Danish version

Today we were going on a trip with Toby and Anna to Nkamba Bay Lodge, that had just been renovated for future rich Americans to visit for fishing pearch. As far as whether or not this concept will work is uncertain, but Toby was convinced that it would work. Anyways, first we headed for Nangu and Toby set course straight across the lake, a sixty-kilometer trip. About halfway we met two local boats that were paddling their way across the lake. Imagine paddling sixty kilometers in an old wooden boat. There were three men in each boat, but still. A while later, we also met some fishermen and Toby bought four Boulengerochromis of them that we had for dinner. I have NEVER had so tasty fish, it is firm in the meat and tastes like heaven. We arrived at Nangu and half an hour in the water. Visibility was so poor that the memory of this dive quickly is lost. Afterwards we headed for Ilangi, a flat beach where the famous Tropheus Ilangi are caught. The place looks kind of shady, and crocodiles are also spotted here from time to time. I felt a desire to see the Ilangi with my own two eyes, but Kenneth wanted to dive in and take video of them. Meanwhile we left the motor running to scare off potential crocodile visitors. Kenneth resurface after five minutes, and then that was that. It’s worth mentioning that the stretch with Ilangi is no more than approximately six hundred meters, and the natives rarely dive there.

After this we sailed on for Nkamba Bay, but on our way we tried to get to see some crocs on a little island, where they usually are found. There were none though and continued our journey. Shortly after we ran into a flock of hippopotamuses, or simply hippos as Anna and Toby called them. Toby sailed in amongst them and Anna took some good photos, that she has promised to send me. While the others were taking pictures I was battling to get my 70-200 mm up out my bag. I got one picture, and wasn’t that good. Toby warned us to stay in the middle of the boat incase the hippos tried to attack us. As he said: If they attack the boat we rotate. They didn’t attack and we continued on.

Nakamba bay is known for its’ crocodiles, and we did see a couple, which I got a picture of before they took off. In Africa more people eat crocs than the other way around. Still you don’t want one to sink its’ teeth in you. 

The rest of the trip to the lodge was peaceful and at about two o’clock we made to the lodge dock, where we were met by the South African lodge keeper. We were shown around by he and his wife and had a couple of cold beers. It is noticeable how hospitable white’s are in that part of the world. After about one and a half hours we sailed on to Chitika, where we had the final dive of the day before we headed home.

My hand is doing bad today, and it has started to swell up. The swelling and the tenderness has moved all the way to the other side of my wristwatch this afternoon. After talking to a Belgian doctor I have decided to start taking penicillin. Luckily I brought some with me from back home. I hope it works, or it might be a shortened trip to Africa.

A hundred and sixty kilometers in a speedboat leaves you with tender buttocks, and that night it was a pair of beat up Danes that drank the last couple of beers at the bar, and headed to bed.   

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