2003 July 16th - July 30th: Shipandani Hide, Kruger Park, South Africa - Sinamatella, Hwange, Lokathula Lodge Zimbabwe 👍

Wednesday, July 16^th. Sinamatella Lodge, Hwange, Zimbabwe
Elevation 930m

Route: Shipandani Hide, Kruger - Illala Lodge, Musina, South Africa, Bulawayo, Hwange, Lokatula Lodge Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Our room with a view, Masuma Dam, Hwange 

We are now installed in our room with a view for our last night in Hwange before we head up to our Vic Falls timeshare. One of our favourite spots in the world. There are several sculls in front of us, some recognisable, others not so. None look too human so we relax.

As I type this and try to catch up with this journal, Kayla & Aiden, describe the animals currently drinking, or heading to drink at the dam, just beneath us, in order of appearance: Wart Hog, Impala, Water Buck, Zebra, Hippo, Guinea Fowl, Kudu and Buffalo - this without the bins. 

Sun rise at Shipande Hide, Kruger National Park, July 16th

The large herd of Cape Buffalo are wending back into the bush, about 400 metres off to my immediate left. Kayla practices here flute in between doing her journal. 

Heading North, we spot a pride
in the grass near the road

We all catch up on our journey so far. The Hippo fart occasionally, and the bubbles show us which end is the back. Finally, we are back in the hide at Masuma Dam where (if you showed any interest in our last trip, you will have subjected to in excruciating detail) we stayed during our last trip. A kind of home coming almost. As soon as we arrived, Abiot, our resident tea maker and general dam organiser, said "you have been here before" he remembers my name .......(although Ilge thinks is just a ploy for a bigger tip). Either way, it seems that business is very bad, and he has no problem remembering folks from way back. This is the kitchen, and a very serviceable one it is too.

Northern Kruger Park is not well supplied with beasts
Except my Landcruiser of course

Last night we stayed at another of our favourite places on Earth; Sinamatella Lodge, about 30K (an hour and a bit), up the corrugated dirt road. Our house organiser, Abisha, said the same thing about remembering me as soon as we got out of the van. He's even thinner these days.
Last journal entry, we were at the South 

There are a few interesting points 
we stop at on the way

African equivalent of this hide near Mopani. This however, is the real McCoy, or real McN'joroge if you prefer. Lots of Kilometres to get here. Luckily, we had forgotten just how incredible this place is, so we enjoyed the SA equivalent anyway. Still, there really is no comparison between the two.

We are however,  back into the "Baobab Belt"

After we left Shipandani hide in Kruger, we set out for Shingwedzi camp, in northern Kruger Park, here for a game walk. There are a few interesting points we stop at on the way, but again, not much animal viewing, except for a few fairly rare Roan Antelope. After Lataba, and Mopani, this is obviously an old, but not yet too run down camp. There are a lot of rooms and cottages. However, our early morning game walk had been cancelled before we got there, so we decided to just leap off to Messina at the border. It's best to confirm bookings here, so we dig into our AA book (highly recommended) for a self catering, book it and head up to Zim. Instead of a 50K drive, I ended up doing 350Km.

There are, as ever, some things
worth stopping for

Like Roan antelope

This is a sad "Animal sanctuary" once having
Dianna (her of the speeding death in Paris fame)
as HRH Patron. It's now a run down shambles
Nothing but a sad vestige left

Northern Kruger is very sparse, dry, and almost devoid of game. The thin Mopani scrub gives way to open grasslands and electrical pylons. It becomes more arid as we travel North. About 170Km through the park, almost animal free. We are however, back into the "Baobab Belt": massive Baobab trees marching across the valleys like something out of Tolkein. There is actually a tree reserve just south of Messina.

A few sad animals at the
Bulawayo sanctuary

And we head to the Matopos

Out of the gate, we are back in South Africa - we treat Kruger as a "panic free" zone - I adjust my paranoia quotient back to normal. There is no signal for cells here, so I check the mirrors, and road ahead for about 100Km till it returns. It's pretty flat, lots of villages, a transport stop check point. Back to regular Africa. Everyone reads or dozes - they have seen this stuff before.

Yep, these guys may, or may not
be serious. I didn't find out

Of course, these are the reason
so good for them!

Theoretically, with a cell signal and a phone, you can call someone to tell them you are being robbed/ car jacked/ raped/ invited to tea. Reality is that this would not work in time, and of course, the chance of this happening are pretty remote anyway. Either way, once the signal returns, I relax somewhat.

This is the Rain Making 

rock formation. Not today

There's not much in the way
of game hereabouts

Messina appears to be much like a border town should. It has a "frontier" feel to it. "You can get it here" it says. Well tended old houses are all around. Banks, gas station - lots of them supermarkets etc. I choose the first one. Hmmm, not much in here, and the quality is not very good. After a few bag fulls of stuff, Ilge spots the problem. There are no whites here. Sure enough, this is the "black" supermarket - apartheid by disposable income I guess. The mainly white one is up the road.

Our camping site
The camp attendant only asked for a newspaper
Sadly, we didn't bring any

I was knackered when we checked into the Illala Lodge just out of Messina, and I retreat into a couple of Castle beers while the domestic details were fixed up. Hmm, this sounds like a rerun of Phalabora. The lodge is beautiful. Hidden in its own game park, it is a great retreat from the driving and hustle of the city.

Come morning, and of course we are woken by the various doves which are pretty well spread across Southern Africa and are to me the standard early morning bird call. There are two: Laughing (according to Aiden) Dove which tells us "Work Harder, Work Harder", and the Turtle Dove "Kookoo Rew Kookoo". A constant background from dawn through the early morning.

Our Zim reference tour adviser recommends it for its amazing views 
This is the Rain Making rock formation which was used by the N'Dbele way back, apparently with excellent effect

There are a lot of bits to do before we attempt the border - we want a lot of South African cash (don't ask!), small $US bills (don't ask!) some food to see us through to Bulawayo - our next destination, a fill up of our 3 x 25Litre containers with top grade Diesel - this we will definitely need, a fill up for our cooking gas container - no cooking gas in Zim, some "luxuries" like soap, butter, sugar, salt and oil and a final confirmation of some more documents at the police station for our Mozambique adventures.....

space and geology

The only message I have about the Zim border is that there is a lot of money and taxes involved - especially if you are in your own vehicle.
By 11:30 we are out of South Africa, totally topped up with just about everything we think we need.
The Zim side is packed with people. Some guy offers to "help" me with the formalities, I'm too smart for this taking it to be a rip off. 

The real deal. Rhodes Grave

Actually it would have saved a lot of time and effort after queuing in the wrong queues several times. A few US bucks would have really helped us and this guy. I learn a lesson.

Visa's, ($US50 each for double entries), Canadians getting quite a deal as Brits are twice that. For your information, kids are free, tolls, insurance and my favourite, "Carbon Tax". I freak out when I see the charges: its $ZIM20,000 for each foreign registered vehicle, per month, $US10 in black market terms, but an incredible $US400 at current "official" rates. Fortunately, this is a "commercial" transaction, and we get the mid rate about $ZIM900 per $US. 

So called "Worlds View"
I get it

And the balancing
boulders all around

I give the guy $US40 for two months. The carbon tax is very suspicious, as there is no fuel available in Zim. As there is no foreign currency here, there is none

A common sight on the rocks 

 available for fuel All fuel supplies are currently smuggled in and only available on the black market (Pssssstttt! Need Petrol?), so we pay a tax on fuel that is not available and has already been taxed in SA, Zambia or Botswana. Welcome to Africa. Insurance for 2 months is $US4.00. I cannot imagine what this is likely to cover.

The hills themselves are indeed 

It turns out to be a great investment as these documents are requested and inspected at 3 more police, customs and finally some other guy at the border gate to get out. We give him some candies, and a pop and we are out into the opens of Zim again. I count our insurance, taxes and candies, a very worthwhile investment.
We are still within spitting distance of the border, and there is another police checkpoint.

quite a spectacle

"Where are your guns?" we are asked. "We are Canadians, we do not need weapons" I tell him using my old British charm.
"How will you defend yourselves without weapons" he asks.
This is turning nasty.... "I thought that was your job" I reply with just a trace of question in my voice.
Seems to work, and we are off - about 2 hours to get through. I really must just eat it and hire someone next time.

For a national landmark, it's totally deserted

From the border the vegetation is just dust, goats everywhere. Drought and over grazing I suppose, but after 50Km it turns green, and appears to be game ranches. Africa continues.

It's like driving through ghost towns, You see the signs of ancient colonial infrastructure all over. 

And an instant picnic before we depart

Game lodges, hotels, garages shops. All derelict or with no windows and smoke marks around the doors. Sure, these were "Whitey" colonial owned places, but no one has gained by this economic Armageddon. I remember the once prosperous and generally happy communities when the war was on 25 years ago, and this really is simply pushing everyone back to the stone age. 

Where there were once thriving businesses, now there are makeshift beer halls, goats and fading remnants of empire. I at least find it sad. The roads however are still wonderful. We see about 3 cars and 5 trucks per 100Km.

Things are looking good!
Access road to Main Camp, Hwange

I have never been on this road before. Zim never ceases to surprise me. Geographically its spectacular. We pass huge Kopjes glorious spectacles of greenery, valleys and hills. Slowly climbing up the Limpopo watershed back up to the high velt at about 1400 metres. Three or four more checkpoints, all want our "CT", insurance and passports. 

We dive straight in
A waterhole wild incredible amounts
of Elephants. All around us!

 It's Friday evening, and they all seem to be

 looking for guns. Maybe there is a shootout scheduled for Bulawayo tonight......
Around 5:30, we roll into Bulawayo and find our hotel - a bit run down admittedly, but a place to start with. This seems to be the white enclave for Zim travellers, certainly 

Worth the price of admission

It's not all Elephants of course

no other foreigners here.

A couple of quick calls (this Canadian cell phone that works here is a great idea), and Zim cash and fuel are organised for tomorrow. 

There are lots of Zim folk here, almost exclusively white. I remember them as garrulous and only too pleased to chat with strangers. Now that is gone. They seem to be very aware of the local problems, and shy away from talking about their issues.

Animals everywhere, not just
Kruger stuff mind you; REAL numbers.
Herds of a hundreds of Elephant,

Yet more beer, a scratch dinner of boiled spuds (no local cash yet) and we play cards, watch TV till we go to bed.
In the morning, we meet our "contact" and exchange $US200 for 8 bundles of local cash - we are lucky: we get bundles in $ZIM500 notes: this is the highest denomination they have here and is worth about $US0.25 - yes 25 cents. It's about 6 inches (15.24 Cm for those metricated types) high. Everything here is priced in thousands. This should be fun.

We head to the Nyandoluvu viewing platform and watch
It was at this platform that my wheel bearings
started leaking last trip

The guy at the hotel desk is extremely helpful and resourceful. We manage to get a lot of info updates re game parks and local events. A plan is forming for our next few days. His advice is to get a cab into town as foreign cars are targeted as probably containing more goodies than locals (I can believe it). I place an add in the national paper for property wanted, and we investigate.

Sun set
A few stragglers remain, and night descends

It's been 25 years since I've been here. Things have changed:. I remember one of the best pints of beer in the world in a centrally located pub long ago. Now, as we walk through town, we smell urine in doorways, smoke marking showing the use of wood fires inside houses, sad shops with little to recommend their wares. Well, what did I expect? After a few hours of this, its lunch time. 

Dawn, out very early
A giraffe gives us a perfect sunrise shot.

Kayla gets a "chicken curry with rice" for 60 cents which was only rice with bones and skin, and it's not really what she was after. Milkshakes at 30 cents are a hit though.
Everywhere, there are queues at banks. The country appears to operate on cheques, very little cash is available, and so you cannot get any money, only credit for your personal cash. As the cost of a decent (European) meal would take a 5 centimetre bundle of notes, this is the standard process. Barter cannot be that far off.
No internet in town ("try later"), so it's time for Kayla & I to check out the local supermarket.

Vultures are having a field day. Gak! 

But this is one of the incredible memories

If it was not so sad, this would be funny, there are some fruits, veg and essentials, the same (or even stranger than SA), cuts of meat - ie unrecognisable to me, even cheaper at $CAN3.00 per Kilo for "T Bone" steaks, but the cost, and the silly denominations, mean we have to wait 5 minutes for each customer ahead of us while the money is laboriously counted - we are lucky getting ZIM$500 notes, at the banks you can only get 100's, 50's & 20's the 20's being worth about one tenth of a cent. There are also coins for 1 & 2 $ZIM. All bundles are in 100's, and every checked bundle is thrown into a bucket under the till with a "Thunk".

We didn't see it, just smelt it, maybe a kilometre away
One very dead Elephant
Baboon in the trees, jackals scuttling around, hundreds of vultures and Maribou storks on and in the trees

The tourist office is amazed to see us, this must be the most tourists they have had in a year. We get there at 11:55, and she kicks us out at 12:00. You would think this was a special occasion. We actually have to give her updates on the costs of game parks, so not a very enlightening encounter.

What else could we do but check it out?
I don't think we are "allowed" to do this
but as we are white men, why not?

All emailing shops seem to be having an eblackout, so there is no way to check what's happening, or what I need to know. We do find one out near our hotel, and get some updates. One of the mails is a response to my enquiries for accommodation which is from the hotel next door. They quote in $Zim, and it's half the (actual/ real) price of the one we are staying at now. This is interesting information.

My local Zim buddy has found someone who

needs US$.

 A few shots of the shoe boxes of cash

Next to our current location is the New Orleans restaurant. We decide to splash out for our meal this evening. It turns out to cost $25.00 in our terms, $1200.00 (all $US) at the official rates. Ilge's fish meal turns out to cost as much as all the others put together: $600.00 at official rates. Worth every cent. I check into the Banff Lodge Hotel, which adjoins the the New Orleans restaurant. I tell him our quoted price, "That was yesterdays price he tells me" Everything has gone up by about 30% in a week. Whatever, we move in

We get a shoebox full of local cash
I'm suddenly paranoid with having
millions of local $
I'm so paranoid I don't take it out
until we get to Main Camp

Sunday, and we are out to the "Chipengale" wildlife orphanage about 20Km south of Bulawayo. Several other families make it out for their Sunday excursion. It has obviously seen better days. Looks like it is now sliding down the slope of Africanisation. Even relatively new sections (The Princess Diana Children's Education Building) show obvious signs of neglect or budget cuts or both. A few animals scurry around their cages. Lions pace, birds squawk. A day out.

A thank you breakfast courtesy of Ian, 
A Zim native who has to live here as it's very 
cheap as he can't afford to live anywhere
else on his (now) miniscule income

I was not able to get any information whatsoever as to what facilities the Matobo Park still has - if any, so we stay at the new fantastic! Banff Hotel, and head south to Matobo Hills National Park for a simple day trip on Monday. Somehow we miss the main entrance, and end up in the southern part of the park. They obviously do not see many folk down here. 

I negotiate a South African rate ($US8.00 each), and they thank me as we have paid their salaries for the month. Jesus! Originally, I wanted to stay here fore a few days, but once again, the facilities are pretty basic. Eleanora, our Zim reference tour adviser recommends it for its amazing views, space and geology. This is the Rain Making rock formation which was used by the N'Dbele way back, apparently with excellent effect occasionally. We stumble into the game park instead of the national monument. There are some pretty heavy issues regarding getting out of your vehicle here. The game park has lots of Rhinos, very unusual now as something like 98% of the rhino's in Zim have been poached in the past few years. There is no map, so we just drive in a general direction.

We leave Main Camp, heading for Masuma Dam
My (so far) favourite place in the world
There is absolutely no one else here
It's all ours

At the picnic stop we have cucumbers and drinks. Somehow, with zero budget and salaries, everything is still in working, if not pristine order. 

 There is still an attendant here, and the toilets are clean and the water is hot. We are probably the first vehicle here in a week. Incredibly all he asks for is a newspaper. 

Zim remains the same. The monument is indeed quite a spectacle. There are ancient cave paintings, now almost totally faded and even a functioning museum from some time back. 

Finally, we are back in the hide at Masuma Dam

The curator asks us to support his football team; I expect he asks everyone who visits here. There is only a page with the first entry being over 2 years ago. Like the museum, he himself has seen better days. We give him our butter (wow what a luxury here!) and some oranges with the refrain that I still use when I say goodbye to someone "We wish you luck, and we wish your wonderful country much luck in the future". 

We're home
And we move in

 He has obviously been around since Zim was a British colony, and understands exactly what I mean. It is by the way, an offence punishable with up to some number of years in prison for insulting the president, or the government. 

We tread carefully, but there is no need, everyone is incredibly outspoken about the causes of the problems in Zim, and no one here blames colonial this, or British or American conspiracies. The hills themselves are indeed quite a spectacle, and "Worlds View" the site of John Cecil Rhodes himselfs grave is probably even more so. All around are a series of hills and mountains receding into the hazy distance. I personally am entranced with this and the balancing boulders all around. 

A regular sight in Hwange

View from Masuma Dam 

The area adjacent to this memorial spot, (it is after all, a graveyard), and we pass an hour with a scratch picnic Unlike the orphanage, this is well worth the day out.

Enough of Bulawayo, we decide to see if Hwange Game Park is still a going concern. (It was and is)

Settling the bill is silly. For 2 nights at a 3/ 4 star hotel, we pay $US66.00. This includes two evenings of excellent dinners plus all drinks and a huge bag of laundry. Totally illegal of course, but talk about cheap. Come on down!

Aiden checking out his personal room with a view

Before we head out, I'd organised some cash and diesel. Things get mixed up, but just talking to the manager, and a few phone calls manage to locate a fill up (75 litres), and then get set for cash. If I thought the last pile was big, then this is just ridiculous. It's a massive lump, pretty well a shoe box full. $US300. I feel totally paranoid with this huge wad of cash. I'm told that it's illegal to have more than $ZIM500,000 in your car. Paranoia! We distribute it around the van, and hide lumps of it all over.

I also feel very vulnerable and decide not to stack up with stuff at the local supermarket, but just bolt for the northern road. It's 100Km out of town before I relax and convince myself that no one is following us with wicked intent. 

Sinamatella Camp. We get a cottage
Totally broken, everywhere

My paranoia is of course just that. We have huge amounts of US cash and checks with us. This large bundle of local notes probably means more to me in PPP (Purchasing Power Parity to use the economic phrase), as a reasonable standard monthly wage here is Zim$10000 - Zim$15000. We have just got Zim$650,000: or at PPP 4 - 6 YEARS of some poor Zim folks earnings. This could be in our pocket back in Toronto, but our equivalent would be maybe a quarter of a MILLION Canadian dollars. Words fail me.

One of the best pix taken ever, ANYWHERE!
Sinamatella Camp

4 hours and 350KM later, after driving along a 100% African road, pretty straight, some hills, lots of bush and vegetation, many villages, a few speed limited area (very few actually), we turn off to the Hwange game park. 

We see it on the left, the large mass of vegetation rising into the distance about 20Km west of us. Hwange Park is EXACTLY how we left it 3 years ago. The only difference being the last time there were 6 groups for dinner, this time there is just us. 

We move between the Dam and Sinamatella

The waiter is delighted to see us. It's also a lot more expensive now. Absolutely no one else here apart from two local Zim guys. One who it turns out has only enough fuel to get 10Km in and out of the park every day, the other, Ian with no transport. We have the total run of the place. The food is just as I remember it. Really good. It is now also ridiculously cheap with our silly exchange rate. About $US1.50 per meal. 

There's no one in either Masuma Dam, or Sinamatella

Truly excellent beers are $0.30 each. What can I say apart from you really have to come to Zim before something happens and help these people!
There is time for an early evening game drive. 

We invite Ian along.

We accompany Abiot to the pump

Animals everywhere, not just Kruger stuff mind you; REAL numbers. Herds of a hundred Elephant, pile and piles of them. In Kruger, we would stop for a lone bull and never saw a matriarchal herd. Here it's the opposite. It's very dry, too many seasons without rain, or much of it. It's drier now than when we were here at the end of the dry season last time, and now there are 3 months more to go before the rains. 

It's about 1Km from the dam

With the sad state of the country, no foreign exchange and no diesel to supply the pumps which provide the water for these animals, I'm afraid there will be a massive natural culling later this season. Right now it is truly breath-taking. 

We stop at a pan where there is still a diesel pump working. There is one herd of elephants: 100+ drinking - lots of babies. Another herd charges in as this one is leaving, again 100+. I look behind me on the other side. Another herd is thundering down on us and bellowing for us to get the hell out of here. 

In all my years in Africa, I have never seen anything like this. Totally amazing. The entry fee is well worth it. At the Nyandoluvu platform, the herds (yes even more of them) have just left. A few stragglers remain, and night descends as we rush back for the gate for curfew.I offered to take Ian to the Nyandoluvu game platform for our early morning drive. 

We're old hands at wandering around
African Game parks, so no one eaten

The other Zim guy here has told him about a dead Elephant at the Tchebetchebe pan. On the way, its another animal fest. As the sun rises, a giraffe gives us a perfect sunrise shot.

We watch Abiot, our resident tea maker and general dam organiser, fires up the diesel pump to provide water for the animals, as the daily practice repeats itself near Masuma Dam

The deceased elephant can be sensed before we see it. It stinks. Hyenas have got into it and at this early hour of the new day, Vultures are having a field day. Gak! 

But this is one of the incredible memories I will keep with me till my brain fails. Baboon in the trees, jackals scuttling around, hundreds of vultures and Maribou storks on and in the trees and the elephant. 

What else could we do but check it out? Again at the Nyandoluvu hide we check out the game. This is where my bearing seals failed last time. This morning I bend down and do the same thing 

Some of these don't need a caption

I did 3 years ago. No oil leaks. I have lain one ghost to rest this day.
It is truly spectacular here (heard this before?), but we need to be within range of Vic Falls for our time share, so after a few shots of the shoe boxes of cash,
a breakfast courtesy of Ian, we pack up and head across the park to Sinamatella. 

 Everywhere there is (surprise surprise) Elephant shit. 

As I type this and try to catch up with this journal
I have this view

Huge lumps of it everywhere. It's 150Km half "tarred", half dirt. The decent tar hangs in for about 60Km, it's pretty well covered in Elephant shit - just piles of it EVERYWHERE.. 

From there on it might just as well be dirt. Potholes and rubble. Halfway, just as the tar ends is Shumba picnic site. Off to the hide for lunch (tins of stuff) and misc substances. Almost Etosha levels of game here. Piles of elephant of course, but lots of buck, buffalo and zebra. An hour or two later, totally enthralled, we head off here to Masuma. First time around. Up to now, I thought we would not have enough time with Peter & Maureen to come here. Now I know we cannot not come back with them. 

Spot the animals currently drinking,
or heading to drink at the dam

We say hello to Abiot after these three years. He loves it here and really enjoys telling stories about the animals he sees everyday. We spend the rest of the afternoon here, then up to Sinamatella for the evening. We book in, and I honestly do not mind paying the $US120 for a night here, and a night at Masuma. 

I hope some one benefits from this huge infusion of cash Probably not, but we have done what we can here to help the staff and the animals. Sinamatella is also the same. The manager (Miss Clay) who used to run the restaurant is now gone. To South Africa to live with here daughter, but the infra structure remains. 

This is the kitchen, Masuma Dam

We get the best lodge as we are again the only people here. As usual, the food is even better here. Curry and Apple crumble for pud. I'm out of superlatives again, just as I was last time I wrote about here on our last trip.For me, this is my dream come to life again. Many days and months have passed since we were here last, and many of them contained a vision of this view before us now. We meet an ex Zim guy who now lives in Atlanta. He's obviously lost it. 

Off to the hide for lunch (tins of stuff)

 Came into the restaurant asking "where are the animals". I tell him they are everywhere (it.s 11:00AM now, so he should know that they will not be out. "I've only got 2 hours in the park" he explains. Well tough luck buddy, you really belong back in the US, not here.

Our lodge organiser is Abisha. He did not look too full bodied when we last saw him, now he is even thinner. We promise to come and see him again in 10 days, this time with Peter & Maureen in tow.
In the morning we stock up with Samosa's and Apple pie, and head out to see Abiot for our very own exclusive day and night at our own paradise. Here. Now. Heaven.

Sinamatella is on a ridge with a fantastic view of the world
Many many elephants and buffalo take up a large section of the horizon

Since I started this entry, we have now also added to our game viewing itinerary, Giraffe, Elephant, Baboons. Lions grunt as the sun goes down. Many many elephants and buffalo take up a large section of the horizon.
There is nothing more to say.

Odometer: 309682 Distance Travelled: 1382Km Trip Distance: 1250Km \Total Trip 4005 Km

July 30^th. 2003 Lokathula Lodge, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Elevation 940m
Route: Illala Lodge, Musina South Africa - Lokathula Lodge, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe 

Once again, sorry to repeat myself, but we are back home. This time to a favourite time share in Vic Falls.

You need to do weights to
stay in shape to be a waiter
here for Zim currency

Peter and Maureen arrived last Sunday, (Dr. Goldthorpe I presume?), and we have more or less completed our mandatory adrenaline and fattening activities. We sadly departed Masuma Dam but not before we feed diesel to the water pump and watch as the daily practice repeats itself. This pump is restricted to 20 Litres of diesel per day, about 10 - 14 hours due to the severe foreign exchange shortage. It seems that companies are now sponsoring water holes, but a drum of 210 litres of diesel is still very difficult to get here, even on the black market. Watch the news in the fall to see how this shortage pans out folks.

The kids seem to be used to 
this kind of travelling.

We finally depart and promise Abiot we will return with our friends in August.

I try to lay another ghost to rest by heading off via Robins Camp again. While doing the same trip last time in 2000, this was where we got a massive hole in our tyres. It takes about 2 hours to do 45Km. When we arrive, they ask us very nicely if we are staying, sadly I tell them no.
"We have only had three groups stay here in the last month" I'm told. As ever, we are met with smiles, understanding and dignity. These people deserve far far more than they are getting, not just from their government, but also our governments and tourists.

Lokathula looks as great as ever. 
We have our typical (ie incredibly luxurious)
time share again

 We are now trying to get within cell phone range to ask Peter & Maureen to bring out some extra film for us - I screwed up our requirements, not allowing for massive photographing in Hwange.
We are now pretty low after Hwange. So the morning and up to 3:30PM, is spend in a long battle with sharp pointy rocks, corrug g g g g g g g g g g g ations and elephants and the time. We get within hailing distance, but I screw up the international dialling code, and we miss their departure time (as I thought, actually it was 12 hours later, but I doubly screwed up here!). Another ghost of flat tyres on dirt roads pops off as we reach tar after about 6 hours gyrating over the cobbles. The kids seem to be used to this kind of travelling.

Complete with hot and cold running Warthogs
working hard at mowing the lawn

Arriving at Vic Falls, and once again, we see no riots, no blood on the streets no soldier at every corner. Everything much the same except there appear to be far more overlanders than last time.
Being an old hand at Vic Falls locations, it's off to the freezer store for steaks, bacon, boerewors, chicken, fish etc etc. Enough of this roughing it business. Next its down the road for fresh fruit, veg bread and a visit to the "supermarket" (no one in North America would recognise it as anything more than a poorly stocked 7 - 11). The supermarket still has a pile of stuff, not exactly Loblaws, 

The floor show at The Boma
"One of Africa's top 5 restaurants"

but we have adjusted to all the shortages. I see salt and instinctively grab two. This is very unusual. Forget sugar or flour buddy. Salad probably costs more than all the other stuff: feta cheese, olives (really good ones) and dressing taking about 35% of the total bag of loot. After the wilds of the game parks, this is really a treasure chest of grub.

We still have huge bundles of local cash, but only manage to get through a small portion of it - about 2 inches of the biggest denomination.

Dr Goldthorpe I presume
Peter & Maureen arriving at Vic Falls airport

Checking the local action, it appears that the "Adrenaline Capital" of Africa still has all the goodies, plus more. Ultra lights and Abseiling are now on offer. Three years ago it was $90 for white water rafting, now it's $125 for THREE adventures. 

A few Malawi Shandies and warthog sandwiches 
Vic Falls still knows how to look after tourists

People still desperate here, and we are immediately surrounded by hopeful agents trying to sell their packages and make enough to live off of for 3 months. That's all it takes. We buy two national papers, one to see the news, the other to see if our advert has been correctly spelled and the email address is correct. It's all fine, now to see if there is any response. The other paper has a front page headline "Crowds Tear Gassed Waiting for Cash" It appears that there are no bank note in Zim.

We all squeeze into the cruiser and head the 
crocodile farm about 5Km away.
Probably best not to fall in here

People waiting to withdraw cash can only get a maximum of $ZIM5000, this in $ZIM 50's and 20's. In converted cash, this is about $CAN3.00. Apparently, these folks were gassed because there was no longer even this amount to give out, and so the police were obviously forced to tear gas them.We see the local version here. As it's Friday, people are queuing up outside any financial institute that serves cash. Today the limit is $ZIM5000 - about $US2.00 - this maybe enough for a few days of food, then another queue. They all wait patiently in line, maybe 30 - 50 per bank/ building society.  Lokathula looks as great as ever. 

A demonstration with their
feeding of elephant meat

Sans Elephant. Now there is an electric fence around the lodge to dissuade the elephants from entering. 

Being watered daily, they love the place, treat it as a restaurant and destroy it by the hour. Now there are none inside the lodge area. There are still however, the ubiquitous warthogs running around everywhere, working hard at mowing the lawn. It's wonderfully green here. We slip back into colonial mode.

First its showers all round, then Gin & Tonics as the sun goes down. Braiing our huge stock of great grub, glorious starlight dining experience complete with the brilliant Milky Way in all it's glory (have I mentioned this before?), as Africa continues to enthral us.

The local crocodile farm tour. Real Hands On stuff
Baby crocodile hatchling

Saturday, and its to the Vic Falls Safari Lodge right next to us for a massive breakfast. We sit overlooking the dam about 100 metres away. I take the "Highland Special" breakfast. Supposedly including (real?) Salmon. Well maybe, but it could also be an extremely thin piece of smoked Lowland Catfish. This is Africa, relax. I freak out at Aiden when he rejects his as having "yokes are too hard". I think it has something to do with the cost of his breakfast being a fair percentage of the populations monthly income.

It's good to get a recap on how to
avoid being eaten by these 

The bill is about $US15.00 - hey this is a very classy place remember! I ask the waiter if we can photo him with the cash pay for it. "Hope you don't mind" I ask him. "Happens all the time" he tells us.

In town, we check out a few things. I need a CD for all my pix as a back up, see what prices are on the street for our adventures. Another visit to the supermarket: Wow! MILK! I take 10 bags before everyone sees them. All prices about a quarter of local Canadian, except for imported goods which are about the same as we would pay back home. 

The Boma, the local restaurant in the Lokathula grounds beckons us and we pig out on all manner of exotic game. Kudu, Impala, Warthog - many times, Crocodile, Ostrich, Buffalo Streaks, Eland Stew, plus for the timid, straight sirloin steaks. 

Now it's time for the falls, lots of rolls of film

This place is supposed to be one of the top 5 restaurants in 

Southern Africa, it's certainly very good food with a better than adequate floor show, and is close to packed. 

Well, the main event so far
Victoria Falls

As the cost per person is $ZIM25,000 (maybe twice the average monthly salary), this is quite possible. Looks like both tourists and locals, so at least someone in Vic Falls has some cash.

Peter & Maureen iconic shot etc
Victoria Falls

There's a lot more water than on our
previous visit

We try and walk back to our lodge, but security insists on driving us the 100 metres just in case something wild, animal or human gives us any problems.

Sunday, and it's time for the arrival of the Swansea contingent. Peter & Maureen are due to arrive, so I meet them at the airport about 11:30. The one and only thing Maureen demanded from me this trip, was that I was here to meet them..... Mission accomplished! They look surprisingly well rested after their 2 night flights from Toronto. Seems that Air Zimbabwe bumped them up to first class from London to Harare, so they are feeling no pain.

Many video and digital shots

We have an easing into the African adventure on the way from the airport. All old colonial hat for me, but up front and fresh experiences for these folk. They are not jet lagged, so once everyone is settled into their rooms, unpacked and sort of caught up, its into the pool - warmest yet in Africa - now up to "refreshing". Once we have a few Malawi Shandies and warthog sandwiches (truly great!) in our hands, everyone relaxes in the afternoon sun for a few hours. There is still a pile of day left, so we all squeeze into the cruiser and head out to the crocodile farm about 5Km away.

 Group shots, single shots ad nauseum. 

Mosi Oa Tunya roars and thunders
complete with double rainbows

It's good to get a recap on how to avoid being eaten by these snapping and biting machines (punch their snout, gauge their eyes, or if your arm is in their mouth (!!!?), pull the flap that keeps water from going down their throat - preferably before you do). The guy giving the tour certainly knows what he is talking about. These folk have not changed much in the past 200 million years, and the demonstration with their feeding of elephant meat is certainly enough to make sure we do not tangle with them.

It's over a kilometre long

Back at the lodge, and we are braaing out the back. I get a call from the office to say that the contact we were given via Eleanora in Toronto is here. Pater & Maureen have brought a pile of stuff over for him. We meet him and his friend, and he tells us he will find "good prices" for what we are after. I ask him to call us with the price, but he comes back in the middle of dinner, this time with 2 friends, and I assume, waits for us to give him the cash for the deals he has worked out. I do not buy this and tell him we will check it all out tomorrow.

There's even more over there in Zambia. Later

Monday, Organising Day!

Mo & I take about 2 hours phoning around Zim South Africa and Zambia, booking and checking our next 3 weeks. We get just about all of it fixed up except for our Zambian booking. We save the $US30.00 per person visa fee if we book a hotel and come in on a "manifest". We need to email our details, but my site has been down all weekend (and continues to be on/ off for weeks - ed).

As we sits outside his hut, the chief Melusi

Apart from a few details, its all fixed or at least delegated and ready to go.

Now it's time for the falls , lots of rolls of film, video and digital shots, ad nauseum. Group shots, single shots. Mosi Oa Tunya roars and thunders complete with double rainbows. Quite an awesome sight. 

the chief Melusi takes us through the
gamut of village life through the ages

It's over a kilometre long at this time of the year, and that's just the Zim side. There's even more over there in Zambia. I call Jimmy, my mechanical dude who cannot make it out here, even though it was his dream so he can at least hear the falls that he longed to get to. Maybe next time Jimmy!
Finally we have done our bit for tourism, and head back into town to fix up our weeks activities.
The first guy I meet on the street gives me a better deal than our contact last night. Hmmmm. 

ending with a fantastic traditional lunch

Not sure about this. After a bit of soul searching, we book up with the new agent, and we are set for the week: Cultural; village tour, fun: Elephant ride; Adrenaline: White Water Rafting, fun stuff: early morning horse ride in a game park, followed by a sunset booze cruise on the upper Zambezi.

Its "Happy Hour" at the Lokuthula tonight, we meet a few people, but hardly anyone shows up. Talking to one of the managers there - he's an N'debele, he tells us that he is emigrating to South Africa. 

Peter get an instant taste for Chibuku,

Seems to be a bit of a litany here. We met another (white) Zim guy who is in town to say goodbye. Another one who has been harassed into quitting the country. This is the 3^rd one we have met so far. Listening to their stories, you wonder how they have lasted this long.
Back to our travels, the cultural village turns out to be highly recommendable. As we sits outside his hut, the chief 

The guy I bought diesel from in Bulawayo
Brings me a few cans to Vic Falls. Service!

Melusi, takes us through the gamut of village life through the ages, not some boring history lesson, but a real incite into Africa and how it worked, and still works in the rural areas and also how government and politicians fit into the traditional mix. His animal name is Mpisi: Hyena and we understand how Hyena's, are the animal kingdoms cleaners, and this is why he is a conservationist.

He has had no formal education, but is certainly an intellectual. After nearly 2 hours of his stories and details, we do a village tour, ending with a fantastic traditional lunch. Peter get an instant taste for Chibuku, the African Maize beer.

A local photographer takes a great Christmas card shot

 You can actually stay here at a hut if you wish to experience traditional village life - the tourist hut has glass windows though: to book try PO Box CT408, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

An elephant ride turns out to be fairly tame

Fuel, being the problem that it is, I grab some wherever I can find a reliable (ie non watered down) source. This lot should see me through to Zambia.
An elephant ride turns out to be fairly tame, really just a tourist past time. There have an armed guide out front to direct us, and we travel at about 3 Km per hour over well worn trails. The professional video dude who accompanies us and make a quite forgettable video (actually it's very good, but not really for us), takes a great Christmas card shot - coming in a Christmas card to you soon. Riding an elephant like a horse, leaves us a little bow legged after 2 hours in the saddle. I spice up the ride by calling a friend in Toronto on the cell phone. "Hi, I'm calling from the top of an elephant near Vic Falls"........

I always thought that you couldn't train
African Elephants
Looks like you can

"Hi, I'm calling from the top of
an elephant near Vic Falls"........

After our ride, our guide simply launches, totally unrequested, into an incredible condemnation of the government and all its works. No doubt about it, everyone detests what is happening here, and surprise, foreigners are not being blamed, much as the communications minister would like everyone to believe. This guy is a Shona, the government is basically his tribe. Something will have to change here soon.

The long route down
to the Zambezi

We carry some gear, but 
also, no footwear

Wednesday for white water blasting - again for Aiden & I. The water is very high, so we start rafting at Rapid #10, rather than 5 last time. No more easy riding for us - this time we do the full rowing exercise. 

Our guide, Khazi

It's bloody hard work, and we all get tipped out at Terminator II. Funny, Maureen & I are at the front for this one, and as we go into the final hydraulic, I scream "we are going over!", and we did. We mostly all hang onto the raft (short swimmer), and get in ready for our next heart pumping episode. Our guide, Khazi, tells us we are doing just great. Well he would have to wouldn't he, but we are all alive, with only a few bruises, so he's probably right 

At lunch, we hear that we are doing just great

We are supposed to be doing the rafting and river boarding, but they do not bring all the equipment. So, by the time we reach rapid #23, we are cocky enough to go "long swimmer" and Aiden, Kayla & I simply jump into the rapid and bob down the river. Gordon bennet it was rough in there, but I was very proud that the 3 that went include my two kids. Kind of twist on the baccalaureate concept I suppose.

By lunch time, we are out of the canyons

Of course, we need to have our fun too

And I thought getting to the
river was difficult

This is part of the out route to get out

After a hectic day of paddling, screaming
and various adrenaline

Kayla, Ilge & I are up early for our horse ride in the game park. Peter & Maureen actually see us riding in the park as they pig out at the Safari Lodge breakfast. Kayla & I start with a mad hack down a dirt path - scares the shit out of me. Kayla tells me the horses are very badly schooled. What ever, that's it for galloping!

Well, if you want a group shot, you get the cook
to take it

  You get incredibly close to animal on horseback, probably because their scent far outweighs our. Three metres away from some animals you would not usually get close to. The highlight was when we head down to the river. It's truly beautiful here in the mornings. Elephant tear up the grasses across the water. Ahhh. What a life! !

I get my CD ROM copied expertly by Nadir (try 091 312823 or 011 208 376 if you need similar), fix up my cooking gas, find gas with Peter for our Hwange trek, and generally get everything organised to depart.

Kayla, Ilge & I are up early for our horse ride

some animals you would not usually get close to

we head down to the river

What a life!

It's truly beautiful here in the mornings

Our final swansong is the riverboat sunset booze cruise. We did it last time, so it's a bit hackneyed for us old timers, but no trip to the falls is complete without one. Peter & Mo enjoy, and the cameras whir.
Interspersed with this, there is time for a visit to the Vic Falls Hotel, check out the crafts and indulge. I also update our supply of local cash.. The rate has gone up since we changed last week.

Our final swansong is the riverboat
sunset booze cruise

For our final evening here, we do the Boma restaurant again and those brave ones amongst us get our "Expert" level certificates at eating Mopani Worms - a local delicacy of Moth caterpillars, Maureen plays a game of chicken and challenges us to keep up with her, this time 3
each and we all admit to enough.

We all (mostly) visit the fortune teller at his stall near the exit, yes even me. "Long, strong and travel" seems to be my future, with 9 grandchildren before I die........ - Well look out kids.

For our final evening here, we do the
Boma restaurant again

We defy security, and walk home, the first part of our communal trek successfully (hopefully complete without loss of life.

Tomorrow, the real African adventure begins for our fellow Toronto adventurers - hope they enjoy it!

Odometer: 309902 Distance Travelled: 220Km Trip Distance: 220Km, Total Trip 4225 Km
Distance: 3623K

Editors Note:

And......... many, MANY years later, when I have nothing better to do than revisit these 25 year old blogs, this time to finally add many more pix from the video camera, for all you folks totally devoid of a realistic view of entertainment.

Here they are:

Sunrise. It was quite an experience,
but not a single animal spotted

And chilly

We need to get everything back by 10AM

Many Rhino's around in Matopos National Park

We stop at a picnic spot

And have a shufti at an accessible lookout

Worlds View

Containing the world renown Colonist

Cecil Rhodes

We check into Main camp
and immediately head out

There's hundreds of Elephants at the local water hole

Never a dull moment

As long as there's diesel fuel for the pump

Next morning, it's a pre dawn departure

For our game run

Ian, a more or less penniless Zim national

Guides us to a pan containing

What was once, an elephant

It's very easy to locate

Even with the wind behind us

Ian treats us to a bush breakfast

And attracts a local crowd of Marmosets

It's about 130Km from Main to Sinamatella

And we have the entire park to ourselves

On to my favourite place in the world

Masuma Dam, Hwange Park

It's an amazing experience

Every time we come here

It's the same, but always excitingly different

We take in the endless show

It's peak dry season,
so all the animals rely on the pumps

And there's always more animals arriving

Especially after a long hot day

There's very little to eat
(for an elephant, We were well stocked)
So they souls have come 20, 30 Km today

And, once again, a treat at the Boma

No Boma visit is complete without Mopane Worms

Peter and Maureen have arrived, so off to the
local Crocodile farm

Then, of course, The Falls

I just take the shots as a matter of record

Maureen and I have
organised our weeks activities

Starting with a trip to a local village

I know, a bit hokee, but with so few tourists

There's really no such thing as a tourist trap

Lunch, complete with edible Chibuku

Then, of course, the tourist trap

Of course, we all had to do this

Lat time, I stayed at the lodge

Well, definitely an "experience"

No doubt this would get me a lot of "followers'

With todays social media

Back then? Not so much

Give the public what they want I say

As we head for the wilder parts
Of course, some guy walks ahead of us

I remember riding in the Lesotho mountains

This is far worse on your hips and legs

As previously noted

Just for the experience

Amazing that African Elephants 

can be tamed like this

Then, onto something more familiar

Our last day at Vic Falls

And a ride through the local game park

The theory is, the wild animals
only smell the horses

But there needs to be wild animals
to only smell the horses
An overlooked detail I guess

From your Correspondent/ May 14th 2025