Mozambique > Gorongosa National Park

The alarm goes off at a quarter past five. It’s already light outside. Getting up early quickly becomes routine, especially since we go to bed on time in the evenings. In the restaurant, we have breakfast, and at half past six, we climb into the safari truck. The truck seats 20 people, spread over five benches. The further back you sit, the higher the benches are, giving everyone a good view. Macedonna is our driver for today and welcomes us. He apologizes in advance because, due to the very hot weather, the animals are likely to be less visible. We drive out of the campsite and head north into the park. Soon we see warthogs with piglets, and an oribi jumps away in alarm. While driving, we spot several waterbucks and impalas. Macedonna drives toward the lowland. During the rainy season, this area is submerged. Trucks cannot enter, and the park is closed during this period.

Mozambique - The safari truck in Gorongosa National Park

The rainy season is about to begin. We continue to the “lion house.” These are the ruins of what was once supposed to be a restaurant with luxury accommodations, but it flooded every year. When it was abandoned, lions took over the building, using the first floor to watch the lowlands. Today, no lions are around the house, but various antelopes are scattered across the plain. We drive on to the Rio Mussicadzi. The river is almost dry and eagerly awaits the rainy season. At the remaining water, a Nile monitor tries to flip a turtle, several ibises and a Goliath heron stand in the water, and fish eagles perch in the trees. A troop of monkeys also watches us. On the plain beyond the river, a group of Sable antelopes graze. This species occurs only in this region of Africa. By half past ten, we are back at the campsite.

Mozambique - A waterbuck in Gorongosa National Park

It’s oppressively hot. Macedonna suggests leaving a bit earlier in the afternoon. It will still be warm, but then he can drive further into the park toward the larger waterhole. I sit in the shade near our rondavel. At two o’clock, we are ready for the second round. It’s very hot. My thermometer on my backpack reads forty degrees Celsius in the shade. Naturally, the animals also choose the shade. Still, we see quite a few animals, including a bushbuck. Just after three o’clock, a dark sky approaches. A sandstorm is coming. Macedonna parks the truck with the closed back facing the wind, and the storm passes over. It also rains lightly. Due to the weather, Macedonna drives the truck back to the campsite, but soon the sky clears, and we persuade him to continue to the water pool. “Why not?” Around a quarter past four, we arrive at the pool. This pool, too, is almost dry. We had hoped it would be the place where the few elephants, lions, and buffaloes would be, but apart from a few ibises, monkeys, and a marabou stork, we see nothing. We drive back to the campsite. Macedonna keeps up a good pace, and occasionally we duck to avoid swinging branches. Meanwhile, twilight falls, and the sun sinks on the horizon. At the campsite, Macedonna apologizes for the poor “catch” of the day. It was simply too hot.