• Safari

Continued from Pages 48, 49 to unveil the reality of life here.

We stopped for several women selling nuts from woven baskets. For $2, they would be able to feed their children for several weeks.

“For them $2 is a great deal of money,” he explained. He also revealed that the unstable economy in Zim has been devasting for the country, at one point experiencing an inflation rate of 1,500 percent in one year.

The drive deep into the bush took us to our first camp, arriving after sunset. The Southern Cross and Orion guided our way. Our hosts at Makalolo Tented Camp had prepared our evening fire, which was a tradition in each of our camps; after dinner we retired to our tents to prepare for the next day’s early-morning game drive.

A note about tent camps: Permanent tents of heavy canvas, furnished with real beds and furniture, plus bathrooms that included hot-and-cold running water for showers and flushing toilets outshined what many people in the US called glamp sites. Some had electricity and air-conditioning; others relied on fans for cool air at night.

Getting up before the sun every day became routine and rewarding. After a light breakfast of cereal, fruit, coffee and tea, we boarded two safari jeeps with open multi-level seating. The back seats afforded excellent viewing and photography. We were on the road in the dark most mornings.

The African bush habitats can keep wildlife hidden, but on our first morning four lionesses came walking down a dirt road, ignoring our two jeeps. “Don’t move suddenly, and don’t try to pet them,” our driver cautioned as one lion passed within five feet of a jeep. “They see the jeep – and you – as a large object, but not prey. You’re safe.” He was right.

We trailed the lions as they focused on a lone wildebeest several hundred yards away near a watering hole, waiting for the right time to sprint and capture what would be a meal for the males first, then the cubs and then for themselves. After almost two hours, the lions appeared to lose interest, and we moved on.

Each morning’s game drive begins before dawn with temperatures in the high 40s. We bundled in layers, peeling them off as the morning progressed. Drives lasted about 3-4 hours each, and along the way our drivers and guides set up a morning break for coffee, tea, hot chocolate and cookies or pastries.

Back at the camp by 11 or 11:30, brunch was served. Our midday meal could range from eggs, bacon and polenta, which tasted like grits but was smoother, to baked chicken, mac-and-cheese and fresh veggies.

By 3 p.m. it was time for afternoon tea: hot or cold beverages with savory and sweet finger foods. Time for socializing, comparing notes and photos and just getting to know our fellow trav- elers was always part of the day.

Afternoon game drives began right after tea and extended to after sunset. “The animals are the most active during the early morning and late afternoon to dusk,” Armstrong explained.

We relied on the keen eyes of our guides and drivers to spot individual or small groups of giraffes, wildebeests, impala, jackal, elephants with babies and teens, baboons and zebra. After a couple of days, we became accustomed to signs, such as movement in the tall grasses or bush, the flash of a bird or a “bump” in the horizon that signaled tall giraffes nearby.

Watering holes provide natural gathering places for the many mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds of the bush. In Zim, conservationists created some of the watering holes by tapping into underground water sources and using pumps to bring the water to the surface.

Three nights at Makalolo went quickly. On the way to our next camp, we visited a Hwange village in Zim and met with residents. A stop at nearby Mizpah School, which is supported by the Grand Circle Foundation, revealed work being done through traveler’s donations to Grand Circle Travel and Overseas Adventure Travel to install clean water systems, permanent bathrooms, school buildings and more.

Pupils studied math, science and learned English. They also created a school garden with tomatoes, squash, cabbages and other vegetables used for ongrounds lunches. Typically, education in these countries is free from grades 1-7. Often boys continue, but girls drop out because their parents can’t afford to pay.

As we left Zim, we boarded two small airplanes to continue our journey to three more tented safari camps and a final stop before heading home.

Next installment: The adventure continues to Zambia, Botswana and Victoria Falls.

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