Disembarcation Day

 We'd been told to have our cases outside our cabins by 1.00am, with a code letter attached to a sticky label, putting overnight essentials in our carry bags. We were up early and then went for breakfast before waiting to be told where and when to disembark. Our number was 20, disembarking at 9.30. The process was as efficient as the embarcation process had been, with our luggage waiting for us in a huge hangar with code letters on the wall. You went to the row of luggage with your code and then just searched through to find your cases, a process which was pretty quick.

We had arranged to meet up with  Dominic Rollins, our tour leader for the Sani Pass extension, so we waited outside the terminal as he was in a later group. We weresitting by a column as we saw him go past with a coule and carrying someones case. We got up , picked up our luggage and went to follow them, only to lose sight of them. We stopped by the road where we'd last seen them and waited. It was very hot but we didn't want to move away for when he returned for us. As we waited we saw a small butterfly that landed in some plants and was not easy to see. As I was trying to photograph it, Dom returned, having sent the others off in a van and ordered a taxi for us. It was a half hour wait and so we moved into the shade but had to move away as the staff were prepring for the boat's next trip out that evening. The taxi came, we loaded up and set off for the half hour drive to our accommodation, Afri Lala.

After settling in and sorting out the paperwork, we had a look round and then met up for a walk to the nearby golf pratice range for lunch. We had good views across the golf course, with Hadeda everywhere. The protions were huge and I had to ask for a doggy bag for my 'spare' piece of chicken. We walked back to the Afri Lala, seeing Square-tailed Drongos, Red-eyed Doves and Common Mynah on the way. I them went into the pool for a swim before getting ready for a walk round a nearby golf course which designated it's surroundings as a nature reserve. As we walked round we saw the ever present Hadada Ibis, Reed Cormorant, Familiar Chat, Egyptian and Spur-winged Goose, Southern Red Bishop, Pied Kingfisher, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, EAstern Golden and Cape Weavers, with nests hanging from a tree at the top of the lake, African Palm, African Black and White-rumped Swifts and Wooly-necked Stork among others. Half way round, Dom had to leave to collect the second van so we continued ourselves, heading back to the car park to be collected and returned to Afri Lala before we went to a local restaurant for dinner. The food was great, with large portions again, but managed to choose a reasonable one of huge prawns.