Bulgaria - The Rila Monastery
Foto: A waterbuck (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Mozambique - The alarm goes off at 5:15 AM. Outside, it’s already light. Getting up early is something I’ve quickly gotten used to, especially since I go to bed on time in the evenings. I have breakfast at the restaurant and by 6:30, I climb into the safari truck. The truck has room for 20 people, spread across five benches. The farther back you sit, the higher the benches are, which gives everyone a good view. Macedonna is my driver for today, and he welcomes me warmly. He apologizes in advance—because of today’s extreme heat, the animals may be harder to spot. We leave the campsite and head north into the park. Before long, I spot warthogs with their piglets. An oribi leaps away in alarm. As we drive, I see plenty of waterbucks and impalas. Macedonna takes us to the lowlands. During the rainy season, this area floods, making it inaccessible to trucks, and the park is closed during that time. The rainy season is just about to begin. I visit the “Lion House”—the ruins of what was once meant to be a luxury restaurant and lodge. However, it flooded every year. When it was abandoned, lions took over the building and used the first floor to survey the plains. Today, no lions are around the house, but several antelope are scattered across the flatland. We continue toward the Rio Mussicadzi. The river has nearly dried up and longs for the rainy season. In the remaining puddle, a Nile monitor is trying to flip a turtle onto its back. Several ibises are nearby, a Goliath heron stands in the water, and fish eagles perch in the trees. A troop of monkeys watches us closely. On the plain beyond the river, a group of sable antelopes grazes. This antelope species is found only in this part of Africa. By 10:30, I’m back at the campsite. It’s oppressively hot. Macedonna suggests leaving a bit earlier this afternoon. It will still be hot, but it will allow him to drive deeper into the park, toward the larger waterhole. I rest in the shade by my rondavel. At 2 PM, I’m ready for the second round. It’s still extremely hot—my backpack thermometer shows 40°C (104°F) in the shade. No wonder the animals seek out the shade, too. Still, I manage to spot several animals, including a bushbuck. Just after 3 PM, a dark sky begins to form. A sandstorm is approaching. Macedonna parks the truck with the closed back facing the wind, and the storm passes over us. It even rains lightly. Because of the weather, Macedonna drives the truck back to the campsite. But soon the skies clear completely. We manage to convince Macedonna to go to the waterhole after all. “Why not?” he says. Just after 4 PM, we arrive at the pool. This one, too, is nearly dry. I had hoped it would be the place where the scarce elephants, lions, and buffalo might gather, but all I find are a few ibises, monkeys, and a marabou stork. We return to the campsite. Macedonna keeps a good pace, and I have to duck every now and then to avoid the swinging branches. It’s starting to get dusky, and the sun sinks toward the horizon.
The coral reef of the Bazaruto Archipelago
Mozambique - Even before the alarm goes off, I’m awake. It’s already completely light outside. It’s strange that they don’t choose to shift the clock like in Kenya. That way, it would stay light longer in the evening. Now, the entire daily rhythm is shifted, ...
The train station of Maputo
Mozambique - Around half past two, we walk into the center of Maputo. Just to be safe, without any valuables on us. We follow the sights from the travel guide. Via Jardin Tunduru park, past the Casa de Ferro (Iron House) and the White Catedral de Nossa Senhora da ...