After an easy 4 hour drive from Chengeta Safari Lodge, we arrived in Kariba, which is quite far from normal day-to-day life too. Hippos wallow in the shallows, not far from bathing elephants and a couple of water buck with their characteristic white rings grazing on the shore. Crocodiles doze on mud banks and countless birds rest on the branches of trees long immersed in the rising waters of the lake. The occasional jumping fish or high-pitched birdsong does little to disturb the peace. Here, life operates at a much slower, calmer pace and it's easy to feel like a privileged bystander, lucky to witness these scenes. So, it was almost as soon as I stepped onto the Liberty Bell that the first wave of relaxation swept over me. We'd arrived later than expected and the sun was setting just as we pulled out of the harbor. Beer in hand and wind in hair, it was impossible not to be glad I'd made the trip. A short journey across to Antelope Island and a couple of baboon sightings later and I was certain this was going to be something special. After a warm shower and a feast prepared for us by our chef Innocent we retired for an early night's sleep on the deck under the stars, content and full. Early next morning, armed with coffee and rusks, four rods and a bucket full of worms, we boarded one of the tender boats. Having found a spot of oxygen weed, we moored up, loaded our bait and waited in the calm. Every now and then a crocodile slid into the water from the bank, an iridescent dragonfly rested on my line or a goliath heron took to the skies. Constantly changing scenery and yet I was overwhelmed with a sense of calm. The tilapia were quick to bite and small in size. We returned, two novices and two seasoned pros, with teeming nets and empty stomachs to be greeted by a delicious brunch. Then time for some sunbathing and to travel across the lake to our next mooring spot. A couple of hours later when the heat of the day had died down, we were ready for some more game-viewing and even more fishing. It doesn't get much better than sunset on the lake with a bottle of beer, a fishing line in the water and a hippo thirty feet away soaking up the last of the sun. Even at the end of my three days on the Liberty Bell, it still seemed hard to believe that this isn't some well-rehearsed show put on for visitors; this is simply normal day-to-day life on Kariba. Emily Fletcher, UK, August 2009 |