Very close

From the dark garage in Lusaka, we saw the sunny weather in South Luangwa National Park for a week on the internet, the next destination. Now that we are on our way to the park, the weather forecast is bleak and wet. But the joy that we are driving again dominates. 800 km asphalt also leaves us cold. The inland route is no longer accessible due to the rains of earlier this month. The park is praised by many for its beauty and the presence of many feline animals. We are full of expectation.

Good messages
At destination we land at the Wildlife Camping on the river. The national park on the other side. Camping is not allowed there. Wildlife traverses the low tide of the river without difficulty. Elephants are walking around the camp and a buffalo is staring at us at the reception. We make ourselves comfortable and eat at the Lodge. As well as two Dutch couples who come back from an evening game drive. They have spotted many animals. A tour in the dark is on our program for tomorrow.

Bingo
The park gates open at 6.00 hours. Now that the sun is already rising at half 5, getting up early is easy. The motivation to see the timid leopard also contributes to this. It is almost 10 hours before we can put the first tick on our most wanted animal list. A pack of wild dogs right next to the road. What a luck. The rare animals don't care about the approaching car. We enjoy the playing dogs. Two members of the same family come running in, one of them has a captive beast in its mouth. The pack contains no less than 8 painted dogs, as they are called in English. When the animals in the bush have disappeared, we continue driving.
Until we see two stationary game drive cars at bushes where there is also a lioness. She is part of a group of 9 lionesses and 2 lions. They are spread over three places. We can photograph the leader of the troop as he walks to the shadow spot of six lionesses. What a very beautiful morning.

Severe weather
We have lunch at the campsite in anticipation of the organized evening game drive. Onno can therefore fully enjoy the park because he does not have to drive. During the dishes, the sky draws close to the clouds. When it starts to splash, I take the dry clean dishes to our car. I only reach the thatched hut. Onno in my wake, who arrives soaking wet. The storm is now breaking loose. Driving rain is crashing down. A storm is coming. I cover the dishes with my whole body to prevent them from blowing away. The sky is black. The bang of the thunder directly above us is so loud that the thump can be felt in our body. I can't suppress a scream. It is not just the cold wind on our soaking wet body that causes goose bumps. What an awesome storm. I only discover the deep puddle of water in the hut when my sneakers are full of water. The rain is decreasing slightly. Warm wind from a different angle is supplied. The water flows over the campsite in streams. We take the damage. A tree beside our car has been blown over. Everything has become very wet.

Procrastination
The bartender comes to ask what we want to drink during the game drive. Oh yes, the planned evening ride. In this mud we don't really see the ride. The small paths are probably not easily accessible. "Can we also do the ride tomorrow?" Asks Onno. The bartender responds understandingly, "That's good too." Such heavy showers are not common, we hear later. We shower and put on dry clothes. That evening we glide over the mud and leave our deep marks. This is what awaits us more often now that we have arrived in the rainy season.

Not much
In good spirits, we report early the next morning at the gate of the park. The manager reassures us. The small paths remain accessible. Deep mud only develops in the first months of the year when the water sinks more than 15 cm into the ground. It is true, many paths are passable. Unless a fallen tree blocks the road. The animals are apparently shocked by the storm. They are hiding or have gone south. One hyena is the highlight of the morning ride.

Lions
Expectation we board the game drive car in the afternoon. The cloud cover hinders view of the sunset. Maybe we spot another predator when it's dark. It is busy in the park with the cars from the organized tours. We see our chances of lions or leopards increasing. The rangers probably share the locations of the animals. Many eyes see more. "Feline animals do not like mud on their legs," the ranger knows. In those areas where the sand becomes mud, it does not have to look. He does look forward to the sausage tree, in which the leopard is so happy.
We hear lions in the riverbed. Indeed, total 5 lions are lying in the sand. The leader lies a little further, stretched out on his back, paws up against a tree. We are just one meter away in an open car. It produces unique photos. I just don't have to think about the lion waking up.

Idioot
The sunset is approaching, the ranger drives to the river for a nice place. A woman walks in an immensely open field. No car in sight. Our ranger is very outraged. That is extremely dangerous. Which game drive ranger makes that happen? He will report this. If a predator is nearby, the woman is an easy prey. We are stunned when we can indeed be seen close to a leopard. It is wonderful in the sand. The ranger parks the car next to the beast. We have never been so close. When the photogenic predator gets up and walks away, the ranger drives alongside him. We shine with happiness.

Small happiness
We take a break by the river. Beer and popcorn are ready. The sky has opened up and turns deep red. The clouds provide extra contrast. The appreciative cries are heard in all languages ​​that our group has. It is truly one of the most beautiful and colorful sunsets we have ever seen. A fishing boat on the river adds an idyllic note. What an unforgettable top day this is. In the dark we see a number of genet cats, a small carnivore with dark spots on its body and a striped tail.

Social Media
The special spots of the feline animals close by only really get through to us when we read the reactions to our shared photos on social media: "Use PS telephoto lens?" , "Surely there is a fence between you and these cats?", "How close were you?" and "I really hope they are not that close to you."

With this super nice experience we leave South Luangwa the next day, and set sail for Malawi.