Said goodbye to The Beast

We woke up yesterday around six to have breakfast around 7:30. We needed to drive  six hours from Bulawayo to victory falls. This was our very last drive with our group. The drives on this trip have been really interesting. They are long and the roads are terrible. In total three windows have broken because they have jiggled out of place, we had one flat tire, and one faulty clutch. In the end we made it all the way from Nairobi to victory falls without any major problems and for that I am grateful. We rolled into Vic falls at about two and all of us opted to just hang out and rest until dinner time. Some of the group took a 15 minute helicopter ride to see the falls from above. For dinner we walked to a nearby restaurant that was really cool and delicious. We talked about the trip and all the highlights and just enjoyed our time together. We then headed back to the campsite and slept for the last time in the tents. In the morning we had crepes and cereal for breakfast and Michael our guide arranged for a group of singers and dancers to come be with us while we ate. When breakfast wound up we unpacked our tents and then headed to see the falls. In total the falls have fifteen look out points all along and we stopped at each of them to see and to take pictures. The father we walked to more mist was coming up from the bottom and by the end we were completely soaked. The falls were incredible and so beautiful. After the fifteen spots we walked across a bridge connecting Zimbabwe and Zambia to see the gorge below. We then walked to a super cool restaurant on the edge the gorge called the lookout where we watched people swinging and zip lining and ate. We then grabbed our stuff from the campsite and checked into a hotel where we’ll be staying for the next two nights. 

Dagny

She said “I’m gonna hire a rhino to decorate our home”

The 6 of us woke up in our dorm room around 7am and it was very chilly outside. We took our time getting dressed and making our way to breakfast which was crepes, sausage, coffee, and hot coco. At 8:30am, we left our campsite, Burke’s Backpackers Paradise, and drove a chilly 30 min to Matobo National Park. We had a local guide named Andy who wore shorts and walked barefoot at one point. He would pick up rhino dung and tracked them based on footprints. At the entrance to the park, Andy spent a while explaining to us the pros and cons of tourism and hunting in the park. We set off driving to track down some rhinos but we’re initially unsuccessful. We saw a disassembled rhino skeleton in the bush which had a massive skull. Around noon, we stopped for lunch, which was pasta salad and cold cut sandwiches. Andy also gave us powdered coffee, tea, and ginger cookies. We walked to the top of a rocky hill and saw the grave of Cecil John Rhodes.

We hopped back in the truck and drove to a spot by a small stream. We left the truck behind and started tracking a young male rhinoceros, maybe 14 years old. We had to climb through some tall grasses and spiky plants to get around which was very painful. Dad cut his finger open at one point. We eventually spotted the young male and began approaching him. Our guide slowly brought us closer and closer which was terrifying. We ended up standing on a rocky surface about 10 feet away from the second largest land mammal on earth. We moved very slowly and avoided talking or making any loud noises as to not spook the animal, although our guide still had to shush it and whistle in order to keep it calm. We got some photos and backed away before any of us could become targets. Even though our guide had a sidearm, my heart was racing. Next, we crossed the stream and found a female rhinoceros with her baby. We were upping the stakes. As we creeped around them, the baby got spooked and jumped into the mother’s side, scaring us all. We didn’t stay for long to take pictures before retreating back to the truck.

After that, we drove to a trailhead and hiked up to a cave that holds ancient San paintings that are made of blood, pigment, and egg whites on the cave walls. The paintings are estimated to be between 4000 and 5000 years old and they depict African animals such as giraffes and hippos as well as stick figure people with rings on their necks. We learned a little bit about the hunter gatherer lifestyle of the San people before hiking back down to our truck. The sun set as we drove out of the park. We closed the flaps on the back of the truck to protect us from the wind as we drove the 30 minutes back to camp. Emmanuel made us a yummy potato, cheese, and onion dish as well as “African sausage” for dinner. Overall, we had a lovely, yet adrenaline inducing time in Bulawayo.

Zimbabwe update and things I love about sabbatical

These are Dave’s words. I stole them from his Facebook post. He remembers details better than I. “Yesterday - from Harare to Masvingo, in time for a trip to the Great Zimbabwe ruins.  This was home to the Shona kings from 1150 to the 1500’s.  We also visited a traditional village and the Great Enclosure. This is the largest pre-Colonial structure in sub-Saharan Africa.” I will add the color details. I loved hiking around the Great Zimbabwe ruins because my family was way overdue for even a little exercise and the only other tourists at this World Heritage Site seemed to be some local teenagers on a field trip. I continue to be reminded that Americans don’t travel to these remote parts of Africa. We have one other American on our little tour. She is from Georgia. The other 6 in our group are from Australia, New Zealand, and Taiwan. Most days the only white people I see are my fellow travelers. That is a first for me and I have traveled a lot of places.

On sabbatical the enormous gift of time, and sometimes boredom, opens up space for really fun and authentic conversation. Today I sat next to Dagny for several hours as we drove. Looking out the window but also talking about the things that are important to her; her friends, her upcoming senior year, what comes next. This is the gold. The good stuff about getting away and leaving all our normal behind. This happens every day, with a different kid, or all of them at once. We will laugh about these conversations ten years from now and be so grateful all over again.

Tonight we are in Bulewayo, Zimbabwe. We had a rare treat of arriving in the city at lunch time. The six of us had a sit down lunch in a real restaurant called Raco Mamma’s. It was a burger joint, not all that unlike Bad Daddy’s. It was a good break from camping food. We had a walk around town and mostly just wandered. We get a lot of attention when we walk around, always lots of stares and folks really want to talk with us. Inevitably they try to guess where we are from and it always starts with Spain, England, Australia. We never get asked if we are from the United States because I really don’t think Americans come here. They want to know which state, but of course, most Africans only know of New York and California. Very few people we meet have ever traveled outside of their hometown.

Tonight we traded in our tents for an upgrade to a dormitory style room that has three bunk beds and a twin. Again, I love this part of sabbatical. This together time that leads to all the funny experiences we will remember for a lifetime. I’m on a top bunk tonight above Adelaide. Feels like summer camp.

We head out in the morning to track rhino on foot. Yep. I’ve never done that and I am really looking forward to it. The guide has promised great nature walks and views of ancient hieroglyphics.

We are nearing the end of our summer and that feels weird. Exciting to return home to the people we love and the comforts of home, but also sad that this gift is winding down. We will be back in Denver in 9 days and I will ring every experience and memory possible out of these final days. Tonight I will sleep easy with all my chicks in the same nest. Even if that nest is in a remote location in Africa.

Jll

Zambia to Zimbabwe

Readers,

The days since our trip left Lusaka have been marked largely by the landscapes that mark the African highway system and long drives. From Lusaka, Zambia we drove south towards the Zimbabwean border point where we would enter into our second to last country of the trip. The long drive days that have been pushing us further south on the African continent that have been littered with scenes of African villages built of handmade bricks and thatched roofs, many of them with bricks in place of windows while they save up for the glass. Me moved across the border crossing which went much more smoothly than the previous one into Zambia. Although it featured more stations, we could pencil it in as a success seeing as no one from our tour was barred from crossing. So, after our successful cross, we drove into Zimbabwe and saw it’s agricultural fields.  

In perpetration for the approaching rainy season in Africa, many of the farmers were burning what was left of the seasons crop so that the ash would make for a fertile field when the rains come. As we drove through these fields, many of them were still a blaze with some being close enough to the truck that you could feel the heat through the window. It was interesting to see how the farming practices differed between the United States and Zimbabwe, as I’ve never seen a farmers field ablaze driving through Iowa or Nebraska. Fertilizer in the US may be more easily accessible as compared to in sub Saharan Africa. We continued on on driving to the capital city of Harare, which was similar to any other major city which we had seen in Africa such as Casablanca or Cairo, although we saw Harare fairly quiet because of it being the weekend. After a quick walk around we were all in agreement that Harare was not the place that we needed to see on our tour. We drove a bit outside of the city while we got a lesson on the history of politics within the nation before we got to our campsite for the night. 

Alastair

Sleeping with the hippos

 One of the things I love most about Africa is the terrible cell connectivity as my family gets fully present, but, it does make it challenging to keep our readers updated on our fun. The last two days have been a contrast of exhausting and relaxing. 

Two days ago we crossed the boarder from Malawi to Zambia. This should have been a piece of cake, but one of our fellow travelers ran into a snag with her Visa. We waited five hours at the boarder for her to be rejected. She and her boyfriend had to leave our tour under some really unfortunate circumstances. After the five hour sit around, the Zambian DEA decided to search our truck for illegal drugs. They targeted only the four males on the truck, including Alastair and Dave. Stressful, yes. Dave’s daily multi-vitamin was in question and Alastair’s carved wooden elephant that was wrapped up tight was in question. Dirty underwear, no problem. We were all glad to be on our way in spite of leaving two fellow travelers at the boarder.

We arrived so late at our campsite that it wasn’t until the next morning that we could confirm that the sounds we heard all night were the hippocampus that live in the river next two our campsite in property grazing all night long. They make a very distinct chuffing noise. Don’t worry, the campsite had a security guard who walks the property all night armed with a flashlight. He also has a slingshot, but it is for the monkeys, not the hippos. You would be surprised at how well we all sleep in our tents with so many creatures walking around us at night. We feel pretty invincible inside our canvas tents.

Yesterday we did an early morning game drive in South Luangwa National Park and the highlight were the elephants. We found two males playing in the river who rolled around and restless the entire time we watched them. We also watched the females and babies cross the river just in front of us and we LOVE the babies the most.

The afternoon was just what the doctor ordered. The girls and I snoozed by the pool, Dave napped in a hammock and Alastair watched a show in the shade. All of this next to the river which is home to the hippocampus, crocodiles, and every other animal that needs a drink of water during the day. Keep in mind, all of this relaxing takes place under the trees were a couple dozen monkeys are playing and creating chaos. So amazing!

Night game drive was highlighted when we found a pride of lion’s feeding on a Cape buffalo. It is hard to watch and also so fascinating. Dagny didn’t love it, but it was good fun for the rest of us.

This morning we were pleased to learn that our friends had cleared their visa challenges and we were able to pick them back up at the boarder before continuing our overland trek south. 

Highlight of our drive today were the kids along the way that tried to sell us a stick of roasted rats for twenty Kwatcha (about a dollar) and a raw goat leg. No thanks.

Nice campsite tonight with two resident emus which are kind of interesting. Alastair and I spend some time each day talking about which foods from home we miss the most. For me, it is blue cheese salad dressing. Salad dressing is not a thing in this part of the world. I’ve looked. Today our chef opened canned tuna for part of our lunch. I taught him how to make tuna salad. It was well received by him and most of our group. Australians and Africans learned something new today. 

Not expecting wi-fi tomorrow so be patient for our next update. We are having a great time.

Jll

Malawi Catch Up

Throughout our time in Malawi, our internet connection has been close to nonexistent. Here’s a summary of our activities for the last 3 days since we’ve entered the country.

Day 58 - We woke up at 4am in our Tanzanian campground to begin our longest driving day yet. We “pitched off” our tents and ate eggs on toast for breakfast. We were on the road long before the first call to prayer. The morning was fairly uneventful until about 11:30am when a window in our truck spontaneously exploded. We pulled over to try to cover the open window with garbage bags and packing tape while local kids took pictures and laughed. However, the repairs didn’t last long once we hit the road due to the wind. We stopped at a gas station for lunch and our driver, Dan, pulled out a spare window to replace the shattered one. As we ate our sandwiches, kids gathered to watch us and wave. A money exchanger guy joined us since we were close to the Malawi border. Then, the local police pulled up in an unmarked car with no uniforms and all of the kids scattered as the money guy dropped a huge stack of cash and ran. We were slightly worried but it turns out the police just wanted to shake down the money guy for a bribe and then let him go. We packed up the truck and drove 10 minutes to the Tanzania-Malawi border where it took 3 hours to get through customs on both sides even though we were the only group there. We don’t think that the Malawi office had a single computer. Once in Malawi, we drove a few more hours until the sun had set and we arrived at our campground. We set up tents in the dark and there were thousands of small bugs swarming the lights in the campground which almost made eating our dinner of fried fish and mashed potatoes impossible.

Day 59 - After such a long drive day yesterday, we were not excited to have another day of driving today, although we got to sleep in. Our chef, Emmanuel, made veggie omelettes for breakfast and we packed sandwiches for lunch on the road. For the first few hours of the drive, my siblings and I played card games with an Australian guy from our group named Rob. We played palace, hearts, and Alastair taught us euchre. At lunchtime, we stopped at a mall so that Emmanuel could restock foods. The 6 of us grabbed some drinks and cookies from the grocery store and then ate lunch together on the truck while we waited. I spent the afternoon drive chatting and laughing with my sisters. In no time, we arrived at the Kande Beach campsite next to Lake Malawi. We were disappointed to find that there was no Wi-Fi AND no service but it led to the chance for more quality time as a family in the end. Mom, Dagny, and I all took showers but both of them got good water pressure and warm water while I got neither. Dagny and I borrowed tubs to hand-wash some laundry and then the 4 of us played foosball with dad. At 7pm, we had dinner which was a traditional East African dish called ugali which was served with mixed veggies, beef on the bone, corn on the cob, and spinach. We ate dinner without utensils since you have to knead the ugali by hand. 

Day 60 - As much as I would have loved to sleep in today, I was up with the chirping birds at 6am. Dad and I spent some time wandering the campground and then mom and I played smashball as we waited for breakfast. We invited Michael, our guide, to play and he got so into it that he dove for the ball, rolling on the ground, accidentally snapping the handle off of the paddle. We had Nutella crepes for breakfast and then most of our group decided to go on a walking tour of the village surrounding our campground. We visited the Tonga tribe of the Mbamba village and it was incredible. We learned about casava cultivation and how it is pounded into casava flour by the older women of the village. We learned about the brick making process which starts with a communal mud pit. We learned about the school system, community values, and lifestyle of the Tonga people. Our favorite part of the tour was the people that we met. As soon as we left the gate of our campground with our local guides, Robert and “Sweet Banana,” we were greeted by a bunch of local artists in an experience which I can describe best as sorority rush adjacent. When Robert wasn’t teaching the whole group about the village, we were  each walking with a different artist and they all had adopted nicknames: Sugar Spice, Baby Giraffe, Mr. Flavor, etc. Lots of little kids joined our group and wanted to hold hands with us as we walked. At the end of our tour, the artists taught us how to play Bao, a local board game, and all 6 of us worked on our negotiation skills to purchase something. Magnolia got a carving of two giraffes, Dagny and I both got Bao boards, Alastair got a carving of an elephant, Dad commissioned a canvas painting of Africa with all of the destinations from our trip and the McLains on the Road logo, and Mom commissioned a new set of personalized smashball paddles. We were all very impressed with the quality of the paddles and had a great time teaching our new friends how to play. We had spaghetti for lunch and then the 4 of us spent some time at the beach with mom while dad smoked a cigar. We played some smashball, foosball, and pool before we had delicious steaks and french fries for dinner. We’re going to bed at 8pm because we have an early start tomorrow morning.

-Adelaide

July 22

Waking up early in the morning has been our new normal. Every day it get just a little easier. This morning we woke up at 5 and had breakfast at 5:30 and we were ready to go by 6. We started our day with a game drive mikumi park. We saw many of the same animals we’ve seen in other parks. Lions, hippos, gazelle, giraffe, and zebra. We learned a couple fun facts about the animals that we’ve never heard before. Like if a crocodile bites you you have to poke him in the eye to get him to let go. we learned how to tell the difference between make and female giraffes based on their horns. We drove around for four hours and then ended back at our campsite where we ate brunch. It was sausages and crepes and fruit. We pitched down our tents and loaded everything into the beast. The drive today was supposed to be six hours but I think it’s turning into eight. We’ve mostly been driving through small villages and towns but a little while ago we were stuck in some mountain traffic. All along the roads were baboons just hanging in the trees and on the ground. We were well entertained watching them. Once we get to our camp site we’ll set up dinner ouch the tents eat dinner and head to bed. That’s all.

-dagny