The walking safari through Matobo NP was an amazing experience. The guides from Black Rhino Tours were fantastic and their knowledge and eco-conscious approach on safari allowed us to view these beautiful animals in their natural habitat. They were incredibly docile and we were able to get within a 100m of a family of white rhinos. The juvenile was quite curious of us and would approach closely then run away. The two adults mostly ignored our presence, but our guides were good about alerting them to our presence so as not to startle and threaten them. We spent about an hour watching them, before heading out for a picnic and exploring elsewhere in the park. We visited some cave paintings drawn by bushmen approximately 9,000 years ago. The ancient artists had depicted the animals with almost lifelike movement and I found it absolutely fascinating to think about the peoples who drew them and the great span of time that separates us from them. In the late afternoon we took a short hike to the resting place of Cecil Rhodes; an exposed hill with spectacular 360 views known as “Worlds View”. From here we enjoyed watching the sunset with a multitude of brightly colored lizards as companions. It was the perfect finish to an amazing day.
Tuesday was another long drive day to Victoria Falls; the distance was only 400km, but there were so many police checkpoints we had to pass, and we were often delayed as the police tried to extract briberies. The town was situated right next to the falls on the Zimbabwe side, and we had a simple hotel within walking distance to the falls entrance. We arrived in late afternoon and spent the rest of the day browsing the curio shops and relaxing by the hotel pool. Wednesday morning we headed to the falls for some spectacular photo ops. With the rainly season being in full swing, the power of the cascading water was astonishing; the spray and mist shooting hundreds of meters above the rim before soaking us in a constant rain. It was a challenge to try and keep my camera dry and take photos, but I think I got some brilliant shots. In the afternoon we crossed the border into Zambia where we will stay in Livingston for 2 days. It will be interesting to see the falls from the other side.
