With this title I am not trying to be negative. Perhaps a bit funny…. but I do feel a bit worried about the landscape I have been overflying throughout Africa so far.
Not so surprisingly, the Sahara in Egypt and Sudan are of course very dry and therefore everything is different shades of brown and yellow.
The rain season in East Africa is yet to start within some weeks so the season is dry and very hot.
Here in Zambia I learn that the last three seasons the rain has not been much and the reservoirs are at record low level. All rivers are basically dried out and some hippos are starting to die from the heat.
Even the economy is getting hurt as the electrical supply is being shed and is therefore unreliable. This is also valid for Tanzania…
In Zambia there can be seen some green but also here like in Kenya, West Ethiopia, Tanzania the countries are basically different shades of brown. It is all very dry and hot.
Hopefully some rain will come soon but then I am close to the Cape I guess…
Since I did not post any photos from the great safari yesterday in the , I would really like to share the elephant and the lion today. Beautiful animals!
Last night I stayed with the very friendly Meiers family and the big brother Murray and I spend the whole afternoon talking Moth’s and other flying stuff. Mr Murray is the proud owner of a FW190 and a Mk14 Griffon engined Spitfire and a Sopwith Pup!
I could hardly believe that this crop-dusting farmer had this genuine interest for flying. We will keep in contact for sure! He might want to get a Moth in the future! And I might wanna take a look at his precious aircraft!
He also surprised me this morning with washing the Moth (she was very dirty and in a desperate need of water). This while I was still sleeping! To be honest, I do not think he did it for me, he did it for the Moth!!
As I got airborne I was sitting there looking at the shiny sliver wings and I was smiling on behalf of this wonderful aeroplane!
Also Mr Murray refused to get paid for the 70 liters Mogas he supplied. Big thanks for yet another very practical support of Cape to Cape. It will be remembered!
The two hour flight to Livingstone was pleasant with little turbulence and some good tailwind. Visibility is bad with very hazy conditions and that unfortunately takes away some of the joy of looking out and makes the flying and navigation a bit more difficult.
Pleasant airport with friendly staff and Grant, my G.A.S.E contact in Livingston. A fixed wing and microlight pilot taking tourists for scenic flights over the Victoria falls. I have not seen them yet!
He has helped out with flight permits and booking of my lodge so off we went to Maramba river lodge and we are having dinner tonight!
I will stay two nights so that I can do some sight seeing and then Botswana!
Stay tuned,
Johan
