On our way to our new destination: The Matobo National Park, where we were going to stay in a chalet at Maleme Dam, we stopped in Bulawayo to do some groceries and of course to get some meat for a braai. After all the fish in Mozambique it’s now time to eat meat again.
After we paid the entrance fee to Matobo National Park, we drove straight to Maleme Dam because it was already around 15h. At the reception they tried to push us into paying $75 more to get an en-suite lodge. But we already paid $70 for a chalet for 2 days, so we kept our booking. The chalets looked all right but very old and neglected. But the communal bathrooms were under ‘renovation’, the doors would not even open and the toilets were thorn into pieces. Really terrible! So we went to complain and after a while they gave us the keys to what they call a ‘lodge’. But it’s a stinky little hole if you ask me. It’s all very old and neglected. It was one of the best accommodations in Zimbabwe before all the political problems. It probably stood empty and was taken over by baboons (it’s full of baboons and vervet monkeys) for a few years.
The second day we did a drive through the park, but most of the sand roads and loops are in a very bad condition which made it quite a battle with our sedan. We saw some hippo’s in the game park. We also went to see the grave of the famous Cecil Rhodes who is buried at a very nice spot in the Matopos (stacked rocks), also called ‘World’s View’. We also visited some very well-known rock paintings by the San people. This was truly very nice to see what the people back then already could paint, and the fact that it is still visible.
Around 17h we went again to ‘World’s View’ to experience a magnificent sun downer. Very beautiful! After that we went back to our ‘lodge’ where the baboons and vervet monkeys were waiting for us. We made some food and relaxed at our campfire. Again an amazing day in Southern Africa!
