other and warfare over land. They told us that when Zambia gained independence from Great Britain in 1964, they made a concerted effort to focus loyalties to the country rather than individual tribes. They also told us how villages were displaced when the dams were built on the Zambezi River. We found several artifacts including an abandoned grinding stone and some pot shards.

Shore lunch on the Zambezi River

During the short boat ride to lunch, we saw three male elephants crossing the Zambezi River which was quite a sight. As we neared the landing, we saw that lunch appeared to be quite elegant. The meal was being prepared by the kitchen staff from Sausage Tree Camp at a scenic spot on the river. They had our table set up with the usual white tablecloth and napkins.

Mary, Steve, Mark & Cindy at an elegant shore lunch

The cooks had prepared beef and chicken skewers, a three-bean salad, couscous and a garden salad. Dessert was a lemon tart. As usual, everything was delicious. They had a good selection of wines as well as gin and tonic using local Zambian gin. After lunch and drinks, Clement brought us back to the camp where we had a couple of hours to relax, nap, read and record in the journal. I took a brief nap in the hammock while I listened to Lexington’s oldies country station. We saw an African sand snake just off the boardwalk leading to our tent.

Mark relaxing at the tent before high tea

We went to the lodge for high tea at 3 pm then met Clement for our evening game drive. Joining us was Leonard, a young apprentice guide, who was very pleasant and helpful. We drove over some very rough roads to the eastern side of the National Park where we looked for African wild dogs.

Wild dog pack in Lower Zambezi National Park

Along the drive we saw many elephants making their way to the mountains. There were impalas, baboons, water bucks and guineafowl. Clement told us that he had heard of a wild dog sighting and suggested that we head that way and not pause to view more common game.

Wild dogs watching an impala herd

We bumped over the deeply rutted sandy roads to where 15 adult wild dogs were resting in the shade. It appeared that the dogs were still full from a kill earlier in the day. We had heard that the dogs were the most efficient predators in central Africa killing a very high percentage of game that they pursue. Clement said that the dogs killed their prey in the most brutal fashion. Lions, leopards, cheetahs and other cats kill by biting at the neck resulting in a quick death. However, the African wild dogs bite the abdomen to disembowel the prey. They begin feeding the prey animal while it is still alive.

After watching the dogs lounging in the shade for about 30 minutes, we decided to drive about a kilometer away to have a sundown drink of gin and tonic. Once we got the drinks poured, the dogs started in pursuit of a herd of impala. They didn’t run far but watched the impala. We suspected that they were still full from their earlier meal and didn’t really need to make a kill.

We noticed that one of the dogs had an injury and appeared to be in poor health. The other dogs licked the injured dog’s wounds and urinated on the injured dog. Clement said that the other dogs would care for injured pack mates and bring food following a kill.

When we saw that dogs were unlikely to go after the impala, we started back toward camp. By then it was nearly 7 pm and in midwinter in the southern hemisphere, it was dark. As Clement drove, Leonard used a powerful light to scan for animals. He took care to not shine the light in the eyes of possible prey animals since they might become temporarily blinded and would be easy prey.

As we drove, we passed several groups of elephants sometimes waiting for them to get off the jeep trail so we could pass. We saw a young elephant ahead on the left side of the trail and the mother on the right side. We knew that could be trouble, so we waited until the baby crossed the road and joined the mother. Once the two were reunited we started along the road. The young elephant trumpeted as we passed then in response the mother elephant trumpeted and began to pursue our vehicle. We wasted no time in leaving the area.

As we were nearing camp, we saw that an elephant had placed a large branch over the jeep trail, making it impassable. Mother elephants often break branches from trees, allowing young elephants to browse. We were unable to move the large branch since it would be dangerous to exit the vehicle when the elephants maybe nearby. In addition, there may be lions or other predators in the area.

Clement backed the truck to a point where he could turn it, so we backtracked to take a longer trail back to camp arriving at 7:30.

The couple from Ottawa was at dinner as was a foursome from New York City. They had been to Tongabezi Lodge not far from where we had been in Sindabezi Island Lodge. They were very pleasant and looking forward to their African adventures.

Dinner was a variety of curry. Mine was chicken curry while Mary had chickpea curry. Both meals had rice on the side and mixed vegetables. We all had pinot grigio with the meal. Our valet escorted us back to the room.

When we arrived at the room we saw that the valet had arranged leaves on the floor of the text wishing us safe travels back home. The tub was filled with bubbles and candles were arranged in the sleeping area and bathroom. As we fell asleep we heard the call of an unknown African night bird.

Fishing in the Lower Zambezi River

Large crocodile across from Sweet Potato Camp

When our valet, Ashsefu, came to wake us at 5:30 we were already awake and dressed. We went to breakfast and enjoyed the eggs made to order. Mary had a breakfast wrap, and I had a ham, cheese and mushroom omelet. We got in the truck with Clement at 6:30 am to drive around Lower Zambezi National Park. This 1,600 square mile national park was established in 1983 as a game reserve to be protected from mass tourism and to allow native game to thrive.

Our safari vehicle at Potato Bush Camp

We saw several birds that we hadn’t seen including the trumpeter hornbill, goliath heron and crested guineafowl. There were a number of water bucks, kudus and warthogs. A troop of baboons, that certainly had over 100 animals, included many mothers with babies clinging to their backs. Impalas frequently travel with baboon troops to better look out for predators to the benefit of both.

Waterbuck

Waterholes in the area are drying up at this time of year, but the Zambezi River is near. One remaining water hole had four crocodiles basking in the sun as wading birds walked among them. One crocodile was half submerged and had its mouth open exposing the bright yellow flap preventing water from entering.

We followed some lion tracks for a while then started looking for a leopard but had no success with either. We stopped for a tea break and gave Clement our lunch order from a menu. We then drove back to the camp arriving by 10:30.

Cindy & Mark relaxing at the tent

We changed clothes at out tents since the day had warmed since we left this morning. We walked back to the lodge at 11:30 for lunch. Mark had a large burger, Cindy ordered a salad with grilled chicken, Mary had an open-faced roast beef sandwich, and I had a chicken schnitzel. Dessert was chocolate mousse.

We went back to the tents where we read, napped and wrote in the journal until Mark and I were scheduled to go fishing in the lower Zambezi.

Mark with a 10# tigerfish

Mark and I met Lazarus at 4 pm and went out on the Lower Zambezi River to try to catch some fish. We were hoping for a tigerfish but with the lack of success on our two previous fishing trips, we would be happy to get a bite from any kind of fish. Mary and Cindy stayed at the lodge and played cribbage.

On the way to selected fishing spots, we passed several large pods of hippos. We also saw a few Cape buffalo and crocodiles along the banks. Once at a spot, Lazarus either tied off to a limb or embedded the lower unit of the motor into a sand bar to anchor the boat. We used cut-bait on a large stainless steel hook on a steel leader and rigged with a slice of fish. The reels were loaded with a strong braided fishing line.

Steve with an electric catfish

We stopped in several spots, allowing the current to take the bait and hook downstream. We had no luck at the first two places we tried. However, at the third spot, Lazarus hooked a fish then handed the rod to Mark. The fish fought well and even went airborne once before Lazarus was able to net the large tigerfish. The nearly 10-pound tigerfish had a mouthful of sharp teeth that meshed together for a bite that could be dangerous. From looking at the teeth, it was obvious how the fish earned the name tigerfish. We weighed and photographed the fish before releasing the tiger fish back into the Zambezi River.

A few minutes later I felt some bumps on my line and assumed that I had drifted into a branch on the river bottom. However, when I retrieved the line, I saw that I had hooked a catfish. The fish was olive in color and was covered with darker spots giving it a leopard-like appearance. When Lazarus came to net the fish, his eyes widened and he said that it was an electric catfish. These fish are capable of producing several hundred volts of electricity and can easily knock an adult out. The catfish uses the shock to capture prey as well as to avoid predators. Lazarus told us that he was knocked out by one of these fish as a youth.

Once on the boat Lazarus used needle nosed pliers to remove the hook from the deeply hooked catfish. He was careful to use rubber handled pliers and to not touch the fish with his hands.

Relaxing at the tent

We returned to the dock a little after 6 pm so we could shower, watch a horticulture Wednesday webinar and prepare for our short night game drive. The webinars would be inaccessible outside of the US, but we used the VPN to connect through Atlanta with no problem.

Clement picked us up in the Safari truck at 7 pm and drove away from the camp. Along the way, we saw a genet running along the ground. This cat-like mammal is related more to the mongoose than to cats.

As we drove along, we spotted lights and a fire. Clement told us that he needed to check on the people since camping is prohibited in Lower Zambia National Park. As we approached we saw that it was a setup for an outdoor dinner where we would join Sausage Tree Camp for the meal. It was a nice surprise.

We sat around the fire with a group of Belgians who were staying at Sausage Tree. We enjoyed drinks and conversation until the soup was brought to us. The split pea soup with curry was quite good. After soup bowls were collected, we had chicken, beef, lentils and salad from the buffet. Dessert was a tasty macron with chocolate filling.

We left the dinner around 8:30 and saw two more genets on the way back to Potato Bush Camp. We turned in as soon as we were escorted to our tents.

Arriving at Potato Bush Camp

The sunrise over the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe was beautiful with the sliver of a moon above the horizon. We dressed and started packing for our flight to Potato Bush Camp. We needed to have our bags outside by 10 am to depart at 10:20. We sorted out tips for our guide, Phixon, our valet, Memory, and the staff as a whole.

Hippo pod in the Zambezi River

We met Mark and Cindy for breakfast at 7 am. Mark and Cindy had eggs Benedict while Mary and I had ham, cheese and mushroom omelets. As usual, there was a nice selection of breads, cheeses and fruits. We saw the two campers from France leaving for their morning activity as we went to breakfast. We were happy to learn that the security alert that came through from Chase Bank last night was fraudulent but needed no action. Cindy called Chase directly and was told that they would take care of the issue.

Nile monitor

We had almost two hours after we finished breakfast to do our language lessons, shower and get our bags out for collection. The outdoor shower is very nice. It is brisk early in the day but is a nice wake-up. The valet, Memory, was available to draw a bath for us but we had neither the time nor inclination for a bath while we were here. Mary and I took a walk around the island to see the other “chalets” as the tents were called. We saw several Nile monitors basking in the morning sun. The 3-4-foot-long lizards slid into the water as we approached.

Steve sleeping in the co-pilot's seat

As with the other camps we visited, we enjoyed the time at Sindabeze Island Lodge. The staff was very friendly and eager to help. It is a much smaller camp accommodating less than half the guests than any of the other camps. We liked that the activities were selected by us and that we had the activity exclusively to ourselves. We had excellent travel mates at the other camps, but the smaller, more intimate nature of Sindabezi was nice. We also liked that we could choose mealtimes as well as the menu. With some exception, meals were plated three course meals prepared by an expert chef.

Cindy is not happy about the small aircraft

At 10:20 we met at the dock to make our way to the airport at Livingstone. The staff of Sindabeze Island Lodge gathered to see us off. After the short boat ride to cross the Zambezi River, Phixon drove us to the airport where were were ushered through security by Green Safaris personnel. After a short wait, we were escorted out to our plane, a small Beechcraft airplane with three seats, not counting the pilot and copilot. Cindy was very apprehensive about the flight but took a seat in the rear near the luggage. Mark and Mary were in the center, and I was in the copilot’s seat. The pilot, a Green Safaris employee, was very friendly and gave us a smooth 90 minute flight to Jeki airstrip on the lower Zambezi. Like many of the airstrips in Botswana, this was a small unpaved bush airstrip, but it does have a small unstaffed terminal building.

Pod of hippos crossing the Zambezi River

Green Safaris staff loaded our bags into a Safari truck, and Lazarus drove us to the boat dock on the Zambezi River. Along the way, he pointed out interesting plants, animals and cultural features. Lazarus loaded us and our bags into a small boat and took us upstream to the Potato Bush Camp. Along the way we saw hundreds of hippos in the water as well as some Cape buffalo and impalas. We knew that this would be the place to see hippos.

Our tent at Potato Bush Camp

When we arrived at Potato Bush Camp, we were greeted by the staff and given an orientation. The procedures are much the same as Sindabezi since they are both owned by Green Safaris. This camp has only four tents including ours which is a double tent with a large sitting area between the two bedrooms. We unpacked and went to the lodge at 4:30 for a sunset river cruise. There was a large male elephant in the area outside of our tent. The animal seemed pretty docile, but we gave him a wide berth.

Bee-eater

Lazarus took us upstream on the Zambezi River where we saw dozens of hippo pods, each with up to 25 hippos. On a small island there was a Cape buffalo and several warthogs. Mark and Cindy spotted several interesting birds along the riverbank. We stopped at a spot in the river with a good view of the sunset. We had a gin and tonic as we watched the sun go down. We have really come to enjoy the local African gins like the Iconic African Gin mixed with Fitch and Leedes Indian Tonic.

When we returned from the cruise, we sat by the fire with a couple from Australia, a couple from Ottawa and a man from Santa Fe. We chatted about prior travel as well as planned future travel. When we were ready for dinner, the elephant was blocking our way from the fire pit to the dining area. After about 30 minutes, the elephant moved away, and we made it across to get to dinner.

Elephant walking through camp

The entrée was a choice of lamb shank, soup or salmon. Mine was baked salmon which was very good. Most people’s choice of dessert was chocolate pie, but I went for the cheese tray which was very good.

It was after 9 pm when we finished dinner, so we were escorted back to our tent. We would be awakened at 5:30 am tomorrow for our first game drive in Zambia.