6.15 on the road and again we are truly lucky to spot another leopard heading south to Hook Gate. A very impressive total 4 leopards in 6 days.
Leaving Hook Gate we join the main road west and come across our first sign of civilization, further in another 100km our first Petrol station since Livingston, excited to see cooked chicken we indulged. Maz spotted a chap selling bow and arrows, wooden spoons for mixing Nshima, stools with cow hide etc and he knows I have an odd collection of cooking spoons at home so of course I purchased one and as for price Maz told 40 Pula and I'm told 80 Pula bartering is part and parcel of life here when buying road side and the agreed price is 20 Pula equivalent to £1 but Maz gives him 32 Pula since leaving the country and have no use for the cash.
Road conditions really poor, pot holes galore making it difficult to keep regular speed as ducking and diving and sometimes driving on the road verges in the dirt whilst the locals use the tar sealed road pot holed roads to walk on. Every few 100kms barriers are up and you have to pay road toll but God knows what for as it's not maintenance. Feels like we are back in the heart of Zambia constant small villages and people walking along the road going about their business. We are yet to see any other overlanders on route to Sioma (6 hrs) where we stay the night at Whispering Sands. Maz makes executive decision to visit the Ngonye Falls before going to the accommodation much to the annoyance of the kids who just grumble at the 1 hour walk round trip in the heat, over rocks, through bush to the viewpoint of the falls.
These beautiful Falls mark the transition point of the Zambezi Rivers' flow from Kalahari sand floodplain to basalt dyke - the latter eventually contributing to the magnificent gorges of the Victoria Falls.
The horseshoe-shaped Ngonye Falls are mostly impressive because of the sheer volume of water that cascades over the staggered, twenty meter drop. Not a tourist insight we have the view to ourselves.

We are greeted at Whispering Sands by the owners who seem pleased to have guests, confirming our food order for the evening we settle for a few hours in air conditioning and having hot showers we all feel very grubby after 6 days out of civilization. Dinner served - large steaks, chips salad, Arabella and I sampled the local fresh fish caught in the Zambezi River absolutely delicious served with Nshima and relish. (Nshima is the staple food of Zambia. It is basically a very thick porridge made from finely ground corn meal, called mealie meal similar to polenta).

So nice to not have to cook and to sleep in a bed instead of having to share a cramped foam mattress with the girls.

Over full English breakfast in the morning we have chats with the owner to discover that we are their first international guests since COVID in over 2 years.