Day 57: Mvuu Lodge Campsite: Boat ride on the Zambezi

We spend a lazy morning chatting with Samantha, Nick, and the two lodge operators.

The two are from Zimbabwe, lost their farm in the early 2000s, and took over and expanded the lodge here 14 years ago. It's interesting to learn a little about the organization of a lodge.

The campsite assistants are responsible for the well-being of the guests: cleaning the respective sanitary blocks and the campsite, lighting fires, and doing the dishes in the morning. The latter is strange if you're not used to it (and we don't use it), but the extended family of Indian descent at the next campsite keeps the young man busy. If necessary, the assistants also help with setting up and dismantling. In August, for example, the peak season for anglers from South Africa, the day runs from 5 a.m. (fishing time) to 11 p.m. (bedtime, because everyone has eaten and drunk enough). This means the assistants are available virtually nonstop. And that's why the staff works in four teams – every fourth week, people have time off to focus on their families.

The lodge is completely closed during the rainy season from January to around March because it's almost impossible to reach.

When you consider the effort involved and realize that everything has to be brought here by boat or a long car ride, it's clear why the camp is so expensive.

Our boat trip on the Zambezi River starts at 2:00 PM. We actually wanted to go canoeing, but for one thing, the canoe guide is sick, and for another, it's quite windy and the water too choppy. So, for half a day, US $82 (boat with driver plus fuel costs) is a bargain compared to US $100 (per person) for a canoe trip :-)

It's fun. There are probably thousands of hippos here, their eyes constantly appearing and disappearing. We see elephants, crocodiles, lots of birds, a fantastic backdrop. And we enjoy it; it's so peaceful and relaxing.

We're back at 6:00 PM, cooking and preparing a few things for tomorrow: coffee and tea, cereal, and sandwiches. We're heading to the national park early...