October 19, 2016 by coloradotravelingducks

Zeb the Duck Remembers Africa

I, Zeb the Duck, really loved my summer in Southern Africa. I wanted to show you some of my favorite memories, but there were so many. Remember this trip started with us volunteering for a couple weeks with Ripple Africa in Malawi.

Ripple Africa

The students were so friendly and eager to learn.

Students

We saw this all over Southern Africa. Living on the shore of Lake Malawi, we appreciated the sunny days and the evenings watching the moon rise over the lake.

Moon rising over Lake Malawi

We saw people everywhere carrying items on their heads.

Great posture and great balance as they carry heavy loads

The humans walk so gracefully and have beautiful posture. These changu changu moto stoves save so much wood and requires so much less work to use.

Changu changu moto wood burning stove

They are a huge improvement over the traditional three stone stove. Men stack wood on frames on their bicycles.

Loading firewood on bicycle

Seeing them ride with all the wood was fascinating. We smiled at this sign, but it was true.

The monkeys do take things

The monkeys will pick up most items and the items may be gone forever. Victoria Falls is so big and so powerful. It really is a sight for all to see.

Rainbow Falls at Victoria Falls, Zambia

This is Rainbow Falls on the Zambian side. The rainbow seems to be there almost all the time. Male dancers and singers in the Kingdom of Swaziland entertained us.

Entertainers from Kingdom of Swaziland

Many humans think of large animals and safaris whenever Africa is mentioned. We loved our safaris and the animals are so majestic, and in many cases, they were playful and entertaining. Impalas are so plentiful and also so delicate and graceful.

Impala

We never tired of seeing them. We love the zebras.

Zebra

The stripes are so exotic to me. And the massive elephants, especially in groups always take your breath. And there is nothing like a baby elephant to soften your heart.

Elephants

Cape Buffalo always make us smile.

Cape Buffalo

The Swazi candles were some of our favorite souvenirs. Packing them was a challenge!

Candle from Swazi Candles.

This monkey candle is bigger than I am. I loved seeing the Indian Ocean from Bonnie, our horse. The money in Africa was very colorful. We like each denomination a different color. Makes things easier for humans. Each country used a different currency, but US dollars were accepted most places.

Money from Malawi, Mozambique, and South Africa.

Zimbabwe did not print their own paper money. The official currency of Zimbabwe is the US Dollar. We did bring a little local currency home, but most of the left over money is donated at airports to help the local people. If everybody gives a little, that equals a lot of money and a lot of local help. We did purchase many Visas, each time we entered a country, and flights between countries in Southern Africa were expensive and not always convenient. But the experience was unforgettable. The people–so friendly and helpful. The land and animals are beautiful. We were able to visit Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Kingdom of Swaziland, South Africa and Mozambique. We hope you visit these countries soon. You will never forget the experience.

September 7, 2016 by coloradotravelingducks

Lilongwe, Malawi with Zeb the Duck

All of our traveling companions have left Malawi now. Mom and I, Zeb the Duck, have one more day here. We have been to Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, a few times, but never for very long. Today I want to show you some of what we saw here, in Lilongwe. When we first arrived in Malawi, we walked to this shopping center.

Lilongwe Shopping Center

You can see it is very nice, but not like our shopping malls. There is a Game Store. That is where we purchased sleeping bags for our safari. We did leave the sleeping bags at our hotel so others can use them or they can be sold to help other people. Remember our first trip was to Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary where we hiked and saw some animals.

Monkeys by road in Lilongwe

This was our taxi.

Taxi in Lilongwe

I, Zeb the Duck, like these kinds of taxis. A couple times we had dinner here, at the Bombay Palace.

Bombay Palace, Lilongwe, Malawi

The food was good and the people were nice. This was a nice dessert stop.

Here for dessert, Lilongwe, Malawi

We stayed at the Kiboko Town Hotel in Lilongwe.

Kiboko Town Hotel. Our home in Lilongwe, Malawi

Again, the people were all so nice and helpful. Everyone we met in Malawi was wonderful. We also had dinner here at the Ad Lib Restaurant.

Ad Lib Restaurant, Lilongwe, Malawi

This restaurant is in the hotel building, but they are separate businesses. I admired the huge wood carvings.

Wood carving

There are many talented artists in Malawi.

Wood carving in our hotel

The craft market was next to our hotel.

Craft market from our hotel balcony

We all spent a lot of time there. This craft market goes to the end of the street, turns to the right and goes about another block. Many purchases were made, but we felt the prices were very reasonable. And the vendors were very friendly and helpful. If you did not purchase anything from them, they were still nice. Mom and I wandered along different streets, but she did not take many photos. This is one street photo including a mosque.

Street scene with mosque

People from many countries and of many religions seem to get along well with each other. We did not see any arguments. Back to the craft market by our hotel, these friendly vendors were our friends.

Favorite vendors

Of course we did purchase some souvenirs. Mom said we have more countries to visit, so we can only purchase a few small things at each market. The suitcase will not hold too much. We want you know that all the people we met in Malawi were so nice and so willing to share with each other. Everyone had smiles. But, life here is difficult. This is one of the poorest countries in Africa. The malaria rate is high. Many people get cholera. The HIV rate is also very high. Even finishing elementary school is not common. You may have heard that southern Africa is enduring another drought and many organizations predict millions will die of starvation. These are the faces of youth we met.

Eager faces of youth

All eager and wanting to learn so much.

Students eager to learn more

If you have a favorite charity, perhaps you can give a donation for Malawi and other southern African countries. Some of our favorite charities are Women for Women. This charity often gives small loans to help women start businesses. Perhaps $25 to sew items to sell. They have a very high success rate and the loan repayment rate is also very high. Heifer International gives a few goats or other animals, perhaps chickens and teaches how to use milk, eggs etc for themselves, sell the extra and let the animals reproduce. Then the new animals are given to another family or village to continue the process. Of course, Ripple Africa is the organization where we volunteered for a couple weeks. You have seen some of the good that they do. And, World Food Program, connected with the United Nations, does get food to many that need it. We usually do not get this serious in our blogs, but we hope you can help these people. If you donate through a church or a favorite charity, the people of southern Africa and the Colorado Traveling Ducks thank you.

Attentive students on floor. No desks and chairs available

Next time we will show you our first day in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

September 2, 2016 by coloradotravelingducks

Chongoni Rock Art in Malawi with Zeb the Duck

Leaving Cape Maclear, we saw many people on the road. This man, carrying such a big load on his bike, fascinated me.

He has great balance

And look at these women.

Perfect posture with incredible balance and strength

They can carry so much and such heavy loads on their heads. Aren’t they amazing? Now we are heading to Chongoni, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to see old rock art. The Rock Art of Chongoni would be very difficult to find without a guide. Fortunately we have a knowledgeable guide, so here we go.

Hiking uphill

After several minutes of hiking, we are near the top and our first cave dwelling with old rock art.

Hiked to the top

Inside this cave dwelling, our guide points out old painting on the ceiling.

Guide showing us white rock art

I liked this reptile done with darker paint.

Painted reptile

This is incredible. This art is in a cave dwelling and near the top of these rocks.

Rock art

This is the view from inside the cave dwelling, looking outside.

View from cave with rock art

Climbing back down, our guide takes us to a different style of rock painting.

Red Rock Art

Our guide is very cheerful.

Our cheerful guide

The space between the rocks is rather narrow.

In narrow spaces

More art.

Old rock art

We are in a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Malawi. This is an excerpt from the committee’s document of nomination in 2006. “The dense and extensive collection of rock art shelters reflects a remarkable persistence of cultural traditions over many centuries … in the Chewa agricultural society. The strong association between the rock art images and contemporary traditions of initiation and of the nyau secret society, and the extensive evidence for those traditions within the painted images over many centuries, together make the Chongoni landscape a powerful force in Chewa society and a significant place for the whole of southern Africa.” Wow! Centuries! I liked visiting Chongoni Rock Art. I liked seeing the art, and our guide made this adventure so interesting.

Rocks and tree really tall. Our happy guide and new friend.

If you visit Malawi, we hope you visit Chongoni also. Remember, we have much more to tell you about our adventures in Africa, and also some adventures in Colorado.

August 31, 2016 by coloradotravelingducks

Zeb Goes on a Boat at Cape Maclear, Malawi

Cape Maclear is on Lake Malawi, and we wanted to be on the lake. I, Zeb the Duck, and the human women are on this boat.

On the boat

Looking back to shore, we see the racks used for drying fish.

Fish drying racks

The fisherman often have nets out during the night and then dry the catch in the morning.

From our boat looking back to shore

Trees are incredible plants. This one is growing on the rocks and even the roots are on the rocks.

Amazing tree

How do they get water and stay attached to the rock? This duck does not know. Our boat crew took us past this pretty cove.

Playful monkeys

They told us monkeys are usually here. I love to see the monkeys. We are not alone out here on Lake Malawi.

Others enjoying the lake

The men on our boat were very knowledgeable and a lot of fun.

Our crew was great

This rock, on an island known for snorkeling and diving, is a reminder to keep the area clean for all visitors.

Good reminder

The water in this snorkeling area is rather shallow and very clear. From the boat we could see many fish.

Bright blue fish

These blue fish are so bright and colorful. There were also white, yellow and orange fish here. It was a little too chilly for us to snorkel, but we loved the cheerful colors of the fish. Malawi has over 600 varieties of birds and several were here at Cape Maclear. This fish eagle was posing in the tree.

Fish eagle

Heading back to our lodge, the flowering tree and colorful canoes caught our attention.

Colorful canoes and tree. Friendly children.

I like Cape Maclear. Like every other place in Malawi, I wanted to stay longer and want to come back again. I hope you visit Malawi soon.

August 29, 2016 by coloradotravelingducks

Cape Maclear, Malawi with Zeb the Duck

Leaving Liwonde National Park and the hippos behind, we begin our drive to Cape Maclear, on Lake Malawi. We like to see all the people going about every day life in Malawi.

Everyday life in Malawi

Closer to Cape Maclear we stopped at this National Monument. This is Mwala Wa Mphini.

Malawi National Monument

This rock, named “Rock of Tribal Face Scars” is covered with a criss-cross pattern of deep etchings that looks to be of human origin.

National Monument

However, according to our guide and the Brandt guidebook, the incisions are a natural geological phenomenon, created by the uneven weathering of an exposed crystalline rock. Isn’t this amazing? What a great rock. Now, 4 kilometers down the road, we have arrived at the resort of Cape Maclear.

Cape Maclear

Remember those narrow dugout canoes we saw at Makuzi Beach? Well, here are more of the dugouts in Lake Malawi.

Canoes on Lake Malawi

I think these canoes are wonderful, and so picturesque. We are camping tonight, but Fat Monkeys Lodge is connected to our campgrounds.

Fat Monkeys Lodge

After a long trip, we wanted a light snack and a Diet Coke. The Fat Monkeys Bar and Grill was our choice.

Lounge chairs near Fat Monkeys Bar

However, it was difficult for this Colorado Traveling Duck to leave the lounge chair, but the thought of a cold beverage persuaded me to enter this establishment.

Great carving on edge of bar

Look at the great carvings on the edge of this wooden bar. Much of the woodwork in this bar had fabulous carvings. I really admire this wood. After our refreshment, we checked out our new beach.

Life at Cape Maclear

We like a resort in a town. We enjoy seeing the local people as they live here. This shows the people, the lake and the nearby mountain.

Beach and mountain

Mom and I love beaches and mountains together. Here is more of Cape Maclear on Lake Malawi.

Clouds at Cape Maclear

Perhaps another short rest would be good.

Lounging on the beach

Of course, shopping is always interesting.

Cape Maclear

Maybe it is time to leave the beach for a short time.

Guarding our lodge

As you can see, Cape Maclear is a very busy location for many people and a very relaxing location for tourists. The people here were very friendly. This is one reason Malawi is often referred to as the Warm Heart of Africa.

Malawi is the Warm Heart of Africa

Mom and I, Zeb the Duck, believe this boat. Malawi and the people certainly have shown us a very warm and welcoming heart. Next time we will show you more of what we did at Cape Maclear, on Lake Malawi.

August 27, 2016 by coloradotravelingducks

A Land Safari in Liwonde National Park with Zeb the Duck

Yesterday we arrived at Liwonde National Park and enjoyed a boat safari on the Shire River. This morning we get in a safari vehicle and begin looking for more animals.

Our safari vehicle in Liwonde National Park

Soon we see impalas.

Impalas. So graceful

Impalas are similar to the antelope we see in the western United States. They are so delicate and graceful. Several monkeys are seen in the trees and running through the forest.

Monkey

The warthogs are so much fun to watch.

Warthog

They are always scratching the ground, searching for food. When they run, they make us laugh, or at least smile. I, Zeb the Duck, am on this safari, but the ride is fairly rough, so I stay in my travel bag most of the time. But, here I am now.

I, Zeb the Duck, am on this safari also

This sausage trees has these long, hanging pods that are very hard and look like sausages.

Sausage tree

Many creatures live in Liwonde National Park. These ants are very large and very busy.

Busy ants

Here are more nests of the weaver birds.

Nests of Weaver Birds

We saw some similar weaver bird nests on our first outing in Lilongwe, Malawi. The hippos spend much of the day in the Shire River.

Hippos are always watching

They are such large animals, but in the water you notice the large eyes watching. Remember this is a premier bird watching destination. Over 400 species have been seen in this park. I love the white birds sitting in the tree.

White birds

Perhaps not rare birds, but a great scene with the white birds, green tree and beautiful blue sky. There are elephants near the river this morning.

Elephants by Shire River

Again, large animals that are so comfortable here. I, Zeb the Duck, like the elephants. This bird has a beautiful blue tummy.

Pretty bird

Of course, as a duck, I like birds. It is time to head back across the Shire River to meet our driver, guides and chef.

Time to cross the Shire River and leave the part

I like this bridge.

Nice bridge

We will cross the bridge and leave Liwonde National Park, but we will have another adventure soon.

August 26, 2016 by coloradotravelingducks

Boat Safari at Malawi’s Liwonde National Park with Zeb the Duck

Wow! I am going to camp at Mvuu Wilderness Camp in Liwonde National Park.

We drive to the Shire River and wait for a boat to take us across the river to the lodge and camping area. We see these hippos on the edge of the river.

Hippos on the bank of the Shire River

Here comes our boat.

Elephant in the Shire River

It is passing an elephant in the river! This is fantastic. Today will the first safari for this Colorado Traveling Duck. Mom and two of the humans have been on safaris before, but I am so excited for my first time seeing the animals in the wild.

Shire River from lodge

After getting settled in, we will go on a boat safari.

On the boat for river safari

We are on the Shire River, looking at a resort.

Lodge from river

Isn’t this monkey wonderful?

Cute monkey

We passed several crocodiles, but check out the teeth on this one.

Big teeth. And many of them.

Several waterbuck are along the river; I like mom and child here.

Waterbuck with young

There are so many hippos here.

Hippos with birds

They are really big! The hippos seem to prefer the water. I think these three, watching, must like us.

Hippos are watching us

I like the warthogs. They have long shaggy hair on their neck and upper back.

Warthog

Our Bradt guidebook for Malawi, says Liwonde is one of the top sites for bird watching in Malawi. The book also says there are about 2,000 hippos along the river and several crocodiles. Some of the crocodiles are “terrifyingly large.” I believe the book. This bird has a beautiful bright blue head.

Beautiful blue head

Here is a tree full of Malawian birds.

So many birds

Another great bird.

Regal bird

There are so many, but I can’t post all the photos. The sun is getting lower and I like the way the sun’s rays come through the clouds.

Rays of sun through clouds

As the sun sets, we return to the lodge and our tents for the evening.

Sun setting over the Shire River in Malawi

I know I am going to love safaris. Tomorrow we will drive in a safari vehicle to look for more animals. This is a great African day.

August 24, 2016 by coloradotravelingducks

Camping on Malawi’s Zomba Plateau with Zeb the Duck

I, Zeb the Duck, and the humans spent the night in a tent on the Zomba Plateau. According to Bradt’s Malawi guidebook, the plateau is an isolated syenite protrusion that extends over 130 square kilometers and reaches an altitude of 2,087 meters. That is about 6,500 feet above sea level. This is where I slept.

Our tent

This tent held 2 human ladies and one duck. This is more of our campground.

Nice campgrounds

Much of the Zomba Plateau is protected in Malawi’s oldest forest reserve which supports significant patches of indigenous riverine and montane forest, as well as areas of tangled scrub and Brachystegia woodland. Shortly after arriving at our campgrounds, we took a hike.

Going for a hike

I really liked the thick vegetation near this stream.

By the river

We hike past a stand with many wood carvings. Look at these huge carvings.

Love the masks

This store has a big variety of items.

Some of everything here

This stand belongs to our hiking guide. I love these tables and the wooden cars behind the tables.

Great tables and cars. Great elephant.

Our guide tells us about the carvings, but there is no hard sell tactics. We like our guide. These trees are a little different than we usually see, and the sky is so blue and bright today.

Beautiful blue sky

Remember that the Zomba Plateau is almost 6,500 feet or 2,987 meters above sea level, so we had many great views from the top.

View from the top

This dam was completed in 1999 forming this pretty reservoir.

Dam and reservoir

The waterfall was a short distance from the main path, but it is beautiful and looks so clear and clean.

Pretty waterfall

Remember that we are in the tropics, between the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn, but it got cold at night. Our guides built a fire. We all took our chairs and ate a delicious dinner sitting around the fire. We could even see our breath. In the morning, after breakfast and a little time for wandering around the area, we headed down the road, back to Zomba.

Heading down toward town

We liked the Zomba Plateau. It was so pretty, but a little colder at night than I expected. I think you will like what we see next time, so don’t miss our next post.

August 22, 2016 by coloradotravelingducks

Zeb the Duck is Heading to the Zomba Plateau in Malawi

This morning as we prepare to leave Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, our group of six women is forever split. Two women will climb Mount Mulanje in southern Malawi. Mom and I, Zeb the Duck, and 3 other women begin a trip with Kiboko Safari Company.

Preparing to leave Lilongwe

Today we will ride to the Zomba Plateau. Tomorrow we will hike and camp here. Then we will visit Liwonde National Park for a safari. We will also spend a day and night camping at Cape Maclear. After a visit at Chongoni Rock Art, we will return to Lilongwe and this group of women will all leave Malawi to resume separate lives. Today I want you to see every day scenes of Malawi, from our vehicle. Fire wood provides heat and fire to cook and heat water. This is one way wood is moved across Malawi.

Really big load of firewood.

These bikers carry so much wood. That requires much work, balance and talent. We are riding toward some of Malawi’s mountains.

Toward the mountains

If people are able to acquire a bike, they can travel faster and further than those that only walk. I really like this tall mountain.

Tall mountain peak

Of course, living in Colorado, I always appreciate mountain scenery. We saw several carts like this one.

Cart

Many people use transportation that is not powered by machinery. Looking through the window, we were captivated by the markets and all the activity on both side of the road.

Road between Malawi and Mozambique

This road is on the border of Malawi and Mozambique. The right side is Mozambique and the left side is Malawi. Mozambique borders Malawi on much of the east, all of the south and some of the west. This truck, like most motorized vehicles, carries much cargo and many people.

Vehicles are loaded

Along the side of the road, we often saw these white bags.

Bags of charcoal

This is charcoal. Most charcoal is produced illegally in Malawi. The production of charcoal leads to more deforestation. Many people understand the problem, but still keep some charcoal to burn during power outages. We stopped in the town of Zomba. Zomba was founded in 1891 as the capital of the British Central African Protectorate. Zomba remained the capital until 1975, about 10 years after independence. In 1975 Lilongwe became the capital of Malawi, but Zomba is still very important. This girl demonstrates that the females learn to balance and carry heavy loads on their heads at a very young age.

Young girl carrying heavy load of wood in Zomba

This is a big load of firewood. We walked through the market and I posed for this photo with some distant Malawian relatives.

Some of my distant relatives in Zomba

Even though I am not in many of these photos today, I, Zeb the Duck, was there looking out the window with the humans. We passed some markets along the road.

Items made of straw

There is a lot of straw products in this part of Malawi. We saw many houses of this style.

House in Malawi

Some houses, like this one, had goats.

House with nearby goats

Remember the goats are important for their milk. Milk is consumed by humans and sometimes made into goat cheese. Excess milk and cheese can be sold, also. The goat is eaten when it no longer produces baby goats and no longer gives much milk. Previously I showed you scenes from near Lake Malawi. Today we are viewing a mountainous area of Malawi. We love the many geographic regions of Malawi and hope you do, also.

August 20, 2016 by coloradotravelingducks

From Ripple Africa to Mua Mission, Malawi with Zeb the Duck

Today we are leaving our two week home with Ripple Africa, but we are not leaving Malawi. I, Zeb the Duck, and the humans enjoyed our time on the shore of Lake Malawi with Ripple Africa. We all learned so much and met such warm, friendly people. I said goodbye to my friend, Dan.

Dan from Ripple Africa

Dan is the Volunteer Projects Manager. As we leave, the children follow our vehicles, waving and smiling.

Children from Ripple Africa

We will be back in the capital, Lilongwe, tonight, but we will visit Mua Mission on the way. Sights along the road include this truck driving in front of us and a biker also on the road.

Riding through Malawi

The passengers seem happy and friendly. It is July, the winter in Malawi, so it is not too hot for gardens. We see produce stands like this one, with such beautiful tomatoes.

Fresh tomatoes available today

Mua Mission is one of the oldest Catholic outposts in Malawi. The Mission was established by the “White Fathers” at the base of the Rift Valley Escarpment in 1902. Our first stop is the Chamare Museum which opened in 1999. This museum is said to be the finest ethnographic museum in Malawi. Let’s go through the gate and visit the museum.

Let’s go through this pretty gate

Isn’t this a great mask outside?

Mask at museum entrance

I, Zeb the Duck, love it. We will pay our entrance fee and meet our guide.

Chamare Museum

The first room has an overview of Malawi history and we are allowed to take photographs. Photographs are not allowed in the other rooms of the museum. I examined these items and wandered around the room as the guide explained what we were seeing.

Artifacts inside museum

You really would enjoy visiting the Chamare Museum. Remember that this is a Catholic Mission, so this panel with the Resurrection is very important.

The Resurrection

The other rooms contained items and information about the three major cultural groups of the region, Chewa, Ngoni and Yao. The last room was perhaps the most impressive. It contains the world’s largest collection of Gule Wamkulu masks, around 400 total masks. Photos are prohibited to preserve the masks and other items, but it is sad that I could not share some of these with you. When you are in Malawi, this museum in Mua Mission, is worth a visit. The outside of the museum is decorated with several colorful murals, such as this one.

Colorfull murals on outside of Chamare Museum

The Art Gallery is near the museum.

Art Gallery

We visited the show room, and made several purchases. I loved the wood carvings. I also like the fresh look of the church.

Church

Choir practice was being held outdoors.

outdoor choir practice

The mild weather is wonderful for outdoor activities. We walked behind the museum to see this amphitheater.

Amphitheater

This would be a wonderful place to enjoy a performance. Our short visit to Mua Mission was pleasant. If you have more time, you could spend a couple days here, enjoying the mission and the surrounding area. Next time we will show you more of Malawi.

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