A Day on the Rivers

Today was a dust-free, bounce-free day spent in shaded pontoon boats on the Kafue and Lufupa Rivers. Rafts of hippos were semi-submerged in the water, keeping their skin moist from the sun. If they ducked under the water completely, they’d come up spraying water like a whale. We were told that hippos don’t swim, they walk along the river bottom, sometimes munching on water plants—but they like land grasses better.

Nile crocodiles lined the banks, and we were introduced to many native birds, including three varieties of kingfisher. The African fish eagle is the national bird of Zambia. Everyone knows its call because it is always played before the national news. The news is broadcast in the seven most dominant of the 72 different languages in Zambia (one for each tribe). English is the official language, making 73 languages in Zambia.

In the middle of the day, between our river safaris, we had free time to play dice Catan in the lounge by the river. Later, Helen, the camp manager, gave a presentation on some of the traditions of Zambia, and showed us how they make peanut butter—which is used in everything from their morning porridge to their dinner vegetables (delicious!).

With the cooler temperatures on our sunset cruise, some of the hippos had moved up to the banks and the crocs were a bit more active. Back in camp, our dinner featured fresh-caught tilapia, thanks to a couple of our fellow travelers and our guides.Read more