Matopos

Curt our Rhodesian guide.

Joe as a hood ornament.

Our group.

The first part was paved, but after that we headed onto park dirt roads, but the landscape was all like this with rocky outcrops.

Wild white rhinos in their habitat with their horns sheared off to protect them from poachers.

All three rhinos, before they all lay down.

Bushman rock art.

The lichen on the top of the hill we climbed to get a panoramic view of the area.

Chief Npondo and his newly inducted assistant.

Mpendulo and his drawing.

Wednesday, October 18^th

I woke up at sunrise and went for a walk to admire the hills and rocks around our camp. We are in the Matopos Hills at Big Cave Camp. When I came back to camp I photographed a red headed weaver making a nest.

At 9:30 our 17 seat 4x4 land cruisers showed up and we drove to Matopos NP. This is a beautiful park with amazing rock formations. Curt pointed out a variety of interesting plants and trees, including a bush that you can use as soap and a tree that doesn't need to photosynthesize through its leaves, instead it uses its green bark. He found a bright yellow fruit that he told us was from the deadly nightshade plant. He did not open it, but told us it looked like a tomato inside. The native people used to use this as a topical cure for rashes or illnesses, even for numbing a sore tooth (as long as you didn't swallow it), but it is deadly if you ingest it. It destroys your internal organs and you die a painful death.

After we entered the actual park Curt put down the windshield and opened an extra seat that was on the hood of the vehicle. It was for a game spotter. I volunteered and rode up there as we drove quite a way into the park before we met an anti-poaching ranger and a policeman. They told us that there were rhino in the area. This is why we were here, to do a walking game drive to see rhino up close. The ranger keeps an eye on them to deter poachers and both him and the policeman carry AK47's as Zimbabwe has a shoot to kill policy against poachers.

After Curt consulted with the ranger we got out of the 4x4 and began our walk in single file. We walked through the bush for about a kilometre before he left us with his assistant and he went ahead. Soon after he came back and told us to follow. Shortly after we saw a large white rhino standing and looking at us from a small hill. We walked slowly slightly to the right and up the hill. When we got there we saw that rhino plus two others laying on the ground. Curt spoke very quietly and soothingly to them and one, who was laying with his back to us stood up and turned around to see us. We were only about ten metres from all three. As we stood quietly and took photos and Curt whispered, the two standing rhinos lay down. All three were laying down. How relaxed and unstressed were they?! We stayed for about twenty minutes before backing up and walking away. Amazing! Another Attenborough moment.

All three rhinos had their horn sawed off to protect them from poachers. I am going to write more about that in my summary.

When we got back to our trucks we drove to a little community tourist market where most of us bought something. I was very happy to find a bracelet like my others made from recycled wire.

We came across a gate that had the boy scout emblem on it. Curt explained the Bayden Powell was a soldier working here for Cecil Rhodes and came up with the idea for an organization for turning boys into young men. This was the birth place of the boy scouts and is the second most important camp behind one in Britain. It is still used today for annual jamborees. Then we drove to a run down lodge where we pulled in the back and had a sandwich lunch provided by Curt. Thankfully the weather today was a little cooler and breezier so we were not melting.

Next we drove further into the park to find some ancient rock art drawn by bushmen thousands of years ago. We climbed up a rock hill to a cave which had dozens of animals and people painted on its wall. Curt explained that this area was heavily populated by bushmen for centuries and was one of the main areas for early humans. He told us a lot about the history and culture of the bushmen.

When we came out of the cave we continued to climb up the rock hill to get a stunning view of the area and the rock formations that surround it. Really beautiful. Then we climbed back down to the vehicles. We were given two options: visit a local village to meet the chief or to visit the tomb of the controversial settler Cecil John Rhodes, owner of Rhodesia and the person the Rhodes scholarship is named after. He apparently owned six African countries and started the De Beers company. He was the wealthiest man of his time and died at 49. I want to learn more about him when I get the chance, but I chose the village.

We drove there and wound up on a very narrow and bumpy road. We passed several round houses with interesting painting decorations on them before we arrived at the chief's enclave. There were three of the round houses, a conventional rectangular one and several other little buildings. There were a couple of women tending chickens and a few kids running around. The chief of the Ndebele tribe met Curt (they have known each other for a long time) dressed in his tribal chief clothing and then invited us into one of the round houses. His name is Nporoda and he is 83. We sat on the floor in a circle at his feet and he told us a few stories, which Curt had to translate into English. He told us a story of how a leopard killed one of his cows and he attacked the leopard with his dog. They all wrestled around and he was getting mauled by the leopard. Just then a white man shot the leopard. He said that after that he had no racial issues. Then he showed us the scars on his legs, arms and back. He was a very dynamic, animated and funny story teller. Then he wanted to know where we were from. When he heard Canada, he got excited because apparently when there was a really bad drought a few years back Canada sent food aid. He liked Germany too because they sent medical aid. When he heard that Connor was from New Zealand he went over to him and did the 'huka' dance that the Maori do. And when he heard that one of us was from Australia, he went over and said 'Aussie, Aussie, oy, oy, oy!' It was really funny.

Then he took us back outside where his family had set up a souvenir shop. We posed for photos with the chief and shopped. I bought two little wooden necklaces of a rhino and an elephant.

Although we knew that the costume was a put on for us and not what he normally wore, this is clearly where he lives and he is the respected chief of his tribe. He took great pleasure in meeting us and telling us stories, so we all had a great cultural exchange time.

During the day Curt told us how the chief didn't want his family or kids to be beggars and didn't like it when tourists just gave money because he felt it created a culture of begging. Instead he encouraged the children to draw pictures. I liked that story so when I was shopping I saw the drawings and asked one of the family how much they were and he told me three dollars. So I thought I would buy one. I went over to where the women in our group were taking photos of the children. I asked one who looked about ten if he had drawn a picture. When he said yes I asked him to show me. He took me over to the shop and pointed out a picture of a leopard. I asked how much and he said five dollars! I laughed and asked him for the real price and he smiled, hesitated and said three dollars. A huckster is born. I bought it, which brought a huge smile to his face. I also bought two carved wooden necklaces of an elephant and a rhino.

It was getting dark so we packed up and rode back to camp where Enock had made us another great dinner. I was on team three and it was our turn to wash and clean up. Then as usual it was time to get ready for bed. Up with the sun and to bed shortly after it goes down. An amazing day!