On October 28th, 2024 we said goodbye to the Mana Pools. But not before we went on another early morning drive. Our destination was a beautiful place by the river, where we stood under the big trees to have breakfast. I was squeezing oranges when Brigitta pointed out to me that an elephant was heading straight towards me. I looked over my shoulder and saw that he seemed to have little concern for us or the oranges. He trotted past us a few meters at a leisurely pace. Breathe out and have breakfast!

At 8 am. we left the Mana Pools and drove via Makuti to Magunje where we refueled. Now, at over 1,000 meters above sea level, the Zambezi Valley and the high temperatures were behind us. (After 45 °C we find 35 °C pleasantly cool!) From here a dirt road lead around four hundred kilometers over a plateau to Milibizi, which is at the beginning of the lake. We were familiar with this scenic route through Tonga country from last year when we drove it in the opposite direction. But in contrast to back then, black rain clouds were gathering over us. We decided not to take a detour to the Matusadona National Park because it seemed more sensible to move forward.

After ten hours of driving we found a place to spend the night in the bush at 6 pm. Lightning flashed through the black sky and thunder rumbled. Nevertheless, we slept like angels and woke up the next morning under an overcast sky.