As a Geographer, one of the key messages I send out to students is that the world around us is ever changing and sometimes this happens at an incredible rate.
Then it was onto Victoria Falls and the unforgettable experience of flying over the Falls in an ultralight aircraft...
Last year I revisited Cape Town, 13 years after my first visit and I have to say that with the exception of Table Mountain I hardly recognised the place. I certainly didn't recognise the prices which are now comparable with most western cities and a far cry from the 40 pence beer I had enjoyed in 1999.
On my backpacking trip of 1998/99 I flew from Perth, Australia to Harare in Zimbabwe for my first experience of Africa. Within 12 months of my trip Zimbabwe had become a no-go area as Robert Mugabe set about redistributing white farmers' land to 'his associates' (Wikipedia). Sometimes when you travel you visit a place which then changes beyond recognition... for the worse. I am so happy that I visited Zimbabwe when I did.
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in Southern Africa bordered by Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa. I flew into the capital Harare and after a couple of days headed to Bulawayo on the train with some other backpackers I had met at the hostel. From Bulawayo I took a day trip into Matobo National Park ('A' on the map), the oldest national park in Zimbabwe. The park is located in an area of former volcanic activity which has left extensive granite features (The Mapotas Batholith) and which in some cases have eroded to form amazing balancing rock formations like the 'Mother and Child kopke' (below).
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| 'Mother and Child' |
Also in the park were some safari animals and I was able to see zebra, giraffe, elephant and White Rhino.
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| White Rhino (honestly) |
Then it was onto Victoria Falls and the unforgettable experience of flying over the Falls in an ultralight aircraft...
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