Mukuni Village is a traditional village about 12km past the falls out in the scrub. We took a very rough four wheel drive track to get there. I was thinking the taxi might die in the middle of nowhere for us to become lion feed. It turns out we didn't need to go down this route, the taxi driver was just avoiding the cops on the main road. His friend transporting Dave, Nick and Lecrecia wasn't registered.
Over 7000 people live in Mukuni Village in traditional mud huts with thatched roofs. This is the kind of place I really wanted to see - much better than the cultural village where their leopard skin costumes were made from polyester. David Livingstone also visited here, so we are following his footsteps.
The village is ruled over by two chiefs - one male and one female (brother and sister). If the tribal council want to dispose of them they have to wait until they die or poision them. The last chief to be killed off was quite a while back. He was poisioned and just to make sure he didn't recover they buried him alive - Nice!
Michelle gave some kids we photographed a vicks throat losanger (they actually liked them) and suddenly we were surrounded by swarms of children all wanting lollies. Michelle made Dave give one kid $10US to go and buy two big packets of sweets from the shop. I am sure they didn't cost that much as I saw kids afterwards running around with fists full of kwachas (the local currency)! When he returned it was a feeding frenzy. Apparently there are about 1000 kids in the village so I was hoping word wouldn't spread too fast. It could have been very costly! After that every time I wanted to take a pic a kid ran into the frame and started posing.
Off on a river safari in the late arvo. I am so glad we coughed up $130US to do this as it was fantastic - plus it had unlimited booze! Because the boat was small we could get up close to the river bank and see the animals really well. We saw a herd of elephants - 5 in total including a little baby. We also saw lots of hippos including one extremely huge and angry one that looked at us with eyes full of rage and came charging towards the boat. Hippos are the biggest killer of humans over here so we got out of there pretty quick. There were more views of the mighty river including the start of the rapids that lead you all the way to the edge and beyond the falls. Thankfully we didn't go too far down them. Thoroughly enjoyable!
Over 7000 people live in Mukuni Village in traditional mud huts with thatched roofs. This is the kind of place I really wanted to see - much better than the cultural village where their leopard skin costumes were made from polyester. David Livingstone also visited here, so we are following his footsteps.
The village is ruled over by two chiefs - one male and one female (brother and sister). If the tribal council want to dispose of them they have to wait until they die or poision them. The last chief to be killed off was quite a while back. He was poisioned and just to make sure he didn't recover they buried him alive - Nice!
Michelle gave some kids we photographed a vicks throat losanger (they actually liked them) and suddenly we were surrounded by swarms of children all wanting lollies. Michelle made Dave give one kid $10US to go and buy two big packets of sweets from the shop. I am sure they didn't cost that much as I saw kids afterwards running around with fists full of kwachas (the local currency)! When he returned it was a feeding frenzy. Apparently there are about 1000 kids in the village so I was hoping word wouldn't spread too fast. It could have been very costly! After that every time I wanted to take a pic a kid ran into the frame and started posing.
Off on a river safari in the late arvo. I am so glad we coughed up $130US to do this as it was fantastic - plus it had unlimited booze! Because the boat was small we could get up close to the river bank and see the animals really well. We saw a herd of elephants - 5 in total including a little baby. We also saw lots of hippos including one extremely huge and angry one that looked at us with eyes full of rage and came charging towards the boat. Hippos are the biggest killer of humans over here so we got out of there pretty quick. There were more views of the mighty river including the start of the rapids that lead you all the way to the edge and beyond the falls. Thankfully we didn't go too far down them. Thoroughly enjoyable!
2 comments:
WOW your photos are amazing! Enjoying your blog> What a lovely experience, sure beats working!! Take care of crocodiles (apparently 3-4 fatalities per week from them! and hippos with many more deaths to their name, and the minute bilharzia which lives in freshwater and enters your skin and multiplies in your bladder and bowel because its endemic there. Finally Chickenguya virus which is like Dengue fever but is mosquito driven and has an outbreak in Zambia and Mozambique...wear mozzie repellant and stay out of fresh water. (I've been researching latest WHO health warnings for Africa for James... So take care. HAVE FUN!!:)
Wow what a bundle of laughs Aunty Anne is!! ;-) Your blog is making me terribly jealous and sick with envy...keep it up!
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