The team woke up at 6:30am this morning to pack our suitcases and get ready for the 7 hour drive to Thornicroft in Zambia. Lucita came by early to show us her appreciation and how she had recovered! After saying our goodbyes and blessings we loaded up the van and trailer, and the eight team members plus Hugo and Chifundo headed on the road. After 4 hours of driving we made it to the Malawi-Zambia border, which took about an hour and several stations, to get through. We drove another 2 hours and arrived at the Thornicroft resort.

Upon arrival, we were given cool towels and fresh pineapple juice and made our way inside to fill out forms and get the necessary instructions for the park. We discovered that various animals regularly made their way into the middle of camp, including baboons and elephants. We were told to go inside the nearest building if we did see an elephant near us. Although we did not see any elephants tonight, we did see dozens of baboon families running around the area. There is a river next to the lobby that hippos and crocodiles like to wade in. We even saw some people with a large fishing net right next to these animals – crazy!

Beds in the tents we stayed in at the Thornicroft resort in Zambia.

Beds in the tents we stayed in at the Thornicroft resort in Zambia.

One of the tents we slept in after our long days of safari at Thornicroft.

One of the tents we slept in after our long days of safari at Thornicroft.

The team having breakfast before our first 6am game drive.

The team having breakfast before our first 6am game drive.

After exploring the camp and sitting by the fire for a while, we heard the drums which signifies that dinner is served. We had a delicious Mexican appetizer followed by a wonderful Thai chicken & vegetable dinner. We had chocolate cake and apple slices to top off the meal.

It was time to shower and get ready for bed after dinner. Unfortunately, there was no warm water left and many of us had to take freezing cold showers. At this point we missed Prisca and the bucket baths at the parsonage very much! No one took it harder than Kristen, though, for as she says, “Kristen doesn’t camp.” Lucky for her, this is camping plus a bunch of wild animals. We are sure she will do fine. Tomorrow we will be woken up at 5am to get ready for our morning game drive!

Love and Blessings,

Manja a Machiritso