Zimbabwe : Eastern Highlands, Great Zimbabwe and Gonarezhou

Sunday 1 October : A drive through downtown Harare on a Sunday morning is rather pleasant actually. Heading southeast we drive through a number of farming towns like Marondera and Rusape; all faded and jaded but with hints of their colonial days. This blog is not about history or politics or strong opinions  but one thing is clearly evident when travelling in Zimbabwe : One corrupt and shameless leader and his cronies can destroy a country and it's potential forever..for all it's people...    ( Since our trip Mugabe has thankfully been deposed but it will be a long and hard road back to prosperity. ) We have lunch at the famous old Troutbeck Inn, set up camp at Mare and take a drive to the Rhodes Hotel for a drink on the verandah and a spot of birdwatching. It's rather chilly in the Eastern Highlands and the landscape and vegetation is very different from the hot and dry areas of Hwange and Mana.

On the terrace at Troutbeck

Monday 2 October : Next stop is the World Heritage site of Great Zimbabwe. These are ruins of a stone settlement, castle and fortress dating back to the 11th century. Nothing like a bit of a climb in the heat and the views are amazing. We overnight at Norma Jeans overlooking Lake Mutirikwi. This is by far and away the newest, neatest and well run place we have stayed at all trip. I can highly recommend it as a good overnight spot. We meet some tourists who are on an overland bus trip that began in Capetown. All they have been doing for literally days and days is driving. And I thought our schedule was a bit hectic! 

 
Tuesday 3 October : Its our first visit to Gonarezhou National Park. Things always happen in threes. The caravan brake seizes on a rocky hillside. Neil and Randolph manage to fix it in the searing midday heat while we enjoy Danie and John's sandwiches. The bakkie gets stuck in the riverbed but after letting air out of the tyres and a bit of digging Danie and the Fortuner tow us out. Our private campsite Hlaro has been occupied by a bunch of Saffers who have entered the park illegally. After some pressure they pack up and leave. It's wallies like this this that give white Afrikaners a bad name - don't paint us all with the same brush, please!

Loading wood onto the roof at Gonarezhou reception area

Fixing the caravan brake

Digging the bakkie out of the riverbed

Wednesday 4 October : The rest of our stay is lovely and the views of the red cliffs are awesome. We hear the lions roaring each night around the camp but we can't find them on any of our drives.

Thursday 5 October and beyond : Homeward bound with a night at Lion and Elephant and chaos at Beitbridge, we end up back at the farm for some rushed and disorganised unpacking. A trip of a lifetime, for sure.