04.12.10 Mosi oa Tunya National Park

I went to the crafts market with Jen this morning. I was glad that she was going as I hoped it meant we would get less hassle! Carlos also came along.

The market was great although began to get a little repetitive after the 7th stall we had been to.We must have been there for 1 ½ hours and then Carlos left us - not sure if he was used to women shopping! Ha ha I bought some lovely things, but after a while it got a bit irritating being bombarded with people trying to get you buy so we headed for a coffee break. We returned to a few more stalls and then headed back to Jollyboys.

This afternoon I had booked onto the walking safari in the hope of seeing the white rhino! Freddie would also be doing it and it ended up being just the two of us, which meant we could freely ask as many questions as we wanted to the guide. We had not even got on foot yet when the guide spotted four of the five white rhino that live in the park, well in Zambia! They were so close! We got out of the vehicle and were told to keep behind the guide at all times, our protector (with rifle) would be leading and look out for any signs of danger. So here we were looking at the endangered white rhino. I felt so privileged.

We were told about the history of these particular rhino and those that had been moved to the park as the original 5. One of them had had a baby but it had sadly died - the mother had been trying to protect it (within the park its only predator is poachers) and had suffocated it through lying on top of it. Another of the rhinos was eating on the riverbank when the bank collapsed - rhinos cannot swim, and it drowned. Another was desperate for a mate, but it could not find one (as there were only 5 in the park) it ended up starving itself for 5 weeks and died (I think it was a broken heart....). A poacher actually killed one of the original five in 2008 - they are heavily protected now and will be watched 24 hours a day.

We came across the fifth rhino that was pregnant and it was expected that she would give birth within the next week. The guides just hoped that the calf would not end up being suffocated. She was massive! And even so close to birth, she could move up to 40kmph, so we kept our distance and stood behind a tree stump! I really enjoyed hearing all about the rhinos and some of the other stuff that we were being told - such as impala have reserved toilet spots which they will only use and will have to visit each of the toilets in the day, otherwise it will get taken over by another animal! I just thought they went to the loo anywhere!

I was irritated with Freddy as he didn't seem to appreciate the fact that we were seeing an endangered species of animal. He wanted to see giraffe and was getting impatient with the amount of time we were spending on the rhino..... The weather had turned cooler and it rained. We all had to put our waterproofs on and it turned a bit miserable!

After about an hour and a half the jeep met us, we had a break with homemade cake and lemonade, and then set off to the other side of the park. I think that the guide wanted to try and find us the giraffe. We ended up seeing two giraffe but I was glad of the binoculars as it was a little bit too far away. We also saw baboons, monkeys, warthogs, impala and in the distance Zebra! So it was a good afternoon, even though the weather was a bit rubbish. I would have preferred to have gone on my own really, but I am so lucky to have seen the white rhino!

Maria, Jen and Kirsten were leaving at about 8pm that evening. It would be a shame to see Kirsten and Maria go as I had got on really well with them. Very easy to talk to and a balanced conversation. I had a couple of beers in the fridge, so shared these with them, and we said our goodbyes.

That evening I was happy to stay at jollyboys, but it got really rowdy again and Freddie wanted to eat out as he was leaving the next day. So we went to a Mexican place - which on the outside looked like no one was there - so Freddie said lets go somewhere else. We ended up at an Indian restaurant would you believe!! It was part of a hotel and there were a number of English people there, but luckily they didn't give us too much of a bad name! The food was lovely, and kindly (as with the night where both Bert and Freddie had paid), Freddie paid even though I protested a lot (he knew I was strapped for cash).

After the meal Freddie wanted to go for another drink, I really didn't but I felt bad for him having bought the meal, so we got a shared taxi back up to a bar that him and Bert had been to earlier that week. It was really busy and a band was playing. I just didn't like it all and felt uncomfortable as soon as I walked in. We were taken to a back room bar so that we could get drinks and man came over to ask for money from Freddie.... we got our drinks and then moved into the main bar. I felt like a mannequin in a shop window - so many men staring at you and women with scowls on their faces! The stares were not because I was white, it was because I was a women I am convinced. Not a great place to be in a bar, for a woman. Anyway a lady came over and was speaking to Freddie and she seemed to get quite aggressive. Turned out that she wanted a drink. In the end for peace, Freddie agreed and took her to the bar. He was gone ages and in the end I went over and said that I was going. I waited outside and eventually he came out, with the women following!! Eventually she left and Freddie said that when he got to the bar, she had then asked him to buy her cousin a drink! She wouldn't take no for an answer. He is very good natured and it's not nice seeing someone taken advantage of. It seems to happen quite a bit here, and you just need to be firm from the start - they bought her a drink the other night so she felt entitled to one again when she saw him. I was glad to leave and get back to Jollyboys! I didn't care how rowdy it was!

05.12.10

I said goodbye to Freddie as he was getting his bus at 0930 and then chatted for a while to Carlos. It was an odd day and I felt a little low. Perhaps it was because I was trying to work out what to do over the next few days and it looked as though I might not be able to go on safari again.

At lunch a man I had not seen before joined me and another couple, asking lots of questions about safari and Victoria Falls etc. He ended up asking me to go for a drink - I made my excuses as if I accepted it would be because I wanted to go to the Royal Livingstone and not for a drink with him. I didnt want him getting the wrong idea....

All has worked out well as I am now booked onto a 2 day 2 night camping safari! We go on Tuesday!! Whoopee!

I was writing in my diary and the bar man came up to me and said "someone is watching you" this freaked me out and I turned around, and couldn't see anyone. I turned back around and he said "he's still watching you" - but I couldn't see anyone! Eventually he pointed and said "in the tree" and there, sure enough staring at me, was a chameleon! Wow! I had never seen one before and it was so cute!! I saw it changing colour and moving down the tree, across the path (and its strange little swaying movement) and up another tree, its shades of green changed and it added white spots to its back! Amazing and fascinating. I watched him for 30 minutes!

In the evening I chatted with Carlos again and the couple from Holland. I saw a couple that had come back from a camping safari and they said it was amazing so I am looking forward to it even more!

Went to bed about 10. Can't wait to sleep in my own room - but the snoring has stopped at least!