ZIMBABWE 2022: TO MOZAMBIQUE, VIA GONAREZHOU NP, AND MUTARE.

Saturday 19th March 316km to Gonarezhou

Gonarezhou National Park borders Mozambique and is the second biggest Park in Zimbabwe and the least visited.

Each campsite has a different rate and a lot were closed so our one at Chilojo Cliffs was $21 pppn, so decided on two days there and that came to $140 suddenly with all the other added fees ! Saw a few ellies and took a back track which was rather rough and difficult to follow and was happy after two hours of foundling in the bush that it came to an end. We had campsite 1 which o erlooks the river, but there is nothing there, no ablutions only a long drop and that's it.

It is a beautiful spot with a 500 feet river bed and the actual river running down it is maybe 60ft, so a lot of sand and the other side has these colorful rock cliffs rising from the river. If you've ever been to Utah and driven the White Rim Trail, you wouldn't even look twice at these cliffs, but everyone is really impressed with them and they are special.

I convinced C to go bathe in the river and assured her there were no cross around as it was a pig's willy little slow flowing river, cross and hippos don't hang out in those kind of areas. She went down and I diligently sat with my binoculars and kept a watchful eye, for any disturbance in the water. She walked up and down looking in the water, for what I don't know. She finally got bathed and did some laundry and then told me there was something in the water. This is before she has had anything to drink. I then went down and washed up in the river, a few elephants upstream were drinking and a troop of baboons were also nearby drinking and scrounging for food.

I then cracked a nice cold Zambezi and sat in my chair with my binoculars and scored the the area, and dosh garnet up on the sandbags there were two crocodiles,one was huge and then a bunch of hippos came out of the water to feed on the banks. Who would have ever thought !

Aah well it was all good, the next day C showered with a coffee cup and I didn't shower at all. We had a nice braai with the Mapani wood I bought at the gate and burnt the chicken again, but since we only have one meal a day, it was still good so I thought.

In the middle of the night the wind picked up and for about two hours it was a gale force and just lay awake the entire time and then suddenly it was calm, and then managed to get a few more hours of sleep.

The long drop has never been my favorite place to go, just to any memories and horrible le stories keep me away from the long drop, so a shovel in the hand is the way to go when you gotta go. Enjoyed the day just sitting and watching the animals appear and disappear.

GONAREZHOU TO CHIMANIMANI 328km

We left the park early and it took 5hrs through some beautiful countryside to Chimanimani, and found our camp ,The Frog and Fern and got to rent a house for $40pp and it was cold and even made a fire inside. We went to see some lame waterfall and on the way back we were blocked for an hour and a half cause of a broken down grader and a truck that could not fit by, so theyhad to dig the hillside away.

CHIMANIMANI TO MUTARE 180km

22nd March 2022

I took the shorter route on a dirt road through the mountains, was up high and a very remote, scenic but slow road, 64km took us 3 hours but well worth it, plus it was shorter.

While going along this crazy road we passed an ambulance with a guy yelling on a bullhorn ,just in the middle of nowhere. So I stopped and asked him what's the deal and he wanted to know if was vaccinated as he could do it for me for free. In Zimbabwe they all wear their masks, even when driving, it has really been notice to me how they all comply.

The road unfortunately ended and we were back on tar road to Mutare. We stayed in Vumba which is up in the mountains at a place called Seldomseen for $10pppn which had a great camping spot on grass and overlooking into Mozambique and it has a small cottage you use which has a bathroom and kitchen that you can use and two bedrooms , so you could camp inside if you wanted to. We first went to Leopard Rock Hotel which has some stunning gardens and a golf course, we had some lunch there and sucked their wifi for a few hours. Princess Di stayed there way back when in room 11 and now the place has only one customer and it needs a little maintenance, with covid nobody is travelling it seems, well we entered Zimbabwe like a week after they opened their borders and the hotels etc are happy to have people back .

Buluwesi who runs the camp is a bird guide so we did a two hour birding experience with him and the guy knows his birds, I could hardly see them in the trees, but it was fun and he gave us some history of the camp and it's surroundings, which are pretty sad. Nobody has work and there are no jobs so it's awkward sometimes travelling amongst these poor people, the stories are so sad and it will take generations for it to change.

Stayed two nights and then went to Mutare , Hillside Golf Club which is only 30km away and they have a camp area on the old bowling green and then you use the clubhouse bathrooms. Met Kevin on the way in who runs the place and was really helpful and would not let me pay for a round of golf I played. We ate at the clubhouse, nice chicken sosatie and chips.

I didn't realize that the next day my visa expires and we had to leave for Mozambique.

GONAREZHOU NP.