Zimbabwe

Wow, we were not coming to Harare, however one of the passengers grew up in Zimbabwe and was on a memory trip. Off to Harare we went. From years of news I thought it would be a shambles, not so at all. The CBD was an architectural beauty. Soaring buildings and western hotels abounded. There really was not many places to eat and we were a bit earl for lunch, we wandered to the Crowne Plaza and there we enjoyed glorious food like we had not seen for months. Cloth napkins, service, pretty decorations, modern toilets and deserts. Heaven for us starved campers.
Also, it was a day of their protests. All we saw as we were leaving the city were lots of buses crammed with people coming in for the demonstration. We had been missing all the kerfuffle all thru Africa. Whew!
On to Antelope Park. This is a place that breeds lions so humans can walk with them, see them charge at the fence in front of your face to get their food. Elephants to ride on, etc. A really big kind of interactive zoo. Not supported by Intrepid, we went anyway. I did not participate with the animals, did laundry instead. The facility is well equipped, lots of lawn to camp on. The best part were the walkway lights cut out of sheet metal to resemble Guinea Fowl. Liked them lots. At night, this was Africa, lions roaring all night. Whooo.
Zimbabwe is named after a stone structure that has not mortar to keep it together. One of the wonders of what man can do. I have built many walls, and am in awe of those that can do that. It is basically in a spiral shape, the purpose I was told was for pre-marital teachings for women. When I asked what the men got for this insight, the gentleman that was our leader said, 'we don't need teachings'. WHAT? It is the same all over the world. There is also a royal palace and is a Unesco site from the 11th century.
We next go to Hwange National Park. This was fantastic. Our guide was Andy, who knew everything and with fervor and joy.
Animals we saw:
Giant Eagle Owl-wings make no sound
Verox eagle-black 6 foot wingspan
Cliff springer
Black baboons
Giraffe- males have squared neck and females are more round
Hippos swish their tail to spread their scat in the bush and also in the water
Elephants roll their food in the mouth, rhino's break the brush at a 45 degree angle, that is how you can tell who's scat it is.
Plants communicate with each other when leaves are eaten to the next plant downwind. It will excrete tannins to make it un-appetizing. Spots on Giraffes regulate heat. Herd of Zebras called a dazzle because they look like they are vibrating. Local name-disco donkeys. Kudo's can jump over the cars headlights, their horns are like corkscrews and lock up often. The ox-picker bird's call will advise where game is. Doves make milk! This park is the size of Belgium
Mzungo means foreigner/white
Jambo means hello
Nakuna Matata means be happy
Grapple thorn, photo on Picasa is used for diabetes. The teak forest was used for railroad ties, imagine that. Water bucks have a white O on the rump. Antelope called brite eyes because they have a white circle around the eye. Antelopes come in other colors too, sable and roan. Kudu's have vertical stripes on the body. African darter bird has snake like neck. Lilac breasted roller is bird of Botswana and Ghana. Elephants dig down in the mud to eat it for the salt.
Victoria Falls, what to say, it is very long and narrow, causing the spray to rise to the sky. We went on a helicopter to see it. Would do that again. Hung out at the Victoria Falls hotel, with different men, maybe looked a bit suspicious, but, two of our men stayed there two different nights and we hung out with them. It is an old and beautiful colonial hotel looking out over the falls.