Zimbabwe: Great Zimbabwe 12.06.2009

Righ now I am in Harare. Traveling in Zimbabwe is actually pretty easy, except that it's expensive compared to other African countries and that getting cash is almost IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!

From Bulawayo I took the public bus to Masvingo. I traveled with 4 guys from England, they had also decided to visit "Great Zimbabwe". 5.5 hours for 270ks.....

Great Zimbabwe is amazing. It has been built between 1200 and 1500 A.D. and is a National World Heritage Site. It was occupied by an ancestral Shona community, which I believe is the biggest "tribe" in Zimbabwe. The ruins are very impressive. The "Great Enclosure" is the largest single pre-colonial structure south of the Egyptian pyramids.

I am really happy that I did decide to come to this beautiful country. It is a shame that they get so much bad publicity. I spent the entire morning in the park and left with the other guys at about 1pm in direction of Masvingo.

Zimbabwe: Great Zimbabwe 12.06.2009

Zimbabwe

Yesterday I crossed the border into Zimbabwe.

Why Zimbabwe? Why not?

Ok, I can understand that Zimbabwe will not be the main destination for summer holidays this year but I am sure there are great things to see here. No I didn’t talk to any other travelers about the situation in the country because I didn’t meet anyone who has been to Zimbabwe (except Joe, but just for a very short trip). That is why I am so excited, coming to Zimbabwe is something really special. But I know that Cholera is over and things are more or less fine. I took the transport from the north to Bulawayo and that was very easy. Accommodation is about the same price as in Zambia but the food is a lot cheaper. But still, I only plan to spend about 9 to 10 days in this country.

Tomorrow I am going to see the Great Zimbabwean ruins, after that I will check out the Eastern Highlands, take the train from Mutare to Harare and from there back to Bulawayo. I will then return to Victoria Falls from where I plan to take the Intercape to go to Namibia.

Hope to write soon again.

PS: It is really cold here at the moment

Zambia 31.05. - 09.06.2009

There is actually not a lot I can say about this country because I haven't spent enough time exploring it. I just entered into it in Chipata, took the bus to Lusaka where I spent 2 nights and then continued to Livingstone.

The thing I can say is that I was surprised to see a "Spar" in a rather big shopping mall. I am not used to these kind of things anymore. I mean Kenya had also shopping malls but they didn't look that nice (sorry).

Zambia 31.05. - 06.06.2009

No risk no fun…….. not always true

Mike Honigberg and Brian Stone, this is all YOUR fault!!!!!!

1st of all Mike wanted to take me on a boat cruise. You pay USD 45, get snacks, dinner and you can drink as much as you want. As I don’t drink, get seasick and am not so friends with boats at the moment, I had to disappoint him. But he had signed up for the “Gorge Swing” (Abseil Zambia) for the following day and I thought I could do that with him. Lucky me I got sick.

But there was Brian and as he didn’t know what to do I told him he should do the Microlight Flight and the “Gorge Swing”. He was also scared and he wouldn’t go alone, so I agreed to go with him. I thought it may be a good preparation for the Bungee Jump in South Africa.
I got really nervous and I mean when people know that I don’t even like 1st floor balconies, they may understand that the “Gorge Swing” with a freefall of 52 meters is really a big challenge for me. I did cry a lot but hey, I signed up for it, how could I possibly turn around and walk away.

Dormitory

Fawlty Towers is a real nice backpackers in Livingstone and I have really nothing to complain about it, but I had to share the dorm with this 3 Canadian girls which were really not dorm compatible.

I know that when you decide to stay in a dorm that you must be aware that people may come in late, get up early, talk till late and stuff like that but these girls.......

For the 1st time on my trip I got sick and I spent like two entire days in bed. That would not really interest these girls, they would come back at 10.00 pm, switch on the light, discuss what they could do, stand around, go out again, come back later, switch on the light again, talk on the phone, eat sweets and just keep the light on. And if one had to go to the bathroom in the night (04.30 am) she would ask the other one, but not by going to her bed but from talking to her from the door. Then after they had packed for 1 hour at 11pm the night before leaving, it took them another 15min to pack in the morning while talking and switching the light on and off.

I am really not complicated and I can handle dorms, because backpackers do somehow have the respect for others. But these girls should have really taken a private room.

Zambia: Victoria Falls 04.06.2009

The main reason for me to come to Zambia were the Victoria Falls.

Yesterday I went to see the Victoria Falls from the Zam side (Zambia). You can not see as much as from the Zim side (Zimbabwe) but what you can see is already very impressive.

Wow!!!
I could give some adjectives as impressive, powerful, amazing, breathtaking, but this would not be enough to describe the falls. You have to come and see them to understand how amazing they are.

There are a lot of activities one can do but I opted for the Microlight flight. It was pretty expensive but I think it was really worse it. Better then climbing Mount Kili for USD 1'200. Others do Bungee Jumping, Boat cruises, White Water Rafting (who would do something like this?), helicopter flights......

This was not the 1st and last time I have seen the Vic Falls. Tomorrow or a day after I will go to Zimbabwe and see them from the Zim side. I am really looking forward to that spectacle.

Zambia: Victoria Falls 05.06.2009

Mazhandu Family Bus Services

The bus company to use between Lusaka and Livingstone.

The company has several departures from Lusaka and Livingstone.

I paid ZMK 80'000 for my ticket from Lusaka to L/Stone, this is the price for the first two buses in the morning. You book a seat and this is also where you get to sit. If you have luggage they will give you a luggage ticket just as you receive when you travel by plan. They have a little stair so that the bus can be entered easily. The bus left on time and we got a little cake and a juice.

We arrived in Livingstone on time!!!!