Mana Pools

We drove from Kariba to Mana Pools; setting up camp at one of the private Muncheni sites along the Zambezi river.You have to be fully self sufficient here - even collecting your own water from the river with a bucket on a rope once the caravan tanks run empty! And you don't stand too near the edge when you do this - the river is crocodile and hippo infested! There are no fences, so you do need to be alert and on the look out for animals all the time. We parked the caravan and pitched the tents in a laager formation and once sunset approaches you do need to build a big fire. Showering behind the caravan at night with a spouse or friend scanning the bush with a powerful flashlight is a good idea and so is never venturing too far into the dark for a pee.One night the lions were a few hundred metres away and we had hyenas through the camp some nights after we were all in bed. Some ellies also passed by pretty closely on occasions. It was so great to relax, watch the game go by and cook all sorts of gourmet meals outdoors.We had good bird and game watching opportunities and the highlight was a pack of wild dogs which Neil and I watched until sunset. We headed back to SA via Gweru, Bulawayo and the Matopos. All in all Zimbabweans are better off than two years ago when we were last here. At least dollarization (as "Lovemore" Meshach the game ranger we gave a lift to terms it ) means that the shops are stocked, fuel is available and businesses can operate. It's expensive though, with most things having to be imported, so most people are still struggling.