Day 6: Norma Jean's to Gweru Antelope Park

An uneventful tar journey takes us to a detour suggestion (by Lyn and I) from the planned itinerary and takes us back to over 2 years ago, when we walked with lions at this park, a most amazing experience. The trip goes through the Great Dyke which gave rise to several gold, silver and platinum mines which are in the main now defunct. There is an old drive-in just outside Gweru "The Flamingo" obviously now in disrepair.

At Gweru Antelope Park Brian and Sue do the lion walk, but Lyn and I opt for the elephant walk where we walk and touch elephants - they're very relaxed and friendly, but when we walk with them back to the boma where they spend the night (like horses) they quicken the pace and you have to get out of the way! The lions walk within 200m of the elephants but the guide says the elephants don't even know the lions are nearby! This park is highly recommended, clean and friendly. We eat at the restaurant that night and it is commendable.

I ride my bike past the lion enclosures and get some interesting stares even though it's very hot (the stares are from both the lions and their handlers).

Day 7: Gweru to Hwange Main Camp

There's a good tar road between Gweru and Bulawayo where we stop for fuel (read beer and diesel) before heading onto the Hwange where we lunch en route. Hwange is just the same as we remembered (a little run down but manageable) and we are again the only campers bar one other. We take a late afternoon game drive and see some of the usual culprits but nothing amazing - the place is very green and very very wet, there have been massive amounts of rain here. The toilets and showers are not great, but when you see the staff and tell them they say they are trying and they are - the one ranger told us their salaries have remained the same for the last 5 years so when you see what they have to work with you have some sympathy.

Day 8: Hwange Main to Hwange Sinamatella Camp

The rain has caused some damage to the roads (and as you have guessed there is no repair money in sight), so, lucky the trusty Doddle breezes in and out of 4x4 as required - there are some dodgy river crossings made worse by wash-aways. We see a fair amount of game but notice the elephants are particularly skittish. I ask the ranger at Sinamatella if there is a lot of elephant poaching and he is fairly non-committal but tells us there are very few rhino left and that poaching is inherent and will take generations to eradicate (and the same to get Zimbabwe back to its former glory). He of course says that it is the Zambians who come and poach.

So far everyone we have met (bar the Beitbridge immigration officer) have been very friendly, mildly inquisitive and informed - no begging hands outstretched (well, bar a few older kids near the Zimbabwe Ruins). So far so good.

The ablutions at Sinamatella work fine and the shop now runs (it didn't two and half years ago) and they plan to have the restaurant up and running soon. The view from the top of this escarpment is magical.

Let's define "fine" ablutions for those women out there! They are rated "fine" by Simon if the toilet sometimes flushes (all flushing mechanisms are made to work by McGyver!) In other words there is any size, or material or piece of wire that flushes the toilet and you have figure out how it works. Doors that don't shut, mended toilet seats and toilets (also McGyver) and showers with no shower rose and taps that turn as and when they want to. All kinds of creepy crawlies that scuttle up the walls and cross the floors when you walk in with your torch on (no lights) but nothing coming up out of the drain as yet. However, I must admit that the Zimbabwean parks really try to ensure everything is as clean as possible and for that we are thankful. They have nothing to work with - no spares or detergents or anything so the fact that the toilet flushes is indeed an achievement!

Day 9: Sinamatella to Livingstone (Zambia)

Dave nearly came a cropper outside Hwange near the coal mine where his Cruiser got bogged down in coal-water and he came to a halt leaning precariously, but after Karlien jumped out and locked the hubs (Dave couldn't get out as his door was underwater) he managed to grind his way up the bank - first drama!

The rest of the road was fine with one of our party dropping another US$20 due to no number plate light. The border crossing from Vic Falls to Livingstone was quite pain-free and sitting in the Bush Front Lodge bar (with wi-fi) seems strangely refined. The weather however is still not playing along with lots of rain!

Simon and I have booked into one of the chalets for tonight - clean towels and linen - so I'm smiling. Off on a sunset cruise above Vic Falls and then dinner at the lodge tonight instead of our guide cooking in camp.