Planting trees near Victoria falls in Zambia

Wed 11.6.2014 Day 1 - I entered Zambia from Botswana side at Kazangulo. At the Zambian side of the border they charged me for tourist visa and also for carbon taxes, road tolls, insurance and something else for my motorbike. All together it was just above 100 Usd, including fake-fx rate profit, successfully made by local guys who jumped on me already on Botswana side when I wanted to embark the ferry to cross Zambezi river which btw costed me another 10 usd for my motorbike. It was hot and dry and I didn't care about the fx rates, it just took me almost two hours to get the papers done and get away from that border.

I drove 60 kms to reach Livingstone for the first time in my life. The road was beautiful, colour combination of the trees, grass and the sky was simply amazing. After five days of staying and hanging around Kasane it was great to feel the wind in my hair again.

When arrived to Livingstone I drove to see Zigzag hotel, owned by Lynne from austria. Mike, an australian friend from mozambique, tried to connect us together. Unfortunally Lynne was out of the country until July, so I spoke just to Mercy, the lodge manager. Then I drove to check Bundu white river adventures office at Maranga lodge as I met the owner Jo in the lodge in Palapye in Botswana few days ago on my way from South Africa up to Zambia. He wasn't there. But I came to see Greenpop working camp, so I tried to find directions to there. Actually, it was not so easy.

I arrived to Livingstone Guest Lodge and Farm just before sunset. It is 15 kms out of town on a gravel road. This is the place where Greenpop, eco-social company from Cape town is having their annual work&fun festival, called Trees for Zambia. I met the directors Misha and Lauren again after one year and two months break when I worked with them in their Cape town office. At dinner they introduced me to team as a new team member. I explained them my funny story how I arrived to Africa and how I traveled since then. http://www.greenpop.org/

Thu 12.6.2014 Day 2 -  Great breakfast was prepared by Amanda (Mans), Lans and  Zama. Other team members are:

Lee - production manager (cape town)

Tanita - project coordination (nederland, cape town)

Ola - anthropologist, joga teacher ( cape town)

Candice - waste management & education ( greytone, cape town)

Megan - plant manager, author (cape town)

Rick - plant manager, photographer (cape town)

Ben - driver (cape town)

Wayne - musician (greytone)

Marshall (Marsh) - musician, permaculture adventurer (greytone)

Kyle - plant manager (greytone, cape town)

Christopher - plant manager, musician (cape town)

Michelle - photographer (Atlanta, USA) 

Patrick - plant manager

Lauren - all round coordinator and communicator, leader

Misha - glue, father of Greenpop, multitasking manager, leader

It was a busy day, working in teams, preparing the camp site for different activities.

I was preparing terrain to pitch my tent. It was full of rocks but i managed it.

After lunch I was involved into production of eco-bricks, made from clay, sand, straw, water and waste (glass - mosi beer and plastic coca cola bottles)

Later I prepared stage and sound.

Fri 13.6.2014 Day 3 - very busy working day and party evening. full moon. During day preparing for tree planting and organizatioN of an event for promotion of Earth festival 26 and 27th June 2014 by Greenpop at Fez bar, Livingstone tonight.

Team members got different tasks. I was in the team driving with Toyota Hilux bakkie to town. We fetched 4 local volunteers at Livingstone Backpackers (salomon, Sebastian and Emmanual). We unloaded speakers and instruments at Fez bar. We collected some wood mash and delivered it to the bio-mass factory. We drove to the airport to meet Yes Rasta band and load their instrumenta and sound system. We delivered everything again to Fez bar. After that I drove 40 kms south of town with the volunteers to fetch 200 hundred trees at tree nursery and bring them to town. We unloaded 100 of them at biomass factory and 100 at munoli park. It took us hours to get the work done. It was finally time to prepare for the party. I was responsible for the sound so I did soundcheck with Yes Rasta, reagea band from Livingstone. The party was great and we all had good fun. I was playing with Tree-mendous band at the beginning, after speach of Misha, Lauren and Uncle Ben.

The Tree-Mendous Band:

Wayne - keys, vocals

Marsh - bass

Kyle - guitar, vocals

Lance & Zama - vocals

Matej - guitar, vocal

The party was broken for the football match in Brazil between Spain and Nederland which ended by result 1:5. While smoking outside, i met a couple from Galicia, Spain, tourists who came to watch the game to Fez bar. They invited me to visit them in august.

Sat 14.6.2014 Day 4 - finishing the venue and get it ready for volunteers and team. I was arranging bathroom (outdoor showers) area. I worked together with Marsh and we are now specialized for wooden shower matts. I was manufacturer and he was quality control.

Sunday 15.6.2014 Day 5 - arrival of volunteers and the rest of the team. I met Sean Spender from Canada and will McAneny from USA again after good one year.

Monday 16.6.2014 Day 6 - introduction day for volunteers.

Meg, writer from Harare shared her knowledge about the trees.

Volunteers drove with truck to town and later for a game drive.

It continues... And you can still join, check http://www.greenpop.org/.

Lovely crazy little town of Kasane in Botswana.

Warthogs, monkeys, you name it, all walking and jumping around at our campsite. Even crocodiles can enter easily fom the river. One crocodile dragged a tent to the river, including the guy inside. :) Chobe river is is simply amazing, in one 3-hour boat trip I saw crocs, kudus, buffalos, hippos, swimming elephants and many of birds 

Two weeks ago there was unfortunally an incident when a local man was killed by elephant when he was walking on the road on his regular way to his work. Not far from that, also next to the road, three lions killed a buffalo. I was lucky to see one of the lions later in the night when eating the buffalo. Hienas were preparing.

I also enjoyed staying and meeting people at Chobe Safari lodge. I will never forget this lovely crazy town, named Kasane in Botswana. Now via Victoria Falls, Zambia. :)

Where Botswana meets Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia

Kasane is a little town at extreme north of Botswana, placed next to Chobe river. It borders to amazing Chobe forest which is protected wildlife area. It is a crazy little place where you can see wild animals walking on the streets like in a fairy tale. You can easily meet elephant crossing the road or spotted hiena checking around not to mention dead buffalos and hungry lions eating them practically next to the road.

From Kasane you drive just 10 kms east to reach border with Zambia or Zimbabwe and 40 kms west to Namibia. Border with Angola is also not very far.

Right on the Chobe river there is a lodge called Chobe Safari lodge from where you can enjoy meals or take a sunset boat cruise to admire more of wildlife, like crocodiles on the river banks, kudus, buffalos, swimming elephants, monkeys, birds, hippos and of course sunset.

French fries for breakfast. South Africa to Botswana.

Finally (3.6.2014) I started a long trip from Johannesburg in South Africa up to Victoria falls on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The road took me first to Pretoria where i visited my friend prof. Meyer with whom (and dr. Heyman) we met in Sesfontein in Namibia back in May 2013. It was nice chat with him after more than one year and we ate pommes frites for breakfast.

It was already 1pm when I hit N1 highway in direction of Polokwane. I turned off at Bela-Bela and drove on the backroads in direction of Grobblers bridge on Botswana border which was still few hundred kms away. When I reached little town Vaalwater I stopped two girls with backpacks, walking on the main road. They told me they go to Zeederberg's lodge behind Spar shop. I went to check the place and it was beautiful. Quite lodge surrounded with trees but fully booked for the night. Kind owners told me they have nice green grass where I can camp, so I decided to stay the night as also the sun was very low already. It was a cold night but I found the way how to warm up.

I started to drive around 12 pm and reached Botswana border in late afternoon. I was surprised by the high cost for insurance and road tolls for my motorbike but that's life. 

The days are short in the winter so I drove just to first town Palapye around 100 kms north west and stopped at nice lodge Itumela to stay the night.

Zeederberg's cottages - http://www.zeederbergs.co.za/

Lodge & Camping Itumela, Palapye, Botswana