Sep 19 2010 Kafue National Park: Leopard failure

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  https://www.viajesalpasado.com/wp-content/uploads/kafue-059.jpg

  Before beginning the search for the heart of Livingstone tried to see the leopard, an animal that eludes me for months. In the Kafue Park, en Zambia, assemble all devices to achieve the expected meeting.

• RYL.kafue-084

  https://www.viajesalpasado.com/wp-content/uploads/RYL.kafue-084.jpg

  Before beginning the search for the heart of Livingstone tried to see the leopard, an animal that eludes me for months. In the Kafue Park, en Zambia, assemble all devices to achieve the expected meeting.

• kafue-140

  https://www.viajesalpasado.com/wp-content/uploads/kafue-140.jpg

  Before beginning the search for the heart of Livingstone tried to see the leopard, an animal that eludes me for months. In the Kafue Park, en Zambia, assemble all devices to achieve the expected meeting.

• RYL.kafue-089

  https://www.viajesalpasado.com/wp-content/uploads/RYL.kafue-089.jpg

  Before beginning the search for the heart of Livingstone tried to see the leopard, an animal that eludes me for months. In the Kafue Park, en Zambia, assemble all devices to achieve the expected meeting.

• kafue-103

  https://www.viajesalpasado.com/wp-content/uploads/kafue-103.jpg

  Before beginning the search for the heart of Livingstone tried to see the leopard, an animal that eludes me for months. In the Kafue Park, en Zambia, assemble all devices to achieve the expected meeting.

I had the feeling that if not reached Chitambo, the burial place of the heart and viscera of David Livingstone, my trip to Zambia remained lame. Sometimes when traveling alone is good to have a route, a destination, if it can be tricky, with which he entertained at night looking at a map. What happens is that the money dwindled and the tourist requests multiplied by ten for my portfolio. 1.200 bucks I called an agency and 400 expenditure dollars a taxi driver in Lusaka at which I proposed to reach the unknown village in the north. "Sleeping in villas, in the homes of three euros per night ", I said. “Vale, but you do not see when we negotiated the price, then we will be more expensive ", I said. Even so, the price was for me too.

But, travel mutate progress, break down and arrange themselves. I remembered that in February I had an appointment with people from the government of Zambia in Madrid, preparing for this trip. In the months following, despite several emails to send them to us to work together went unanswered, but thought I'd try one last time. I did, After a long series of talks, that caused me spend three days in Lusaka awaiting response, city ​​that I would end up being deported as illegal as there was no way to go, I was given what he asked: a driver take me to the heart of Livingstone.

caused me to spend three days waiting for response in Lusaka, city ​​that I would end up being deported as illegal as there was no way to go

Before, I wanted to work two nights in the Kafue National Park, one of the great and unknown parks of Africa where we set another great battle (loss): los big five. I have the great honor of being the only guy who has done more than ten safaris in four different countries and has not seen the big five. In my case lack the leopard. I have seen cheetahs, but not the fucking leopard seems to me flee. I remember that in Livingstone (Victoria Falls) I met a lovely couple from Madrid whose principle of conversation went well:
-"You've been here a lot?” (them)
-"Almost six months" (I)
-“Vaya, we are going to be just ten days "
-"Have you made any safari?”
-“Sí, and Chobe "
-"That park is beautiful".
-"Have you done many safaris?”
-“Sí, are spectacular. The trouble is that there is no way to see the leopard. I'm the only guy who is going to leave here without seeing. Well (tone a little enough), the truth is that it is an animal that is very difficult to catch him. You can be here for weeks and not see any ... (enough to remember the tone).
-“Ah, as we have because of having much luck ... "
At that time the camera takes the type and shows me pictures of a leopard, tens, less than one meter. I think I was doing stretches, doing the laundry and tango classes. I could teach more than 30 pictures of a feline model.
-“Sí, you got lucky " (loser tone). We were dying of laughter.

The fact is that they arrive at the park guide told the Kafue: "I just want to see leopards". Thus began a two-day search of the animal with spots. There I met Theo, a Dutchman who lives in Madrid and spent the holidays with her son Sasha in Mukambi Safari Lodge, which is owned, that helped fuel the challenge.

Another scene I saw the guide said they have seen in your life, just when we had to kill him: a lion had finished with a hippo

I saw a litter of lions devour a puku (is shocking to hear their roar while eating). Another scene I saw the guide said they have seen in your life, just when we had to kill him: a lion had finished with a hippo. The feline, immense, rested with the most immense body of its prey. Above them flew dozens of vultures. Great, but at the time and I did not care to see an elephant doing yoga, my only goal was the leopard. I got to go only with a guide for the morning to get: Failure again.

But the best was the final. I promise I'll tell you it's just. Which came back was the last safari, evening. We walked across the path of the river, where the cat usually go to drink. A 200 meters from the boats that we returned to the hotel and confirmed me as a loser, I was a little distracted, listen: “LEOPARDO”. My pulse quickens, I take the camera and start looking following the guide's focus. "I do not see anything", say. “Sí, I saw his eyes ", other riders say. The car gets in the weeds, we spent ten minutes looking for, call another car booster and conversation in the car was something like "what eye has, it's amazing what shine. "I say quietly and without the scene that caught me wondering if he would ask red or white wine at dinner. After several minutes of searching of both vehicles desist, returned to the hotel.

Literally, was laughing inside thinking that give the leopard, top, I hesitate in the face. Upon arrival I went to the hall and took the photo of the cat to have hanging in the reception (is as close as I'll be the bug).

Tomorrow, at six in the morning I expected Esau, my fun driver, to beat us more than eleven hours by car and arrive at the grave of Livingstone, the mythical Chitambo.