We did it!! We braved the dreaded Bulawayo/Victoria Falls Road and drove to Kapula South Camp in Hwange. It was a monumental drive, and with a short stop for Brekkie, it took us 8 hours to drive 420 kilometres...the road was horrendous, the potholes monumental, but - there is hope on the horizon. Reconstruction work has definitely commenced, great gaping detours are being carved out of the brush, and hopefully it won't take too long before its a glorious ride through the Mopani Forests, with those beautiful flowering Teaks overhanging the road, and a safe drive to Zimbabwe's prime tourist destinations once again.
KGVI is looking for glass jars and sauce bottles for our new venture into tomato products. If anyone got these stashed away and wants to have a clear out please contact KGVI or drop them round. Contact Sam on 0772999343
But don't hold your breath!!
Even a pristine new road will not stop the cavalcade of coal trucks that thunder down the road in their hundreds daily, spewing black coal dust all down the roadsides and on the surrounding countryside. The black coat dust covered the roadside from Hwange until well past Insuza. The drive to Sinamatella Lodges is a disgrace with black dust enveloping the entire region, derelict plant and machinery festooning the landscape, plants struggling to breath, cess pools of sludge perilously close to totally smutty and disgraceful roads, edging right up to our precious National Park.
The road through the park from Main Camp to Kapula was almost totally devoid of tar and badly corrugated to boot, there had been quite a lot of work done on many of the platforms at various pans, thanks to safari operators and foreign aid, and of course National Parks, but we were saddened to see a pan right on the road, that had a sign saying 'No Access - Private property ' surely the general public should be able to park on a pan right on the road and view the game
But on the positive side, there is hope. Friends of Hwange Trust together with National Parks, the Bhejane Trust and the Conservation and Wildlife Fund, amongst others, have done an absolutely amazing job of providing solar pumps and a variety of essential works, to an incredible number of pans, bringing life- giving water to countless animals.
The grass is still high in many places even after several years of drought, and golden flecks shimmer through as we lazily drive from the watering hole back to our breakfast cooking at the campsite, the copper colours of the Mopane shrub shine brilliantly in the warm winter sun and time effortlessly slips away with a glorious winters day in Hwange.
WATCH DOG
PAYING IT FORWARD
I met a couple of folk on a trip with my daughter 14 years ago in Okavango, as we have shared so many things (including the Gifford School), we still remain great friends.
Michael - one of the folk, is a good 16 years older than me making him 80 ish but physically and mentally fit and always up for a challenge. He plays a bridge and is always busy.
Anyway, last night over supper, he told me that he and his Sister-In-Law went to Brookes at Zonke for lunch the other day. The server took their order and a tall 30 something guy, unknown to both of them, said hello, how are you two (old people) They chit chatted and that younger man went to order a takeaway and said goodbye once his order was ready.
After half an hour when Michael called for his bill, the server replied that their mela had been paid for by that younger man. They don't know who he is but please say thank you to this kind stranger.
Only in Bulawayo.
Dave.M.