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The Mysteries Of
Hippo Lodge
by Ilse Mwanza
Hippo Lodge's brochure starts very straightforwardly: " … a quiet
camp [on the banks of the Kafue River] with four uniquely built
private [river-stone] chalets, all en-suite, each with magnificent
river views, sleeping between two and six people - one of these a
self-catering villa for family groups". "Indulge in the tranquil
azure waters of our natural hot springs … go game-viewing by car or
on foot … enjoy boat-cruises and sundowners on the river … a trip
into the past with a tour of Hippo Mine, the first copper mine in
Zambia".
What the brochure does not say is that Hippo Lodge is surrounded by
mysteries. What caused Jacob Elliott to die in 1905 near the old
Hippo Mine, aged only 37? What was he doing there, and who sent the
carved-marble gravestone from J. Sheriff/Bulawayo? How did the
Brahman bull manage to survive, deep inside the Kafue National Park,
and reach the Kafue River across the lodge, 120km from the nearest
road? Why do the Crowned Eagles nest in a tree behind a chalet,
above a busy lodge-footpath, something the normally shy raptors
would never do?
I have decided it is because the lodge is charmed. River lodges
like Hippo are usually much alike: nicely furnished and sited, with
good gameviewing, great food, super guides and management - in
short, what one expects of an up-market lodge. But at Hippo Lodge
things are different.
Driving from Mumbwa to the Lodge, we had to ask the way (it's the
road to Kasempa, turning off just 1.5km west of the petrol station -
a sign at this point would be useful). Carrying on in a
north-westerly direction for 83km, ignoring any unmarked turn-offs,
we reached a sign that said 'Hippo'. Turning west for another 40 or
so kilometers, going past the abandoned Kabulushi park-gate, we
arrived at the entrance to the old Hippo Mine (just a rusty old
gate). We followed the well-used track to an airfield where, to the
left, the road leads to McBride's Camp, and to the right to Hippo
Lodge. The road - described as 'accessible all year round' in the
brochure – is quite good, certainly up to the Mine turn-off. Then it
gets a bit bumpy and a car with high clearance is useful. In the
rainy season a 4x4 is a must.
Arriving at the lodge, we were greeted not only by Bruce and
Kaitlin, the lodge managers, but also by 'Chilanga', the camp
elephant. Chilanga, a large bull elephant, was well behaved, feeding
quietly on leafy branches. The lodge with its four stone-chalets is
beautiful. Each chalet has good views of the Kafue River - and of
the game that feeds on the lawns around the chalets. Each house is
different, though all have verandahs with sofas. The 'Stone House'
is for families and has upstairs and downstairs bedrooms,
kitchen/dining and sitting area. The 'A-frame' has a big double bed,
built-in bath-tub and panoramic windows. 'No 3 chalet' is a
2-bedroom house, great for couples of friends. Ours was the
'Honeymoon Suite' which featured not only an enormous stone bath but
also a 'swinging' double bed, i.e. a bed that hangs on ropes from
ceiling beams and gently gyrates when sitting or lying down (a bit
unsettling at first). There are also four twin-bed tents, en-suite
with open-air showers.
The activities offered at Hippo Lodge are game-drives, morning
walks, fishing trips, canoeing, boating, sundowner-cruising, soaking
in the nearby hot-springs, and, not to forget, getting a tour of the
historic Hippo Mine (one activity per day is included in the price,
the second costs $20 extra, walks are $10 pp).
The lodge's game-viewing area is not very large, nor are the
loop-roads extensive. This area of the Kafue Park is not well
developed and therefore not much visited, except maybe by poachers,
fisherfolks and travelers to Kasempa (the road is closed at present
because, in Dec 04, the Lubungu pontoon sank and hasn't been raised
to this day). There are a few forest dambos at which game
congregates in the dry season, and a few hot springs, but mostly
it's seemingly endless and empty miombo forest … and, of course,
tsetse flies. Game-viewing after 9 a.m. and before 5 p.m. is
terrible due to the tsetse, and can only be done in a closed
(preferably airconditioned) car.
 Kafue Park, I find, is a connoisseur's park, a park where you have
to look and drive around to appreciate its attractions. With its
22,400 km sq it is larger than any other park in Africa, and its
great species' variety is very scattered. It is famous for being the
last refuge of healthy wild-dog populations (12 packs in the north
park, 6 in the south, researchers have found). And even the great
elephant herds that had suffered from population proximity, are
coming back. On our first game-drive we saw a nice herd of sable, of
course kudu, elephant, puku, impala … and zillions of warthogs. The
area around Hippo Lodge must be warthog heaven. There certainly are
VERY many of these intriguing pigs. In contrast, strangely, we saw
only few monkeys and baboons. But lots of good birds! Which I
watched, for much of our 4 days there, from the comfort of our
verandah sofa. The most amazing of these was the pair of breeding
Crowned eagles, who had decided to build their nest in the middle of
the lodge (just behind the A-frame), above a very busy lodge-path.
We also visited the old Hippo Mine. We had a peek down the old
mine-shaft and into the open-pit, admired the rusting equipment
(which Bruce calls his 'anchor-farm' because the abandoned mine
'sprouts' boat-anchors of all sizes), and rummaged through piles of
weathered stone-heaps for pretty quartzes and colourful copper-ore,
left behind as mining detritus. (The lodge displays good samples of
minerals on each chalet's window-sill.)
And then we came upon the graves. Not far from the old mine, in the
middle of the bush, there they were. Two together, one of Jacob
Elliott, the other of someone unnamed. We discussed at length with
owner/manager Bruce
Whitfield what could have been their history, and decided that:
Mystery 1: Jacob Elliott was of Scottish origins (cf name), served
in the Boer War until 1898 (Bruce's websearch produced a lieutenant
by that name), and then went prospecting in North-West Rhodesia for
the British South
Africa Company. Whatever happened - malaria, lion attack, accident
- he died at the site of the Hippo Mine and was buried there.
Someone (a family member? A work mate?) at some point in time
brought up a marble grave-stone (carved by J. Sheriff Co. of
Bulawayo) and put it on his grave. There is another, unmarked grave
next to Elliott's, but nobody knows whose last resting place this
is.
Mystery 2: a week before our visit, a lone Brahman bull was sighted
on the shore across the lodge. ZAWA ordered its destruction, as
there was no way to find the owner (the brand was NM/C), and the
bull was too difficult to transport. And so it was shot, and the
meat distributed to camp- and ZAWA staff. How did the bull get this
far into the park? At first it was assumed it had come from Kasempa,
but there are no Brahman breeders there. Then it was thought it must
have come from the main Mongu road, somehow having escaped from a
cattle truck. But how did the bull survive the 120km trek into the
park, crossing crocodile-infested rivers and carnivore-populated
country? Maybe the lions, hyenas and leopards, unsure about this
strangely coloured buffalo, decided to let it live?! When it was
discovered, the bull was grazing peacefully amongst the puku and
impala.
Mystery 3: Paddy Fleming, a well-known birder, explains "There's no
telling where these crowned eagles will pop up next. In the old days
they were confined to a few northern forests and mushitus, now
they're everywhere." Still, it is amazing that they build their nest
and don't mind the lodge traffic.
Because of these mysteries, the comfortable Hippo Lodge is a
charmed and charming place to visit.
Prices: $110 pp/day all-inclusive (incl one activity per day),
excluding park fees (K20,200 pp/day) and bed levy (K15,000
pp/night). Additional activities: drives (morning or night) $20,
walks $10, fishing/boating: depending on time on the water
Bookings: tel. 295-398 (Igor Boltar), or 242-083 (Aida Martiz), or
email
hippolodge@zamnet.zm; or at Bush-Buzz, Manda Hill 256-992
info@bush-buzz.com; or any travel agent |
September
2005