I expect to see a group of Inuit coming up the river in their kayaks. People have also been a part of the Zambezi for thousands of years. Ancient pieces of pottery lie on top of the dusty ground along the river, reminiscent of the stone scrapers and flaked pieces of chert found all along the Thelon. Mashona fishing villages, with huts and fences made of wood and thatch, look much as they have for who knows how many centuries. The Upper Zambezi, from Kazungula to Victoria Falls, alternates between calm stretches bordered by papyrus wetlands and lush forests of waterberry, tamarind, poison pod and other species to exhilarating, but runnable, rapids.
Islands break the river up into a maze of small channels in many stretches.
The water is silty green. They remind me of moose among the Ursus Islands along the Thelon, which often dive completely underwater to feed on aquatic vegetation. But the hippos are just resting in the water, not feeding. If this happens,' Dean says in his emphatic manner, 'swim away from the canoe towards the closest shore. I've seen a few big pike along the Thelon, but there's nothing that's close in size or scariness to a big flat-dog.