Z I M B A B W E

And here are some of those breathtaking landscapes I speak of.  One of my favourite places is in the Matapos National Park, at World's View. Worlds View otherwise known as the summit of Malindidzimu, the 'hill of the spirits'. Overlooking the valley below, perched on top are a collection of rock formations the Matapos National Park is known for. Large towering boulders, that seem to defy logic. You would assume with any earth shake, gust of wind or storm that passed the area, the boulders would roll like mere marbles down the hill side. And yet there they stand seemingly movable only by the hands of a giant. We clamber upon the rocks, its our own adult playground. Watched the sun set over the horizon, listening to the life and times of Mr. Rhodes - Founder of the De Beers diamond company, founder of Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. An incredible story of a man, who established Matapos as Zimbabwe's oldest National Park and his final resting place. Admittedly the story was long and I may have stopped paying attention about five minutes in.  But only because the surrounds were breath-takingly distracting.

Visiting Matapos was one of the greatest days throughout my visit to Africa. Beginning with the man that helped make it so, Ian. Tall, at least 3 of me, with a charming South African voice that made his stories so compelling, you felt you could listen to him for days. He is a wealth of knowledge with an incredible knack for story telling. Students would do well if he was a teacher. 

And the greatest lesson from that day. The rhinos. As we tracked these impressive animals in the wild Ian told us of their plight. The original unicorn, once lived in large numbers, old family diaries describing them in the thousands roaming the lands, you could not miss them, although now such sightings are a rare instance. Since then the rhino has been hunted down to mere double digits, and not of a high amount. Ian speaks passionately and with zeal about rhino conservation, his life dedicated to their survival. At one point nearly coming to tears as he talks of a rhino he grew up with, Ian spoke of this rhino like a best friend, tragically the story took a turn for the worst as he like most was hunted.

Up to 25 poachers are caught a month, rangers with the duty to kill on sight. As many poachers themselves are armed with weapons, its become a game of warfare. 

The rhino is poached for its horn, like all ivory it is seen as a mantle piece, sought out by collectors that decorate their homes. But an emerging demand from asia has seen an exponential rise in poaching numbers. Superstitous myth says the consumption of the rhino horn increases penis size and fertility.  The black market sells these horns for up to US$75,000. While those risking their lives, the poverty stricken African farmer with nothing to loose receives 1% of the retail price. Horns literally ripped from innocent rhinos for "traditional medicinal purposes" aka stupid superstition. 

Leaving behind the rhino family to their grazing we turned our attention to the people who once inhabited the land. Climbing what felt like literally a vertical climb into a cave perfect for time travelling with Ian into a millennia ago.  The bushmen painted theses images with a paint that ate into the rock face to last hundreds of years later to this day.  Ian told us stories of their nomadic lives, connected with the land and living as one with nature. Listening to his stories was like listening to tales around a campfire of fairytales at bedtime. 

Zimbabwe is a beautiful country, One of its unmissable sights is Victoria Falls, The worlds largest waterfall. 

And you can see why, even from kilometres away you can see the mists rising out of the cavernous ravine. Easily mistaken for smoke, in the silence of the night you continue to hear the water rushing over the edge and realise even at night it never stops, it cannot be stopped. Watching the thousands of gallons run over the edge of the cliffs, It is one of the most powerful things to witness in life and one of the most humbling. Never ending water rushing and falling, as you stand in its presence water is falls and rises in clouds of mist to fall again like rain all around you. Even on the driest days it feels like a storm is passing when ever near the falls.  Victoria falls becomes the Zambezi river, populated by hippos and crocodiles, one of the best places to watch bungee jumpers and swingers leap over river is the bar at the bend.