July 19 - Journey to Hwange - Cheetah Surprise - Camelthorn Lodge

We had a relaxed morning before we bade farewell to our wonderful local guides, Howard and Kevin, and the charming staff at Amalinda.  We boarded onto two comfortable mini buses and drove 3 hours on a good paved road to “Halfway House” where the 4x4 vehicles from our next camp, Camelthorn Lodge, were waiting for us.  

We then set off with the owner, Mark Butcher, who is a local legend for his work both with schools and the community at large in the Bomani Concession at the South East of Hwange National Park.  Butch is a high energy white Zimbabwean who is both a professional guide and a community activist.  We drove down a sandy road towards the park as Butch told us about his experiences from his early days studying botany and zoology in South Africa to his first job as a guide/ranger to owning several lodges and creating solid relationships with the local communities. 

Butch is just as much about wildlife as he is about people and we learned that first hand the next morning when we arose at 6:00AM and set off to join the local school kids as they walked to school.  It was a raucous scene as we were greeted by several hundred children cheering and we descended from the vehicles to literally start running with the kids shouting and laughing several kilometers to school.  Our kids loved it and so did we!  

We were welcomed to the Camelthorn Lodge by the wonderful staff chanting for us.

But first a quick description of Camelthorn Lodge which is centered around a majestic Camelthorn tree.  An elephant was at the entrance gate as we pulled into the main driveway and we were greeted to a singing staff chanting a welcome song in the local language of Indebele.  Cold drinks and wet towels cooled us off as we entered the impressive main lodge which is an open structure with a large dining room with fireplace off to the right and a bar/lounge area off to the left spread out around the Camelthorn that towers over the main building.  Pathways lead away to two story free standing units that are very comfortably furnished with 4 poster beds, seating area, writing desk, en suite bathrooms with both tiled shower stalls and a large oval porcelain bath tub large enough for two people - yeah!  There is hot water on demand as they have installed propane tanks which is a great idea and more environmentally sound compared to burning wood.  

After checking in we went off to see some elephants in the nearby plains when we got word that cheetah had been sighted nearby.  We raced off just in time to see two large males just after a kill with huge bellies and blood stained mouths.  We were able to get within about 50 feet of them and just got some great photos befor the light faded - cheetahs can be very rare so this was an exceptional beginning to our safari in Hwange.  

Later we arrived at a water hole to find a roaring fire with folding chairs in a circle.  Time for sundowners and appetizers!  The sun had set and the stars were magnificent as we sipped our Gin and Tonics in front of the fire and enjoyed a wonderful welcome to Hwange National Park.  Back at the lodge we feasted on roast potato and a fabulous pork tenderloin accompanied by delicious South African wines including Shiraz, Pinotage, and Chenin Blanc.  

July 18 - School Visit, Medicine Woman, Top of the World Matopos Nat’l Park

Today we split the group as one vehicle headed into the park to see hippos, search for black rhino, and enjoy the excellent birding the area offers (largest concentration of eagles in Africa) while the other group set off to a children’s home/school where we donated items brought from home including school supplies, soccer balls, and clothes.  We met the children and toured their dorm rooms, kitchen and classes.  It was very touching and authentic.  A great experience for our kids to see how these children live.  

Later we set off to a nearby village where went to a homestead consisting of several huts in the bush inhabited by an extended family of women as the men had died off and the children were all female - quite unusual and a very hard life for them. We were honored to meet a village elder, a woman, who was both a natural healer and a shaman.  She was very open and welcoming of questions and the discussion ran the gamut from spiritual beliefs like what happens when we die, what is our purpose on earth, etc…to daily life.  She then took the adults into her hut and showed us the various tools and potions she uses to communicate with the spirits and ancestors.  It was fascinating to learn how she goes into a trance to act as a medium between the two worlds.  She was very humble and sure to stress that it was not her making the interpretations rather she was just a conduit for the knowledge that was passed along.  Interestingly, many of her tools and potions were very similar to those that a shaman in Peru used when Perry’s group participated in a shaman ceremony last winter in the Andes. 

While the adults were inside the kids had a great time singing and dancing with the women and girls of the village.  It felt great to connect with the culture in a real and positive way.  It can be hard to have authentic experiences in the highly touristed areas like the Serengeti.  Conversely, there are many areas that are so wild and remote like the Okavango Delta in Botswana where there is really no opportunity to meet local people.  This was just perfect and a great balance to the wildlife viewing.  In fact, Matopos Park really is about scenery, history and culture more than traditional big 5 game viewing which is much better at Hwange Park which is our next stop.

That afternoon the kids decided to hang out at the amazing natural infinity pool made on top of a giant granite dome swimming in the chilly waters and catching lizards by the pool - good fun.  Another part of our group went to Bulawayo for the Saturday market where they witnessed local culture at both the new and used good markets.  They came back with some great buys including Nyami Nyami necklaces, local music CDs, and more.  The others journeyed to the highest point in the park by vehicle and on foot where they were treated to a spectacular 360 degree view of the park and as a bonus they were able to visit Cecil Rhodes grave as he is buried at this site.  Rhodes was the founder of the nation of Rhodesia and developed the infrastructure of what is now Zimbabwe including farming, roads, rail, mining and more.

July 17 - Tracking Rhino & San Bushman Cave Paintings in Matopos Nat’l Park

Our morning started with hearty breakfast of eggs to order, muffins, yogurt and other options.

We set off in two comfortable open seat land cruiser safari vehicles with tiered seating raised high towards the back so that everyone has a great view.  After a short drive we met up with the rhino trackers who are armed rangers that live with the rhino to protect them from poaching.  They guided us into the bush through grasslands with scattered Mopane trees.  We walked single file with a ranger in front an done taking up the rear.  We walked as quietly as possible and it was exciting to be on foot in the wild knowing that rhino were nearby.  We absorbed the silence of the bush and started to grow accustomed to the sounds all around us.  Here are there birds darted by and it was not long before the lead ranger made a hand signal to stop.  We slowly emerged from the bush to find 4 adult and 1 rhino calf grazing just yards in front of us.  We slowly made our way to them and the excitement built as we were allowed to approach these prehistoric looking creatures to within just about 10 feet.  Fortunately white rhino are very sociable animals and showed no fear or irritation from our presence.  What a far cry from the extremely dangerous black rhino that my brother Marc and I had tracked in Namibia the year before.  It is hard to capture in words the feeling of standing in the remote African bush just yards away from these powerful creatures.  What a privilege to be able to observe them at such close range.  Certainly a great start to our safari and one we will not soon forget.

After a delicious lunch we set off on a drive into another area of the park where we alighted from our vehicles and hiked up a steep ridge peppered with forests and boulders until we reached a magnificent cave.  The cave was set into a cliff with several holes in a vertical line at the back which indicated that fresh water poured from the walls during the wet season.  Along the back wall of the cave about 2-3 meters high was a collage of fine images painted between 2,000-5,000 years ago by the nomadic San bushman, the earliest of tribes in Africa.  These images were of gazelles, humans, buffalo, and several exquisitely elegant giraffe all painted in a gorgeous ochre color with brown dots.  We learned from our guide that the bushman had been pushed out of the area towards Namibia first by the Bantu Tribe coming from central Africa and then by the Shona Tribe from the west.  It is very difficult to date these images but they have been preserved in a fantastic state and are clear against the cave wall.  These are some of the best San cave paintings in the world and we felt privileged to witness them in such a beautiful wilderness setting.  As we emerged from the cave the sun was low in the sky, the liken

and granite outcrops once again taking a life unto their own.  Orange and purple lit up the rocks and the liken glowed green and yellow.  Very spiritual vibe…

As we drove back to camp the darkness enveloped us and the the,temperature dropped rapidly as the winter night approached.  The open air vehicles get very cold both pre dawn and post dusk so we were glad to have brought warm clothes including hats and gloves.  Many people assume Africa is a hot jungle but that is far from the truth.  There are large sections of arid lands, lush deltas, riverine valleys, sandy desert and more just within several hundred miles of our location.  

July 16 - Flying to Zimbabwe

We had a smooth check out and drove to the domestic terminal to catch our South African Air flight to Bulawayo which is Zimbabwe’s second largest town.  After an hour flight we were met on arrival though we did get a taste of traditional bureaucracy obtaining our visas with lots of paperwork and very very slow processing.  In any case, we were comfortable transported in 2 vans through the tree lined street of Bulawayo and out the other side to our first lodge in Matopos National Park.  

The scenery changed from flat cattle country to a wonderland of giant granite boulders and towering granite outcrops.  It reminded us of the Southwest in places like Bryce or Zion National Parks back home.  It was as if some race of giants had played a game of stacking rocks…the formations were mind blowing.  It was hard to imagine how a perfectly round boulder could be sitting atop several hundred feet of off kilter stacks of rectangular and quadrangular shaped granite boulders the size of a house (or bigger).  We arrived at Camp Amalinda just before sunset and took a great walk through a forest to the top of a nearby bluff covered in green and orange liken that started to glow in the last light of the day.  The sun set as a magnificent fireball and all the granite came to life as the orange and red rays bounced through the canyons.  Our guides treated us to the classic sundowner - ice cold Gin & Tonics and we toasted our arrival.

Our lodge, Amalinda, is one of the top rated properties in Africa and we could see why.  The architecture is stunning.  The main lodge is actually built into a cliff face below a massive granite tower several hundred feet high.  There are several levels all open and spilling onto one another from the top level where a lounge and bar is set into an open cave to the next level which has an open fire pit and stone seating surrounding it down to the dining area set amongst boulders a hundred feet above the reception area.  The units are all huge suites either built into the cliff our formed around huge boulders so that you feel you are walking into a Hobbit’s palace as one of the kids put it.  The floors are smooth and cool concrete and the entry way features a small living room with and open floor plan leading to an enormous four poster bed looking onto a patio with a view.  The bathrooms are spaciously built into the stone so that the bathtub is encased in granite and the shower flows down a granite slab.  The beds have electric blankets which keep one toasty at night. 

Fires are started each morning and evening to provide the hot water.  Luxury in the bush!  Reminds us of the cave hotels in Cappadocia, Turkey only the African version.  We were fortunate to have the owner join us for lunch and we met the father who built the property 25 years ago at the bar along with his wife.  They told us stories of the rise and fall of Zimbabwe from the early days of tourism to the land seizures when all the white farmers (including them) lost everything they owned due to nationalization, from inflation running over a trillion percent per year (can you imagine?) to the store shelfs all sitting empty.  Zimbabwe is now on the rise again and tourism is one of the driving forces of positive change so we are happy to contribute to jobs, protection of parks, anti-poaching, community and school support, etc… The father’s best quote among many was that he would be happy to pour a whisky at the grave for President Mugabe (the octogenarian leader who destroyed the economy) when he dies as long as it passes through his liver first.  Think about it!

Swimming pool on the kopje

July 15 - Apartheid History Tour of Soweto (Johannesburg)

After a hearty breakfast of eggs to order, sausages and local bacon  (yum!) we were met by our fabulous guide and loaded into a spacious Mercedes Sprinter van.  We drove about 30 minutes through various upscale neighborhoods of the northern suburbs with lush gardens, stone walls, and impressive architecture.  It felt a little like Beverly Hills at times…We made our way to the southern part of town passing by the high rises and experiencing a bit of the rush hour traffic on the modern freeway next to downtown.  Eventually we reached Soweto which is an acronym for South West Township.  

Most of us have heard to Soweto because it was where the black workers lived during apartheid and was the center of the struggle against the racist system.  Originally it was a slum but now it surprisingly is home to both millionaires, middle and poor working classes.  Unemployment is horrible in Soweto at between 40-60% depending on the source.  We were impressed with how clean and nice most of the suburbs were - there was even a huge shopping mall!  Many of the poorest areas we visited had row houses for workers much like the houses we see in California for migrant workers.  Fortunately the government is building new housing called Mandela Houses which will have running water, electricity, proper sewage, etc… It seems like things are looking up and we felt perfectly safe as we traveled around this huge community.  Our first stop was at Freedom Square where the manifesto was signed outlining the demands of the blacks to the apartheid regime.  From there we went to a very significant church where the police had trapped innocent school children who were protesting a new rule that forced them to learn Afrikans language and then opened fire on them.

This sparked huge outrage in South Africa as it was broadcast to the nation and was one of the major historical moment in the movement to end apartheid.  Next we visited a museum dedicated to one of the youths that was killed by the police.  It was a very powerful experience as we read the history and looked at photos that were captured during the massacre.  There were also TV clips and radio broadcasts that really brought the fear and terror alive for us.  Next we visited Nelson Mandela’s home where he lived with his wife Winnie.  The home was very simple and restored to its original state with his furniture, writing desk, letters from prison, photos with world leaders like Fidel Castro and more…We took a break for a local style lunch and then went to the superb Apartheid Museum which is a one of the top museums in Africa featuring an extensive collection of apartheid era films, books, news articles, photos, vintage cars, military weapons and vehicles used by the security police and much much more.  The museum really deserves 2 visits as it takes at least 3 hours to absorb all of the displays and exhibits.  At the end of the day we had a very thorough and touching education about this tragic era in history and we were glad that we had made time on our journey for this tour.  Our guide was superb and funny at the same time.  He was a real character and had us laughing so hard when he described American Football as a bunch of huge men hugging and tickling each other…:)

July 14 - Arrival Day in Johannesburg

We arrived in Johannesburg at the modern airport and were promptly met and transferred 35 minutes to the charming Peech Hotel in the wealthy suburb of Melrose where we were lodged in a well appointed garden room (as large as a suite at most hotels) featuring a spacious en suite bathroom (love those tubs!), sitting area, desk and patio looking into the garden.  The main building was very elegant with a large glass enclosed dining room with fireplace, a quaint bar, and a lounge area with lots of comfy sofas leading to a small well stocked library.  We were tired so they kindly offered to bring us dinner to the room and we feasted on delectable lamb cutlets and a nice shiraz before sinking into our beds for the night.