Lions, Latrines, and Liwonde

Well, its 4am and I’m awake again…this time in the U.S. We are home. My body clock hasn’t quite figured that out yet….So let me try and catch you up on our whirlwind last few days since I'm not sleeping like normal people.

Safari was, well, amazing! We saw lions and tigers and bears, oh my…..ok, ok. Not quite. We did see the lions though!

Liwonde national park in Malawi is incredibly beautiful. We got to enjoy a sunset and a sunrise on the African plains at the edge of the Shire river. We spent 24 hours in complete awe of God’s creation. I’d like to say it was restful, but it wasn’t really.

From the moment we arrived we had a schedule to keep. First lunch, then a game drive, then campfire (with stories and all), dinner, and bed. Wake up call was at 5am…thank goodness for the coffee and tea that came with it! By 5:45 we were loaded up in a Jeep headed out on another drive just as the sun came up.

This morning we also got to get out of the Jeep and do a walking safari. Our guide, Angel, was amazing. Every pile of animal poop we walked by he could identify. He could tell you which animal it was, whether it was dropped 5 days ago, 5 hours ago, or (yikes!) 5 minutes ago. We had a special team bonding moment over the non-optional hippo poop smelling activity….yeah, that one was unforgettable. (It smells a lot like alfalfa in case you’re wondering.) Then there was the trumpeting elephant that sounded much closer than he actually was…do we run or climb the nearest tree?

There was a beautiful sunrise, so many birds, elephant foot prints, and more. Then there was tea and coffee with biscuits on the banks of the river, using the “outdoor latrine,” and simply standing in the silence taking in God’s masterpiece. Pictures really can’t do it justice…

(Don't miss the right arrow to scroll through pictures in the box below!)

We returned to camp around 9:30 for breakfast, then showers, packing up, and loading onto the boat. The boat ride back to our vehicle on the other side of the river was just as exciting. We saw hippo, water buck, impala, more birds, and a huge family of elephants (50 or more). We also found one giant croc! What a way to end the safari!! Then we loaded back up in the van for the 5+ hour drive back to Lilongwe. We were happy, but exhausted.

We always “cram in” this safari trip because, well, what’s a trip to Africa without a little safari involved? It truly is just a day to enjoy the wonder of all that God has created and see a little bit of how Africa is so different from home. It’s a time of bonding even more as a team before we head home….I mean how can you not bond over sharing the “outdoor latrine” with your teammates? Or being told, “everyone back in the Jeep now, the male Lion is coming down the road.” Excuse me, WHAT? Fun times for sure! Enjoy the photos!