2 years in the wilds of South Luangwa National Park…
A fond farewell to Zambia
As October drew to a close a few short and sweet rain showers gave us much needed respite from the scorching sun, a little teaser of the fast approaching climate to come. The first November dawn bought the departure of our last guests and the close of another season at Shenton Safaris.
It also signalled my departure from the valley.
It had been a pleasure to spend 2 years living in a unique wilderness wonderland. With hippos and elephants for neighbours and close encounters with friendly felines, the valley forever enchanted and surprised us. It would also be hard leaving behind the staff, who made it all the more like family; sharing laughs, banter, tears and tantrums.
Over the past 2 years I had lived a life that others can only dream of and personally achieved more than I ever thought I would. But it was time to move on to the next adventure, which meant moving south to the wilds of Botswana.
But for now, tionana Zambia….until the next time.
11.11.2016
Mango Madness
The intense October sun has left the valley parched- the ground arid and dusty and the life-giving Luangwa reduced to the faintest trickle. It can seem at this time of year that there is not much to be thankful for, as animals and people alike are waiting for one thing…rain.But every cloud has a silver lining and here in Mfuwe, though the rains are still a few weeks away, we have been awash with a deluge of mangoes; sold in the village for 5 Kwacha ($0.50) a bucket.
I’m sure our guests in the Northern Hemisphere can appreciate the pure luxury of having sun-ripened mangoes on your doorstep. Far superior than a fruit that has been plucked before its peak then shipped halfway across the world, before it reaches your plate.
One of our chefs at Kaingo is Andrew Njobvu Junior, who particularly loves making desserts and sweet treats. A natural flare is reflected in his crowd pleasing creations and if you are staying at Kaingo, it is likely that he will be baking the cake for afternoon tea. A firm favourite with guests is his light and fluffy Victoria Sponge filled with orange curd and passionfruit. Here Andrew explains why this is his favourite time of the year and shares a recipe to tantalise your taste buds.
“The mangoes in Mfuwe are some of the best in Zambia and that is why everybody loves them. Young, old and even the elephants adore these magic fruits. Every night they cross the river in large herds to eat the mangoes in the village, only re-entering the park when they are full! In our village we use the mangoes for many different things: we make jam and chutney, or we dry them and then pound them to make porridge.At this time of year it is very very hot!! So I think the guests would like something cold and refreshing. I decided to make a mango and coconut ice cream as I think the flavours go nicely together. Serve the ice-cream in a chilled glass, if you like you can dust the rim with toasted coconut, then to finish you can add mint or even passionfruit.”
Another mango product made locally is dried mango which is sold by the company COMACO “It’s Wild”. COMACO “Community Markets for Conservation” works with small-scale farmers in the Luangwa valley. Its mission is to “provide marketing services, trade benefits and extension support aimed at incentivising farmers to adopt improved land use and farming practices that promote natural resource conservation and better quality of life.” If you would like to read more about “Its Wild” please follow this link http://www.itswild.org/
At Kaingo we support “Its Wild” by buying all of our honey, peanut butter, rice and dried mango from the shop in Mfuwe. The honey and mango make a fantastic addition to our homemade granola; served at morning tea and brunch.
Read the full Shenton Safaris full October blog for more safari life and animal antics at http://www.kaingo.com/newsletters-2016/october-2016/
01.11.2016
Life in the bush… sensations for all senses
It’s not often that I pity the guests that come through our doors however, every time we say goodbye to new found friends, I feel incredibly privileged that this is not my holiday, it’s my home.
I think what makes it feel so special is that we get to experience the minor details, the little quirks, of life in the bush that are othwise overlooked by tourists. Maybe because they are not action shots or cannot be captured through a lens? These moments are not simply vistas but the sounds and smells that make everything come alive.
It’s the low early morning “doh doh doh” of the ground hornbill calling its mate; followed by the higher pitched “dah dah dah” reply. Its the sickly sweet scent of the kigelia flowers that have fallen and carpeted the floor with red. The chomp chomp and the buzz coming from the bushbuck and the bees – nibbling and sucking on their sugary breakfast.
The rise of the sun brings more birdcall, though not always tuneful. The cat-strangling “mweeh” of the go away bird or the high pitched babble of the green wood hoopes. Even the “tap tap tap” of the beeteaters – bashing their breakfast on the branches to remove the nasty stinger, can test even the greatest of patiences!
Because without these, everyday life just wouldn’t seem complete.
31.10.2016
Rediscovering our ABC’s
Over the warm summer months our vegetable garden has gone into overdrive. Kaingo kitchen has been inundated with lush leafy greens, fresh papayas and limes, carrots, radishes and peppers and we have had tonnes of aubergines, beetroots and cauliflower.
Read the full blog at http://www.kaingo.com/blog/rediscovering-abcs-shenton-safaris-kitchen-news/
16.10.2016
Kaingo goes to Bollywood…
Remote living in the bush is full of wonders and I constantly have to remind myself that this lifestyle is pretty unreal. Where else would you have elephants on your doorstep or a herd of 200 buffalo drinking on the opposite riverbank whilst sipping an evening gin and tonic?
There are however the little things that you miss. A craving for smoked salmon and fresh fish, or a proper coffee that isn’t Ricoffee or Nescafe Instant. Well for a little morning indulgence we have been whisking hard to make cappuccinos – complete with chocolate sprinkles!!!
Also in the kitchen we have been spicing things up for an Indian dinner for our guests from Chennai. Our Bollywood brunch menu included tandoori chicken, chapatis and spiced baked cauliflower. For dinner, a grand buffet: bhajis, lamb curry, aubergine and potato curry, saag and homemade paneer, fresh naan breads and poppadoms, then a final flourish – chai latte ice cream. We hope they enjoyed it as much as we did making it!!!
01.08.2016
A kinda cheese and sleeping lions
It has been a quite couple of weeks in camp and as we head into August things are moving a very relaxed pace, definitely conserving energy for a hectic hot Autumn!!
We have had lots of lovely animal sightings with the first season’s sighting of the Mwamba lion pride and elephants scouring the camp daily for juicy ebony fruits (tastes like a date/pear hybrid).
On another morning, I was in the office with my cup of coffee looking at the pinky morning light on the riverbank, when I noticed a group of impala on the sand bank. It took me a few seconds to question myself and suddenly realised that it was a pack of 15 wild dogs!! I forgot all about my coffee and raced back to my bungalow to grab my binos and spent the next 45 minutes watching them play on the sand.
We have also been preparing for vegan guests coming into camp in August. After a little researching I experimented with a recipe for vegan cream cheese. I boiled, whisked, boiled again, then curdled it, then strained. Finally I waited patiently for the cheese to set overnight and would you believe it, with the addition of tangy spring onion, black pepper and dill it is most definitely edible!!
15.07.2016
When life gives you lemons…
So here in camp there are rarely moments when life is sour but quite literally we have been dodging lemons left, right and centre. Hundreds of the little buggers from the plots in Lusaka and Mfuwe and every time you feel accomplished when you have juiced the last – a hundred more come flooding in.
Now at Kaingo, we really do work hard but there comes a limit as to how many gin and tonics we can drink in order to use our citrus surplus!
So in the kitchen we’ve been extremely busy making lots of lemon cakes and mousses, homemade lemonade and not to mention a fabulously creamy, velvety lemon tart made by Andrew Junior.
15.07.2016
Campfires and night caps
So enough of my downtime, more about work!
Well the week started with a lovely American family, so with a little time on my hands I released my inner child and got thinking about what treats I would fancy if I was younger.
And of course it had to be…..marshmallows!!
With a little luck (no sugar thermometer) and a guesstimate leaf gelatin to powdered conservation, out turned perfectly pillowy clouds of vanilla marshmallows. Add to this, our kitchen porter James, who made 8 pointed sticks for toasting and some hot chocolate sauce for dunking and we were ready.
We huddled around the fire (or bush tv – as its mesmerizing flames can keep you entranced for hours!) and toasted our mallows until they were toffee golden and crispy around the edges.
To put the cherry on the top, we rounded off the evening with hot choccy for the kids and of course Amarula for the adults!
08.07.2016
Off days
So I know it doesn’t sound as if we are working hard but beneath our graceful smiles everyone is busy working frantically. And I know I only had days off a couple of weeks ago, but the busy months will be flat out so I am determined to take all of my leave before the end of August! Anyway I decided to treat myself to a luxurious 2 night stay at puku ridge, part of the sanctuary group of retreats. So I was all ready and very excited but you know what they say pride comes before a fall…
So I drive out of camp and after only 5 mins come to a group of elephants in the road. I sit and wait but they don’t want to move so I reverse the car around and back to camp. Luckily one of our guides has to go into town so I follow him back through the grove and past the ellies!
The rest of the journey goes without a hitch. I make the right turn onto the Chichele road and bounce along the graveled track. Keep going they said until you see Chichele presidential lodge and after what seems like miles and miles it finally comes into view.
I pull into the drive and ask the waiter for directions for Puku ridge, the first right he tells me but go over the ridge not down. I take the road and the track gets rocky and holey and steep. It reminds me of a track “clay pit lane” that took years ago down a hill on the south downs, thinking it was a proper road. I’m not sure my a poor little fiat siecento ever forgave me.
I follow the directions to the letter and pull into a workshop, I beep the horn twice. Nothing! I must have gone wrong this can’t be right so I drive back onto a wider track and down, thinking I will come to the main reception. I pass through a herd of buffalo and past impala and out on to a flat pan. It then dawns on me that this is the view from the deck of Puku ridge. I reverse the car once more to turn around, but as it turns there is a loud pop.
I look down and my drivers side front tyre is pancake flat, my phone won’t connect and the car radio is out. I want to scream and my eyes well up, but that won’t help me get back.
I continue to drive keeping my foot hard on the gas, I can hear the wheel rim scraping on gravel as I make it back onto the main road and onwards to Chichele, for the second time. Rubber and gravel are flying in every direction but somehow I make it past the entrance gate! The car rolls to a stop, I put it into gear and yank the handbrake before turning off the ignition and peel myself out of the sticky chair. All I can do is yell “someone take me to puku ridge now” before bursting into tears…
22.06.2016
Lions at sundowners
So if bush breakfasts wasn’t enough excitement for you how about some lions with your gin and tonic?
Admiring the sunset and elephants drinking at the waters edge we suddenly noticed a lioness stalking impala in the grass. We watched 15 metres away and she grew closer to her target. We wondered why she was alone but we soon answered when the young lion blew her cover, looping round the impala to push them towards the tall grass.
An ambush??
The impala scattered into the ebony grove and we were left in the darkness with the echoing alarm calls and belly growls of the lions.
21.06.2016
Breakfast in the bush
The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the hippos, as usual, are sleepily slumped on the nearest sandbank. Can you think of a better setting for breakfast? No rush, little noise and a breathtaking view, as you sit and indulge in a 2 course brunch ( did I mention there was bucks fizz!!!) in a quiet corner of the Luangwa Valley.
Luckily for us this isn’t a one off, its just a lovely part of living life in the bush.
So what are you waiting for?
Swap your cornflakes for homemade muesli and yoghurt and your kitchen table for the river bank!!! Bring yourselves and your camera and we will supply the champers!
18.06.2016
A day in Heaven
Otherwise known as Mwamba bush camp (heaven in Nyanga), Kaingo’s simplistic and sophisticated little sister, where, instead of angels you can find prancing puku, elephants or even lions without having to leave the brunch table!
Rebuit entirely from scratch at the start of each season, four little thatch and reed rondavels camouflaged in the long grass. Here you can really get back to nature, the showers are interlaced under shady sausage trees and skylights mean you can fall asleep under the stars.
Wednesday bought our first guests of 2016 so I went over to open the kitchen and catch up with the team over there.
One of the main thoughts was whether the honey badger would return this year. Last year, a menace terrorised the staff and night after night would break into the kitchen and raid anything he could get his hands on. Hopefully we are better prepared this year, the surrounding fence has been dug into the ground and concreted, so all we can do for now is sit and cross our fingers.
03.06.2016
Solo Solar: Kaingo gets on the grid
Here in camp our electrician has had a very busy couple of weeks, as it was decided that this season would be the start of using only solar power.
Until now, most lights were charged by solar energy and power stored in battery cells, with a generator giving us power for running the office and charging guest’s camera batteries. At camp we have installed 16 solar panels which will give us enough power for: pumping water, lights, electricity, charging and internet, so yesterday we turned the generator off for the last time.
Now, to all of you in cities, towns and villages, this might not seem like a big deal. But out here in the bush, when the temperature reaches 35 degrees and your gas fridge is holding at 25, having an electric fridge is the best present ever.
To say I am over the moon does not come close to describing my affections for my new fridge. It is now in pride of place in the kitchen and has been lovely cleaned, polished and labelled. Another bonus is that we can now make ice cream!!! So come the scorching sunshine, the deck will be the place to chill with sorbet in hand.
01.06.2016
Lions at the Gift Shop, Leopards by the Lavatory
Dawn bought a ruckus of roars throughout camp, with lions calling and squabbling in the early hours, soon to be joined by howling monkeys. The territorial dispute dissipated and we climbed aboard the land cruiser and set out to find out where the lions went. Besides the Luangwa we found a lioness stalking and further ahead a 3 big male lions separated by the river.
We listened as they took it in turns with deep earthy roars, each trying to outdo the other. The boys on the Nsefu side took to the water, but after a few paces realised it was too deep for them to cross. The Kaingo lion was then joined by his partner in crime, both sides evenly matched, the roaring continued.
Back in camp, three young lions were marooned in the bushes behind the gift shop. Left behind in the morning, probably by the female we saw earlier. They sat and gazed curiously at the staff who wandered by, until a quite moment when they made their break for freedom.
As we had no guests in camp, we indulged in a calm cuppa and a slice of cake on the main deck, and then wandered back to the office. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted tracks, now I am pretty useless with spores, but even to me the prints were on top of the many flip-flop staff spores. These were fresh. Now, we had been told the lions went out the main entrance and though they were young these prints were small. They were leopard. We followed the tracks through camp; the leopard had started at the Chitenge and strolled through camp, past my house, past the office and right the way to the boss house.
Back on board the car as dusk fell, we took a drive, stopping for sundowners and popcorn along the way. Once dark we found a group of lions stalking puku. We sat in the dark, listening for sound but stillness prevailed. In glimpses of light it was astonishing to see how far the lions had moved and how silently they did it. They had looped far back around the puku, biding their time so we left them to it and moved on. Near camp, we found the camp’s namesake: Kaingo. A young female, probably our one from camp nearly invisible in the tall grass. A low grumble stopped her in her tracks, male lions and 3 of them. She lay flat on her belly, had they seen her?
The lions, calling, continued on oblivious. We wondered how peaceful the night would be tonight…
27.05.2016
Ready…Set…Go…
So after weeks of preparation, we are finally ready for our first guests. The chitenge has been polished, decks scrubbed, cushions stuffed and I even painted the kitchen and filled up the cracks with poly filler.
The rhythms of the day: morning drums, brunch, afternoon tea and sundown come so naturally to daily life that it almost seems as if we haven’t been away. Waking to the birds singing, the hippos snorting and laughing amongst themselves, the hyena whooping and the gorgeous golden early morning sun over the still water reminds me every day just how magical the valley is.
Eesh…it’s a hard life!!!
26.05.2016
Back to the bushes
We neared the end of the village, past the petrol garage and the last outposts of civilisation. Pausing at the gate to greet the scout then over the bridge to take us into the national park. The river which had been a trickle when we had left in November, was replaced by a vast and freely flowing ocean, flanked by swathes of lush foliage. The gravel track crunched beneath the tyres as we drove on. Hippos munching on water hyacinths in the lagoon, zebra, waterbuck, elephants all enjoying the last golden hours of sunlight before nightfall. As we grew close to camp a flash of amber caught my eye. I couldn’t believe my eyes as we approached a pack of 6 wild dogs. Usually you are honoured to catch a fleeting glimpse as they flash past, but here they were relaxing on the sandy track like they didn’t have a care in the world. Behind, nestled in the bushes was a hyaena – obviously hoping to benefit when the dogs catch dinner, however, she soon realised this wouldn’t work and was chased away. We stayed until the sun dipped below the horizon before leaving them and making our way into camp where my little round house was waiting for me.
16.05.2016
Big country, little plane
My outward journey so far had been pretty uneventful, if you excuse the passengers with Torettes shouting, loud snoring, and a man wailing in the aisle and I had had 2 restful nights in Lusaka. So I suppose for the short flight to Mfuwe I had used up all my reserves of luck! At our departure time we were told that our flight would be later, “12 o’clock or before madam” the steward emphasised before telling us to sit and wait.
We duly waited and 12 o’clock came and went. A flurry of activity, suited officials, gold hiluxes signalled that our flight had abandoned for the imminent arrival of the president (that explains the rolls of carpet in the arrivals alley) and bought the entire airport to a standstill. Mr President came and went and after 2 1/2 hours our luggage was finely wheeled on to the tarmac. Would we finally be on our way? A little red 12 seater plane rolled into view, my heart lifted – finally we were moving. Such excitement was short lived, as we squeezed our way through the narrow slit between chairs the pilot gave his briefing. The hot little tin can of a plane would fly lower and so the journey time was double. To make matters worse the hot afternoon bought wind so we were in for a lumpy ride. I could feel that this wouldn’t be a peaceful voyage.
As the engine was fired up and we gathered speed on the runway I crossed my fingers. We climbed into the sky at angle far to acute for my liking and then curved steeply round to begin our flight east. Levelling off the plane flew to a rhythm of bob,bob, bob, dip, each time making my stomach lurch!
To focus my attention away from the motion I took deep breaths, though it was hard not to wonder, when looking at the crevice lined hills below, if you were to crash if anyone would ever find you. Another destruction was a very full bladder, as we had been shut in the departure room for over 2 hours so I was unsure if I was going to be sick, wet myself both. If that wasn’t bad enough the co-pilot decided to eat his lunch of fried chicken and made the cabin stink. My fingers tightened around the sick bag in my lap…
16.05.2016
thesafarichef 