I may just as well start with the latest news
on the road issue. It seems that something is now finally
going to happen. Over the last few months rumors have become
more and more consistent in saying that road works will start
after this rainy season, probably towards the end of April. The
information seems to be fairly consistent also with regard to
what will actually happen. The plans cover a tarmac road from
Sesheke to Sioma, a bridge crossing the Zambezi at Sioma (close
to Maziba Bay) and a tarmac road from the other side of the
river to Senanga. The road from Sioma to Kalongola, where the
pontoon operates, is scheduled for upgrading to an all weather
gravel road. With regard to the actual sequencing and timing
involved I am not so sure. Apparently the first 70 km from
Sesheke towards Sioma will be included in a two year contract. I
have not been able to ascertain where the funds are coming from,
whether it is Danish funds from the Danida Road Programme in
Western Province, government funds….or perhaps Chinese fund,
which may be the case according to persistent rumors. That the
good news coincides with the early preparations of the fast
approaching Zambian elections in 2011 is probably not a
coincidence and makes the road works scenario more likely. So,
this time I think things are going to happen.
Anyway,
the road news is good news. I would actually have been happy
with just a gravel road (assuming the necessary funds for
maintenance would be available). The bridge will mean a huge
positive difference as it will ensure an all year access to our
provincial capital Mongu (and vice versa) and - from a tourism
perspective - a permanent accessible Western Zambia circuit
connecting Livingstone, Sesheke, Sioma Ngwezi NP, Ngonye Falls,
Senanga, Mongu, Liuwa Plain NP, Kafue NP and Lusaka. Most
importantly….now this area will be open to development.
Business
has been slow….as usual. This is no news I am afraid, so perhaps
I should leave that type of information out in a ‘news’letter. I
have had several promising tentative bookings, but most of them
never materialized in actual visits. My car problems continue.
My Nissan is at the moment grounded in Livingstone where it is
waiting for a ‘new’ (second hand) engine. My Mitsubishi Canter
which was grounded for over a year in Shesheke (because of a
missing sparepart) was shortly on the road again before having
another breakdown. So, now again it is standing in Shesheke
while the mechanics are taking their time to fix it. The lack of
the Canter has slowed down the finalization of the new storage
house as we cannot collect the poles for the walls (plus other
materials).
But
it is not all bad. A German couple visited Sioma Camp in
November last year and have subsequently donated 10 (ten!)
new tyres for our Mercedes jeeps. The tyres were delivered
free of any charges at my mechanic’s workshop in Livingstone.
Another example …..Some guests visited my camp in 2008 and then
developed a pamphlet about ‘cultural tourism’ options in the
area around Sioma and free of charge supplied me with 50 copies
of the brochure (and the original electronic version so I can
produce more copies). Two good examples of very kind gestures by
guests that really have uplifted my spirit. So, do not accuse me
of only bringing bad news.
The staff houses have been finalized.
There are so far 3 of them. They are in traditional style,
mud/clay walls with thatched roofs. They look quite nice.
Otherwise not much is going on. We are doing
minor work on the main building. Again, we cannot really get
started on the construction of the ‘luxury’ chalets before we
get the Canter truck back in operation to collect all the
required materials.
We
had a visit by Sioma High School. Their geography classes –
57 in all - had been working on a project regarding tourism in
Western Zambia and they wanted some input from Sioma Camp about
the constraints and opportunities. It was an interesting and
funny day for me and Sioma camp as well as them… I hope. The
students were well prepared and asked a lot of questions. Yes,
you have to start with the young generation.
And
then there is the flooding. Last year we had the worst
flooding in 50 years. This year we had the second worst flooding
in …50 years or rather just 2 years I guess…… Anyway; the river
has not been rising as much and as fast as last year, but still,
it was bad enough. Two of my chalets have been under water and
we had to remove everything from them.
The third chalet remained just above the
water line while chalet
four
remained fairly high above the river throughout. From the
restaurant deck of the main building you could watch fish,
including some nice breams and tigerfish cruising around below.
Otters and nile monitors got very close and giant kingfishers
have been diving from the threes above. It has been quite a
fascinating spectacle, but I could have done without it.
Now, early April, the water level is going
down quickly and soon the situation will be normalized…I hope.
Wildlife. Not much to report I am
afraid. The flooding brought the river fauna a bit closer to
camp and I still enjoy …..probably a childish
activity…..attracting fish by throwing bread and nsima (maize
porridge) into the water. The Giant Kingfisher has become a
frequent guest during the flooding and the nile monitors that I
have not seen for several months are now suddenly seen around
the banks of the river close to the camp all the time.
We
have been throwing maize corns in various places on my plot. It
seems to have attracted a lot of guinea fowls. You see them all
over the place and they have a lot of chicks. A lot of rabbits
are around as well. Their droppings are spread over the
sandbanks. The tracks from leopard have been seen a few times. I
guess she or he patrols the plot because of the duikers, the
guinea fowls and the rabbits…..and perhaps some of the stray
dogs. There have been vervet monkeys around, tracks of bushpigs
and recently I saw a black mamba in front of the kitchen. My
driver Mubita has seen several jackals around and during the
last week of March first one male lion and then a female and a
male lion were spotted nearby; in the village less than a
kilometer from here and at the airstrip 4 km form camp
respectively. There are now elephants all over the place,
especially where there are maize fields. My manager Davison, who
is also a natural resources monitor in the local Village Action
Group is busy reporting on this type of human-wildlife
conflicts. Due to the delay in Peace park funding (see below)
the elephant restraining lines and fencing as well as the
recruitment of village scouts have not yet taken place. Other
preventive plans – against elephant intrusion - include chili
fencing and burning of chili mixed with (elephant) dung, but
this year alas there are no systematic ‘anti elephant maize
raiding measures’ in place, so people have to fight off the
elephants by ‘traditional’ methods. They are not always that
effective. Elephants are quick learners and they just love
maize.
My
staff in the bush camp recently reported that there were many
elephants around and that they came very close. Hyenas have
been frequenting the camp almost every evening/night during
March. In the last weekend of March I went to the bushcamp with
some friends. We played some hyena calls and it worked. During
the night we heard hyenas several times very close to camp. We
heard no lions, but when we returned to the camp at the river we
were told that lions had been heard roaring at night nearby. In
the bushcamp we saw plenty of fresh tracks of especially duiker,
sable and kudu.
Not a lot is happening with regard to
Peace Parks. They are still waiting for the ‘big’ funds to
arrive following delays in having the documents/agreements
approved at regional and national levels. By May things should
get under way. The delays have meant that the construction of
‘elephant restraining lines’ and recruitment of ‘village scouts’
have been postponed. At the moment elephants are having a feast
eating their way through the local maize fields. The
conservation farming introduced by the Community Economic
Development Program supported by WWF has started well. There are
some very committed staff members who are really having a
positive impact. I just hope this can continue. I am optimistic.
At the moment more farmers are lining up to become enrolled in
the conservation farming program.
The Kuomboka……well; after longterm
planning on the logistics of attending the ceremony I was ready
to go and had been informed by members of the Kaanja Kuta (the
Barotse Royal Establishment’s Court in Kaanja) that the
Kuomboka this year would take place on the 2nd of
April. Then I was informed that the Kuomboka would be on the 17th
of April. (I recently learned the postponement was caused by a
death in the royal family). My potential clients could not
extend their holiday for that long so regrettably it seems I am
not going to attend this year’s ceremony as planned.
A new season is coming up. I hope this season
will be better than last year and there are some positive
indications. I am planning to put together a trip from the river
camp via the bush camp to Sinjembela at Kwando River. I hope it
will be possible to identify a good picnic/fly camp spot
somewhere on the banks where you can overlook the river and
hopefully see some hippos and crocs, plus of course birds.
I
have just had a visit by four people from the Czech Republic…on
mountainbikes! They came all the way from Lusaka, had
crossed from Senanga to Nangweshi by boat and after one night of
camping here they continued via Livingstone back to Lusaka. It
is Tour de Barotseland. Instead of painstakingly climbing Alpe
D’Huez you will have to keep on going on the Kalahari sand of
the Senanga-Sesheke road. It will be less fun when you get the
tarmac I am afraid.
And Sioma Camp now has its own page on
facebook . I am trying …..to the extent the MTN
network allows me……to update the site regularly with a few
photos and information on what is going on in the Sioma area.
The news uploading is so far a bit erratic and unstructured, but
I hope it will become more streamlined in the future. Take a
look and if you like perhaps become a member. You are most
welcome to upload photos and write comments. Of course I will
be happy with positive remarks, but good ideas and comments of a
more critical nature will be welcome as well.
Facebook is a good ‘thing’. I have
reconnected with people I have not been in contact with for many
years. It helps reduce the feeling of isolation and ‘rainy
season African bush solitude tristesse’ that you will inevitable
get once in a while in a place like this. Apart from the company
of another investor who in between other commitments spends some
time at Sioma Camp while trying to kick start his investment
there have not been many ‘social events’ over the last few
months. We have many discussions under the open night sky
watching distant lightings. Only problem is that it is having an
impact on my stock of single malt and cigars.
Hans
Christian Aaskov
Sioma Camp
Previous
Newsletters
