Zimbabwe with Bhejane - first two weeks of September 2013

The total Bhehane trip together with the Gonarezhou trip afterwards was just over 7000 kilometers. We took about 2700 pictures on one camera and hopefully some will meet with your approval. Just before we left we fitted Old Man Emu springs to the rear and they were really lovely. First Ascent -8C down sleeping bags - three in all - two zipped together for me, kept us warm. Head nets kept bugs away from our faces at the Matopos. In addition the Zapper racquet was most useful. A Tabard stick was also useful for dispelling the itches caused by the various bites.

We had wanted to do the Bhejane trip for some time and we booked about a year ago. The food on this trip was the best we have had on an arranged tour for ages. The staff went to exceptional lengths to make sure we were happy and the variety was exceptional. Thank you to Paul, Peter, Cronje and Gilbert for making this trip so enjoyable for us.

As usual we decided to leave a little early and to go via Khama Rhino Sanctuary which we always enjoy. Here we met Ralph and Gillian Louw who made us a lovely dinner. The next day they departed for Elephant sands and we remained to spend a day in the sanctuary. We had planned to eat at the restaurant - but it had burned down. This will significantly reduce the sanctuary's earning capacity.

We thought of going via Kubu Island but in the end we just headed for Elephant Sands.

At Nata we filled with petrol and paid with my credit card. Off to the bank I went - stood in the queue - arrived at the atm and keyed in the bits ending in the amount of Pula I would like. I was asked to remove my card and take the money. Neither appeared. Fortunately, I can not really say "luckily" in these circumstances, the bank was open and after some discussion, production of identity documentation and form signing I retrieved my card. Two further attempts eagerly watched by a bank employee resulted the same way - but there was no further signing - just return of card. My age is really showing now - I clearly recalled the time when I would have been unpleasant to the bank people. Now I just looked at them and realised they could not help being what they were - utterly useless. It is amazing they can fire up their intelligence enough to manage to breathe. Fortunately I had enough to pay my account at Elephant Sands and we left Nata.

On arrival at Elephant Sands the elephants were there and a tanker delivered water twice to quench their thirst. It is truly a wonderful asset to have wild animals on your doorstep and were there no elephants the lodge would slide off my list immediately. Here we also saw Ralph's trailer which was waiting for his return in about a fortnight. All looked good when we were there although the jockey wheel disappeared in the time he was away.

The next day it was Pandamatenga - the border between Botswana and Zimbabwe near Hwange. Well well well - there was at least one member of the Zimbabwean staff trying his best to gain something out of the influx of nine vehicles excluding the two support vehicles. Here I explained we wanted to stay a month and not about two weeks like the others. I should have known that this departure from the norm carried risk. My red thingey was issued for two weeks unbeknown to me - idiot that I am for not checking. This caused some concern when we left at Sango when I was told the red thingey had expired. I showed my passport and another form which both clearly showed the month. In the end this was sorted and we were allowed to return.

Just upset me a teeny teeny bit more and I will never go to Zimbabwe again. There is little that will persuade me to put up with inefficiency and nonsense in order to go there again.

Once through Peter Collins was standing by with breakfast goodies.

There was a change of procedures and we headed for Tuskers Camp outside Hwange National Park - near Main Gate. This was a pleasant camp site and the next day we entered the park for the day.

Next stop was Binga - I am sure it was once lovely - now it is run down. There we also enjoyed a sunset "boat cruise" with chillied Kapenta. (Amazingly my stomach suffered no ill effects.)

The next day we went to Chisarira National Park. The scenery was nice but the animals were absent. Glad I have ticked that off the list and unlikely to go back.

Kariba was next. Lake Kariba se voet - it is a dam the Kariba Dam. This is a typically English way of using inaccurate words to describe something in order to change reality. The people who used to live on the river banks are certainly worse off than before and probably, in fact almost certainly, they have eaten all the Chisarira animals and all the others they could get. The camp site was nice and I was fascinated by the fact that hippos came into the camp area at night to enjoy chewing the lawn. To visit the dam wall there is a strange procedure that costs a dollar involving leaving your passport and collecting it when you return from looking. There are notices in the border control offices that they aim to reach some imagined international level of excellence. The staff which "helped" us failed to reach this level - not slightly. Note the use of which as opposed to who. (Never mind if you miss it - not important.)

Mana Pools - highlight of the tour was next. The road to Mana Pools was not a highlight. Our camp site was lovely and a lot of effort was made to provide warm showers and a flush toilet. We drove around. We got bitten by tsetse flies in the mopani forests. All the roads to the river are private and off bounds except for the camp where you stay. There are animals there. I have ticked the list. Tastes obviously differ as we have friends who think it is a really magic place. Well if you sit beside the river at your camp and drink beer all day it might appear to become so. I am glad I have seen it. The drive through Nyamatusi Wilderness Area, for which we got a permit, was interesting and I thought we could drive back to Mana Pools via an access road that showed on my GPS. A fallen tree, what appeared to be a major wash away and tsetse flies galore buzzing and biting in the vehicle prevented that from happening and as it was late we trundled off back to arrive back at camp just before sunset. Interestingly you are officially allowed to walk around in the park - but in many areas the tsetse flies will will prevent me from enjoying that.

Chinhoyi Caves was interesting and we enjoyed lunch there.

Kuimba Shiri Bird Park had a significant breeding colony of mosquitoes in the shower. There were also two ancient Land Cruisers parked there which I photographed in case anyone from LCCSA is interested. The birds in cages left me cold.

On departure Ralph said one of my headlights had gone out. The Toyota staff at Masvingo were most helpful and they replaced the bulb. They were fascinated by the fact our Cruiser is a V6 - they said they had never seen one before.

The Zimbabwe Ruins have been upgraded to Great Zimbabwe. Glad we saw the stones.

Norma Jeane's Lake View Resort had lovely facilities and a few people decided to pay a bit extra to stay in the lodge. On the other side of the road nearer the dam you can see what were once lovely places now in ruin. Lake Kyle - sorry Kyle Dam now called "Lake Mutirikwi" was interesting to see.

The last night of the tour was at The Farmhouse, Matobo Hills. This guy decided it was preferable to pee in the woods rather than venture into those incredibly awful ablution facilities. Dark and truly awful.

The next morning we said goodbye and headed for Maleme Dam Camp Site in Rhodes Matopos National Park which was close by.

A lovely trip in all which we thoroughly enjoyed but I have no plans to return soon.

The total route shown in red

Where we went in Mana Pools

The Bhejane team

Paul Wigley

Peter Collins

Cronje Wessels

Gilbert Modise

Our camp at Khama

Ralph and Gillian Louw have arrived

A beautiful rhino at the hide. (Fortunately these animals are protected by the Botswana Defence Force.)

Giraffe

Hornbill coming to visit

A Waterbuck in the water

Widebeest drinking

Young Kudu bull

Zebras drinking

Elephants at Elephant Sands

Ralph's trailer

Water being delivered for the elephants

Sunset at Elephant Sands

Our setup at Elephant Sands

Peter Collins of Bhejane serving breakfast just the other side of the border in Zimbabwe.

Our tent set up by Bhejane

Steam excaping from a natural spring at Binga

A lovely snack with Ralph and Gillian at the camp ground at Binga

The scenery at Chiserira

To get the right composure sometimes requires an interesting pose

Lunch at Chiserira

Kapenta on the table on the houseboat

Lunch served on the road

We saw hippos at night that came to snack on the lawns

The Kariba Dam wall

A view of the wall showing the statue of the Zambiza River God - Nyaminyami (see Google - Nyaminyami)

The church honouring those who died on the Kariba Dam project

Fruit is not allowed at Mana Pools as this would attract elephants which would damage vehicles to get at it.

Another meal on the way

Lovely Mopani forest with not lovely tesetse flies.

Part of a large pride of lions

Looking across from Zimbabwe to Zambia

Testing the water depth and what is in it

We got a permit and went in to see what we could

A python - I did not get out to pull its tail this time

Impossible to go further without major road construction and the tsetse flies were in abundant attendance

A small bat that unfortunately somehow got caught by the wing on our radio ariel

An elephnat snacking on a fallen Baobab

The roads up north are littered with wrecks

Large consignments are sent through Zimbabwe by road

The Toyota people at MAsvingo who repaired my headlight

A lecture at "Greater Zimbabwe" (formerley The Ruins) (The Shona building talent seems to have declined significantly over time.)

Kyle Dam

Train crossing the road

At the Matopos

Rhodes' grave

Nswatugi Cave

Carving at The Farmhouse

The departure breakfast

We enjoyed seeing lots of the country and it is always lovely to have your tent put up and all meals prepared. Thank you Bhejane.