And We Are Complete!
Our wild African hound is at last here with us in the UK. As I type, his furry head rests on my feet, tired out after an intensive ball throwing and pond dipping session (those poor tadpoles!). It’s the best feeling to be together again.
Bringing Bow Wow to the UK
On 1st January 2012, the rules for bringing dogs into the UK changed! The new pet immigration laws mean that Bow Wow won’t have to be put in quarantine. Instead quarantine is avoided by having a blood test three months in advance. We wonder what he’ll make of London’s stylish mutts!
Biliary, Bribery & Our Mission to Kill the President
Leaving Zimbabwe, poor Bow Wow becomes seriously ill with biliary and Lachlan is accused of trying to murder Mugabe.
Our Wanderlust for Life in Tatler!
Wanderlust For Life
Some people go on holiday. Others, however, go on awfully big adventures…
(Not) For Sale: Land Rover Defender 110 Including Complete Overland Kit
This is your mobile home on wheels with everything you need. We’re including a complete package as detailed below.
A Movement 4 Positive Social Change [Band4Hope]
![A Movement 4 Positive Social Change [Band4Hope]](http://thevagabondadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/4-Band4Hope-on-a-Wrist-150x150.jpg)
After wearing these special copper and zinc bands for a few days, inspiration struck. We came up with an idea which has the potential to spread hope, not just in Zimbabwe but across the globe.
Favourite Snaps from the Road
Who: L U C I E, L A C H L A N, and B O W W O W.
Their occupations: Gypsy, Slick Suit in Finance, Dog
The trip: Crossing Africa by 4×4, helping communities through trade.
We’ve cut our teeth on over 25,000km of dirt roads across Southern Africa with our dog, Bow Wow, sourcing wonderful, handmade treasures… Think Summer of Love! Here are our highlights so far…
Tonga Tribe near Binga, Zimbabwe
The Tonga tribe were forced to move from where they’d lived and fished for centuries so that the power of the Zambezi could be harnessed for electricity and yet 50 years on and they still go without electricity or running water. No wonder they smoke dagga.
Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe (Photo Diary)
We discover why Lake Kariba’s southern shores are less travelled and live to tell the tale.
Caves Haunted by the Souls of Captured Travellers (Photo Diary)
At the Chinhoyi Caves in Zimbabwe, we visit a crystal clear pool which is home to the souls of captured travellers and some lucky gold fish.
Recycled Jewels of Harare, Zimbabwe
So much of Zimbabwe’s once productive farmland lies dormant since Mugabe’s redistribution of land. (An incredible documentary to watch is Mugabe and the White African – it is a story of moral courage about a family who stand up against the Zimbabwean government, refusing to leave their farm or desert their workforce.)
However, not only has an organic farm near Harare managed to keep going, they are also employing farm workers’ wives and sisters to make beautiful jewellery by recycling old magazines and catalogues.
We visited the farm and watched the women deftly create this unusual jewellery and made an order for Vagabond Van.
Horn & Bone Earrings from Zimbabwe
East of Harare, in a pretty little agricultural town, lives a journalism graduate and Jason Bourne fan called Joseph who makes jewellery out of cow horn and bone. We came across his work at a market in Harare and arranged to visit his workshop and develop some tribal inspired earrings exclusively for Vagabond Van.
Lightning & Copper, Harare, Zimbabwe (Photo Diary)
We returned to Harare and stayed with our Zimbabwean friends, Bruce and Nicola. It was fascinating to hear about how people coped during the desperate days of hyperinflation, when the enormously devalued Zimbabwean dollar was not even worth the paper that it was printed on. We joined them for extreme sundowners on a granite outcrop until a nearby lightning bolt caused our hair to stick right up on end (not a good sign!) and visited their sun filled factory called Copperwares.
Nyanga, Zimbabwe (Visual Diary)
The national park near Nyanga is said to have been Cecil Rhodes favourite spot and by all accounts has fabulous hikes through lush green mountains with waterfalls, breath taking views and great trout fishing. We knew that these hikes would be out of bounds for us with a dog but we hoped that as the park is not home to many animals and has no predators, the rangers may turn a blind eye and allow us to stay for one night in their campsite with Bow Wow. However, they were not to be charmed and once again we found ourselves in the stressful situation of having to find alternative accommodation with less than an hour of daylight left. Blaming himself, Bow Wow felt horrendously bad about the whole thing and increasingly worse when we were turned away from a motel in the town of Nyanga which was fully booked and did not allow camping in their grounds. On hearing us discussing our last hope, which was to ask if we might stay at the local police station, the snooty receptionist reluctantly suggested that we try a place just out of town called Angler’s Rest but she definitely did not recommend it. (Includes 3 videos)
Rusape, Zimbabwe (Photo Diary)
Rusape is a real Zimbabwean town not featured in any travel guides. We camped in the grounds of an achingly retro, yet empty, motel with a swimming pool full of frogs and provoked lots of laughter as we wandered through Rusape’s bright and bustling streets. Our taste buds had a real treat when we tucked into mouthwatering sadza with local farmers, sampled some thirst quenching Zimbabwean beers and sunk our teeth into the most flavoursome fruit that we have ever tasted. At Lovely’s Hair Salon we learnt how to braid while her gogo held court and swigged Coca-Cola on the stoop.
Harare, Zimbabwe (Photo Diary)
With so few tourists for so many years, all of the official campsites in Harare closed long ago. We eventually found a safe place to set up camp at Cleveland Dam and sampled the local “brain kicking” tipple, Chimbuku. At a vibrant market we felt the true hustle of Africa but our search for Vagabond Van products continued.
Journey to Zimbabwe (Photo Diary)
After a break in Cape Town and with only 4 days left on Lucie’s South African visa, it was a case of pedal to the metal, past the boerewors curtain and all the way through Afrikaans country until we reached the Zimbabwe border.
Introducing Chip Bags
These Chip Bags are hand woven by a woman called Penane in Maun, Botswana. Her daughter called Onalenna (which means ‘I am with her’) and friends collect discarded chip packets and sweetie wrappers (this is what gives the bags their futuristic shine) and Penane expertly recycles these by weaving them with reeds to make the bags. They belong to the tribe called Okavango Hambukushu.
Nail Biting Stuff
On safari with Stephen Fry and the BBC’s Last Chance to See crew we learn of Swaziland’s efforts on the frontline of rhino conservation. The high value of their horn, due to its imagined medicinal properties, has attracted mafia type gangterism with shoot-outs, petrol bombs, attempted assassinations and murders. Now a foreign backed NGO called Yonge Nawe is irresponsibly offering poachers legal aid. The last thing that rhinos need is any form of incitement and encouragement that gives hope and strength to poachers. In this world, driven by the accumulation of financial wealth rather than the conservation of our ecosystem, we only wish that there were more people like Ted Reilly. Perhaps then the future of our wildlife and wilderness would not seem so uncertain.
Maun, The Makgadikgadi Pan & Gaborone (Photo Diary)
From Maun in Botswana, we successfully navigated the length of the Makgadikgadi Pan, camping half way across, surrounded by nothing but blinding salt for as far as the eye could see. We then travelled cross country to Gabarone in search of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective, Mma Ramwotse and found the next best thing; a policewoman called Precious.
Swaziland’s Sanctuary
Bird About the Bush, Beatrice the Bee-Eater invites you to soar with her above Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary’s game dense savanna, the home that she shares with Back to Africa’s Roan Antelope Project. Discover how Ted Reilly, a man who has dedicated his life to preserving Swaziland’s wildlife heritage, provided refuge for animals when they had nowhere else to turn and of the wonderful work that he continues to do at Mlilwane.
The Bushmen Tribe of Tsumkwe (Photo Diary)
We met and Bow Wow licked the Ju/’hanse San people, or as they are more commonly known, the Bushmen, near Tsumkwe, eastern Namibia. Bow Wow impressed the tribe with his tricks, while I learnt how to make jewellery out of ostrich eggs and Lachlan considered ditching his Calvin Kleins for some Bushmen budgie smugglers.
Grootfontein (Photo Diary)
At a foot and mouth control point, we lent a few dollars to a man who had run out of fuel and cash. His name was Eugene and not only did he pay us back when we got to Grootfontein, he also organised for us to camp at Kalkfontein Farm which is owned by an eccentric Swiss fellow who keeps some surprising pets.
Creative Bar Names in Namibia (Photo Diary)
We’ve seen some watering holes during our time in Africa but nothing quite like these. Cruising down the C46 highway in Namibia, we couldn’t get over how original, weird and brilliant the bar names were. Feel free to add your own punchline.
