Lower Zambezi

2 to 9 April 1995

Journal

Sunday 2nd April 1995

Leaving Johannesburg at the usual 04h00, I drove north to the Zimbabwe border at Beit Bridge.

As usual I crossed without incident and reached Harare in the late afternoon, again staying with friends in Borrowdale.

 

Monday 3rd April 1995

Staying with the friend, I met up with Ross and the some fiends of this. This was planned the previous year, and we had put in our names for the "lottery" for Mana Pools. While the park is closed during the rainy season, the two lodges are allowed to remain open, and are available to Zimbabweans for 5 days at a time - at a very nominal price. For the 6 of us who stayed at the 4 bedroom lodge, the cost for the 5 days was about US $ 20.

So we sorted out all the necessary supplies, and agreed which two vehicles we would take.

 

Tuesday 4th to Friday 7th April 1995

In the morning we all drove out to Mana Pools, and found the lodge. However, all roads off the main track to the lodge was closed to all traffic. For the next five days we had to walk everywhere - which was ideal for bird-watching, but some of the others thought that that was too dangerous, and spent most of their time around the lodge.

One problem that had occurred on the drive in was that someone had brought a bottle of vodka, but the cap was loose - so the contents spilled out - and onto my sleeping bag. While it might sound nice, it wasn't.

I enjoyed myself, and walked extensively. One day I drove back along the main track to the runway (which was accessible). I stayed there for several hours, since there was a pack of Wild Dogs lazing around there. After about an hour, during which several had approached within several metres of where I was sitting, the leader decided to leave. At the tail end of the pack a few old and injured dogs followed, and so I decided to join them on foot. I was able to follow them on their hunt for about two kilometres, but then they passed through some thick bush so I had to give up.

 

Saturday 8th April 1995

In the afternoon, we all left Mana Pools, and drove back to Harare. I again stayed with friends in Borrowdale.

 

Sunday 9th April 1995

Leaving early in the morning, I drove back to Johannesburg, and arrived back at about 22h00 that night.