OAT required us to use a fabric duffel that they mailed to us. We were told to personalize them to distinguish them from the other 15 people in our group. I tried to follow instructions so before we left I pulled out the fabric paint, and with all of my artistic talent painted pink and purple swirls on my bag. Michael saw it and said, “How old is that bag?” When I told him it was brand new, he said it looked like something out of the 60’s! Personally I like my bag, but NO ONE else individualized their bag except Robyn who has polka-dot duct tape on the bottom. Looks like I’m already in trouble!
The OAT bag and your personal item...backpack, etc...has a weight restriction of 44 lbs. That might sound like a lot until you realize we’ll be gone a month, and I cannot wear the same clothes in Africa as Dubai. Africa requires a lot of special items I don’t normally pack to travel...like toilet paper! We also brought gifts for a school and village we’ll be visiting along with a gift for a home visit and meal in South Africa. The weight limit is due to a couple of puddle-jumper planes we’ll be on between camps.
Clothes have been a source of frustration since we were instructed to wear natural tones of beige and khaki and not to bring anything white, black, dark blue including jeans, or bright colors. Black and dark blue attracts teesee flies which have a painful bite and carry sleeping sickness. White and bright colors scare the animals. Soooo, this eliminated my entire wardrobe!
The laundry is done in some of the camps by staff, but this is not everyday and no underwear which you must do yourself. Various people on OAT’s website mentioned not to bring anything good since items frequently had holes or burn marks. Robyn and I were fortunate to find most of our wardrobe essentials at various thrift shops....thank goodness for Goodwill and DAV! My 1st pair of pants, however, were so big I called them my “M. C. Hammer” pants...2 sizes too big and I could pull out the sides like an accordion. One of my shirts had a faint stain on it so I got a discount - $2 instead of $4. I am making a fashion statement, and it’s not pretty. I may be scaring some of the natives, but the animals are safe!
We were met at the airport in Johannesburg by a group of native African dancers with drums dressed in animal skins; entertaining and great welcome to Africa, but this is not the way natives now dress. We were told not to leave our hotel so Robyn and I ate dinner in the hotel restaurant. I really wanted the ostrich steak but got oxtail stew instead! Can’t wait...I think...to see what else exotic I eat!
In mthe morning, we headed back to the airport to board a plane for Zimbabwe. Our OAT guide and “mother” for the next 21 days were there to greet us, Nosipho Bhebhe or “No’s”. Our group loaded onto a small bus heading to our first camp in the bush. When the road got too rough, we transferred into our game drive vehicles - open air covered trucks with 3 rows of tiered seating which we were instructed to rotate positions on various days. It was late afternoon as we headed down a rocky bumpy rutted road to Kashawe Camp in Hwange National Park. Suddenly our first animal sighting - grazing impalas. These animals roam in packs with a dominant male and multiple females and babies . Their black lined faces look back, and I wonder what they are thinking. Before we reached camp, we spotted elephants in the distance. My 30x camera was more useful seeing animals than my 10x binoculars. Yes, I was in Africa and actually seeing animals in their native environments!
When we arrived in camp, we were met by singing and dancing staff offering scented cloths to wipe our dusty faces and hands and non-alcoholic cocktails. What a welcome! Our group was seated at a long table for dinner which was very tasty; the camp chef was there to explain the menu.
Towels folded in the shape of elephants greeted us in our canvas sided tents - really nice tents with window flaps and bathrooms including a flush toilet, sink, and solar heated shower. The camps are not fenced so animals may wander in at any moment. We are escorted each evening to our tents with a rifle toting guard and instructed not to leave until morning so those bathrooms come in very handy. Two single beds and a front porch looking out on the valley below would be our home for the next three days.
Lying in bed, you could also look out on the bush and wonder what might be looking in!
Several people found native visitors in their tents....spiders and lizards. We were also advised to keep our doors locked since baboons like to come in and will steal your stuff and wreck havoc. As the bush settled down to sleep, so did Robyn and I too tired to listen for the sounds we would hear about in the morning.
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