I just got back from a four day fishing trip up the Zambezi river in Mozambique. It was incredible. We stayed at a fishing lodge run by an Afrikaner hunter named Carel. He really looked the part of the quintessential hunting guide. These are his calves.



I went with four guys who were all at least 15 years older than me and who still have a sense of British empire. They were all really fun to fish with and fascinating to talk to because of their historical perspective which included a collective memory of Zambia over the past thirty years. At one point they reminisced about the first place to serve ice cream in Zambia in the early 90's.

It's right before the rainy season here so the water is at its lowest. This is the perfect time to catch Tiger Fish. These guys are badass fish, akin to pyranhas in that they're cannibals and have razor sharp teeth. They can get up to ten kilos and put up a vicious fight. We baited the line with tiger fish filets; it's their favorite. I caught four of them over the course of the trip. This was my biggest, about 3.5 kilos.



I also caught a Voondu, a type of giant catfish (whose grand daddy I'm sticking my fist into). The whole trip was cast and reel and relax. We brought all our own supplies in to camp: food, fuel, beer, ice etc. All the meals were cooked for us by the staff there though. Everything was a feast and the highlight of course was fish. Zambia being a land-locked country and all, my only source of fish is canned tuna. Even though it's bony, fried tiger fish is tasty. And Bream too is delicious. Every night we'd eat by candle light and mosquito and then conclude the evening drinking whiskey and looking up at the stars. It was the clearest I have ever seen the night sky in the southern hemisphere. Truly brilliant. Then every morning I'd get up and walk down to the dock to load the boat and start the day off right.




This is a picture of the lodge from the water. If you look closely you can see two giant hippo skulls flanking the path to the main hall. It being a hunting lodge and all there are skulls everywhere. However I did receive many live hippo yawns along the river. Also noteworthy is the giant tree on the right. It's called a Baobab and when it gets old it has a trunk as thick as a sequioa. These trees are really impressive and legend has it that their grandeur went straight to their heads. It's nickname is the 'upside down tree' because for most of the year it lacks any foliage. Apparently, back in the day, the Baobabs thought they were that cat's meow. The Gods did not appreciate the trees pride so they turned all of them upside down and forever more the Baobob's roots stick in the air instead of the earth. I can't say the same for myself, I tried yoga last week for the first time ever and was unable to stand on my head. Anyway, my first trip outside the country was a success. Now it's back to the grind.