Yesterday we left N’amanghazi Farm and drove to Liwonde National Park about 2 hours away for a safari. We stayed at Mvoo Wilderness Lodge, which was a lovely resort with a center lodge and chalets along the Shire River in the National Park. There are tons of hippos in the water as well as Nile Crocodiles. We went on a late afternoon safari and stopped at the river’s edge for a drink at sunset. How lovely! Just our group and the hippos! We saw gazelles, wart hogs, waterbucks, and lots of birds. Dinner was great: delicious ham (a nice change from chicken and goat) and yummy vegetables. Lots of them! The chalets were lovely with big stone bathrooms and comfy beds under a giant mosquito net. We were right on the river and could hear the hippos all night.
Today we went on another safari in the morning at 5:30 driving through the rhino preserve. We did not see any rhinos or elephants but we saw kudus and other animals. It was like an amusement park ride, going through ditches and tall grasses. Then we returned for a delicious breakfast of eggs and toast and marmalade and fruit salad. In the afternoon we went on a boat safari on the Shire River. We saw hippos and crocs and fish eagles and marsh eagles and from very far away – elephants! It was a beautiful day. After a delicious lunch we drove back up to Balantyre and we stayed in a conference center there overnight. What a fun day.
Tomorrow we leave for home. I’m looking forward to seeing my family but I am sad too. What a fabulous experience this has been. Both medically and spiritually this has been an adventure and journey that we will not forget.