Trip Report: Africa's Garden of Eden
In July of 2014 I had the opportunity to visit Zambia and Zimbabwe. This was the first time I ever traveled with Marlon du Toit, a photographic guide I recruited to mentor me in wildlife photography, and a man I now consider a friend. I had made solo trips and done some independent work in East Africa, but I wanted to take my
photography to the next level, and so I decided to visit the Southern safari circuit for the first time under his guidance. In my first blog post I noted his incredible influence on me as an artist, and he helped me make a major technical leap forward. With his teaching I stopped fighting my gear and learned how to synchronize with it. In this process I started to find my own photographic voice. Marlon is a big part of that narrative, but it must be said, our destination is also a significant part of that story. We spent a night visiting Victoria Falls, and then crossed into Zimbabwe where we would spend 9 days working together. I was in love with Africa before I ever set foot in Hwange and Mana Pools, but after this trip, I became enchanted by it. You might think it would be hard for me to write a report on a trip I made almost three years ago, but I'll never forget my visit to this incredible place. The images are as sharp in my mind today, as the photographs that I took.
Hwange National Park - Almost exactly one full year before a dentist from a Minnesota town, ironically a city I drive through on my way to work ever day, shot and killed a famous lion named Cecil... I arrived in Hwange. Marlon and I had met in Johannesburg and then flown into Zambia. From there, it was a short road transfer across the border and into Hwange. When we arrived at Davison's Camp, we were immediately greeted by a nice sighting. A tiny pearl spotted owl was sitting in front of camp enjoying the bird bath.
Davison's is located on a private concession in Hwange known as Linkwasha. It was already known for stunning views and close access to a very active water hole, but it would soon become world famous for its resident lion pride, known to our guides as the Back Pans Cats, and their iconic leaders, the brothers Cecil and Jericho. Marlon and I encountered the females of the pride on our very first game drive that evening. We would see them again many times over the next three days, but it was that first night that I truly connected with Hwange. We had good photographic opportunities with the matriarch of the pride, Grace.
She herself had become an internet sensation the year prior. She had been savagely cornered and attacked by spotted hyenas and a visitor captured the whole thing on video. Assumed to be dead of her wounds, she emerged some months later to resume her role as the highest ranking female, stronger than ever. I imagine her strength and leadership has been tested again and again since that horrific poaching incident that took the life of her pride's dominant male. Cecil was illegally baited and led away from the safety of the park. He was collared at the time by local researchers, and was well known to everyone who worked in and around the concessions in this part of Hwange. The idea that a professional hunting guide and an experience trophy hunter committed this heinous act completely by accident is absurd. The fact that they attempted to destroy the radio collar after the incident tells you everything you need to know about who and what they are. There are many kinds of poachers, but the evil they spread is no different. I often find myself thinking of Grace and the Linkwasha Back Pans cats.
Hwange itself presented a stunning visual environment, with its classic African savanna peppered by palm trees, something I had only previously seen in Ruaha (Tanzania). On our final day in the park Marlon, having gotten to know me a bit and begining to figure out what I was all about, gave me one of the most magical moments of my entire life. We worked on low angle photography, and crawled on our bellies to a small water hole. Waiting patiently, we allowed an elephant bull to come investigate us (on his own terms of course!), and he walked within a few meters of us! I can't describe in words what it is like to be laying at the feet of a wild African bull elephant, but we did manage to capture a bit of the experience on Marlon's GoPro.
I didn't really think anything could top Hwange, but I also didn't know what was waiting for me next. The two of us caught a small single engine prop plane and began our journey to our next destination, a remote park known as Mana Pools. At this second park we would connect with a few other guests as part of a Wild Eye Photographic safari Marlon was leading.
Mana Pools National Park - For the longest time Mana was one of the best kept secrets in Africa. Nestled into the bank of the mighty Zambezi River, the park faces an escarpment on the river's opposite side that is part of Zambia. For this leg of the trip we didn't stay at a lodge, but rather a mobile camp run by Mwingilunga Safaris. I could probably write an entire blog post about how incredibly awesome this company is, perhaps I will someday! A family operated business, Dave and Tess run the company, and their son Andrew aka "Roogs" is the camp manager. Andrew has Downs Syndrome, but once you meet him you quickly realize this isn't what defines him at all. He is as capable in the bush as anyone you will ever meet, and has expertise about life on the Zambezi that is unmatched. Our principle guide was their son in law Kevin. If you want to visit Mana, these are the people to show you this remarkable destination. They are simply the nicest people you will ever meet, and their love for Mana and its wild treasures shines through them.
Mana itself was created in 1963, but because of its remote location it remained a well kept secret for a long time. Marlon and his friend and colleague Morkel Erasmus began publishing photos from the park a few years ago and it has since become a photographers haven. The "blue forest" plays games with light that are like something out of a dreamscape, and in the dry season dust kicks up under every hoof and paw, the African sun dances through every particle. There are many things about Mana that make it completely unique as a wildlife experience. It is one of the only parks on the continent where visitors are allowed to leave their vehicles, walking with the wildlife. Photographing lions is something that makes my heart race every time, but photographing them on foot is a spiritual experience. There are a few crafty elephant bulls in the park, well known to regular visitors, who have learned the impossible.
There is something about Mana Pools that makes you feel as though you have somehow entered Africa's soul itself. While destinations like the Serengeti and the Masai Mara are still the headliners, this is a place like no other on earth. There is an ethereal quality about the Pools, a place that is so visually breathtaking that you wouldn't trust your imagination, should you dare to imagine such a place. Without the roar of a land rover's engine, you are left with nothing but nature, save for the occasional click of a shutter. Leaving footprints in the dust, its easy to imagine this place represents what our world once looked like before man began to bend it to his will. It is harsh and challenging as only nature can be, but it is also an unspoiled paradise. It is no wonder that this place is known by many to be Africa's own Garden of Eden.
I don't know for sure where my future travels will take me. One problem I can't seem to conquer is that each visit to the continent only strengthens my bond to it, calling me to explore more, to see more, to experience more. For every place I check off my bucket list, I seem to add several more to it. For this reason I don't have many repeat destinations as of yet, but I can tell you that I will return to Mana Pools. Like a pilgrim returning to a Holy site, I will find myself forever drawn to this wild treasure that lies on the Zambezi floodplain. I left a piece of myself there, and took a piece of it with me.
~DM
