After a lot of adventures we are now in Hotel Bidju in Chimoio. This hotel is under construction but neat and clean. The past few days we have spent in Gorongosa, the national park here. Monday we drove to the park, a distance of about 130 km over the EN-1. Just north of Inchope this road was very bad for about 35 km. The picture speaks for itself I think, there was a little asphalt and lots of sand and pits.
We drove off to Gorongosa and that road was unpaved mar actually this was better. A lot of ripples so you vibrated from your chair. After about 15 km we arrived at the gate and 17 km further to the park where we were the only guests on the campsite. There were boar and monkeys on the campground and 1 of those you bastards, a monkey, stole my melon. We woke up in the morning with monkeys on the roof.
Automatically we compared parks in South Africa and Namibia. The parks there are comfortable, clean, organized and affordable. This park requires the same prices (US $30 per person per day) but is far from the level of the Kruger Wildlife Park. There has been a terrible massacre in this park by the wars in Mozambique. During our ‘ Game Ride ‘, a guided tour through the park, the ranger told us that 99% of all animals were killed, especially elephants (ivory). So there are now many elephants without tusks, Darwin is right. These elephants are also aggressive to people because of the war.
During our tour we saw a male elephant of about 25 years who had been knocked out of the herd. He cried, really. You saw his tears. We also saw many birds and beautiful vegetation from tropical rainforest to savannah. And yes we saw a lion, a real one and 5 meter away. Almost we had also seen wild dogs but those were too quick for our guide.
Today we drove the same way back and did 4 hours over the 130 km to Chimoio. Tomorrow we go to Tete, a ride of 400 km on good roads thus the locals, and the next day Malawi. Oh yes and I was once again stopped. Whether I came from Zimbabwe. The Dutch were allowed to drive through…..
Zijn wel weer prachtige platen ?
Wat een geweldige belevenissen! Nu eens niet bezig zijn met je werk, hypotheek en de standaard ouderlijke plichten, maar nu onder andere met “hoe komen wij en onze superkar in 1 stuk van A naar B”.. En dat in een zo andere omgeving dan je gewend bent. Dat brein van jou moet volledig aan het resetten zijn! Geniet er van en rij, zoals altijd, voorzichtig!! Big hug aan jullie beiden! Inge (ook aan het resetten maar dan 10.000 km westwaarts)
Mooi avontuur enne “war, waar is het goed voor, absolutely nothing, say it again” (Springsteen)
Leeuw prachtig, olifant hartverscheurend, en veel meer moois.
Vandaag dus verderop over goede wegen na nachtje bijkomen in hotel. Tot later weer!
Correctie: dat was Edwin Starr, maar niettemin even zinloos inderdaad!
Schitterende foto’s! Geniet ervan!