Princeton University has for the first time in a long while sent some undergraduate students to intern at Zimbabwean organisations. Tiritose Sustainable Travel is one of the fortunate organisations to receive the students who will be in Zimbabwe throughout the summer. The students are Matthew, Jenny and Pranav. Matthew and Pranav are pre-med students, so they are placed at a partner private clinic, a public hospital and we will be taking them around communities for the paediatric disabilities outreach programme. Jenny is interested in biology and so she is placed at AiBST under the supervision of Professor Collen Masimirembwa.
Once students are placed and settled at their work sites, half the job is done, and what remains is perhaps the most difficult task for an organisation like Tiritose Sustainable Travel i.e. providing 24/7 on-the-ground support. This ranges from ensuring the students check their electricity metre, so that they don’t ever run out, and should they run out of electricity, helping them through purchasing more and recharging. Fortunately, we were always on hand to make sure we gave them the support they needed.
Next up are weekend excursions and cultural immersion. The three are real adventurers, and so the plan was laid out to hike up Mount Nyangani, which is the tallest mountain in Zimbabwe. We explored the picturesque town of Nyanga, staying for the sunset at Nyangombe Falls, where we were lucky to witness Willis waTaffi shooting a music video for his latest album. The next day saw us going to Mutarazi Falls for the Skywalk and Zipline activities, including the breathtaking views of Honde Valley down below.
The Eastern Highlands is a true hikers paradise, and we were determined to conquer the Bvumba Mountains as well. The Castle Beacon is also the highest point in Bvumba, and perhaps one of the steepest climbs I have done in Zimbabwe. You have to climb up stair-like steps in some parts in order to navigate through to the top. You cannot see where you are going, which makes the last gasp to the top quite sweet as the view of Birchenough Bridge and Mozambique sneaks up on you, leaving you in awe!
LIFE ON THE LAKE – SAILING ON THE ZAMBEZI RIVER –
One way to relax in Zimbabwe, is to be out on the water – and Kariba resort town offers just that. En route to Karba, I surprised the students with a pit stop at Chinhoyi Caves before proceeding to Warthog Bush Camp, where we would put up for the night. You can only appreciate the true uniqueness of Kariba once you arrive, and the students had a very good welcome from hippos in the nearby pool and elephants that passed through the camp just as we were checking in. Later that evening, our bedtime was also delayed by elephants that decided to chill around the campsite. I guess they were not happy about not getting a dinner invitation.
Kariba is marvellous as it is one of the last remaining pure nature conservancies, where there are no artificial boundaries that separate man from wild animals. The heavy rains Zimbabwe received in the last season meant the waterholes remained full the entire year, which meant that animals mostly stayed away from the safari routes, and just like my last trip to Hwange National Park, we were not as lucky to see too many animals on our drive around the Charara Safari Area.
We booked a sailing boat, which we took overnight around the Zambezi River. On the first day, we headed straight for the scenic Sanyati Gorge, where we meandered peacefully through the steep cliffs. Around sunset, we headed for the shores of Matusadona National Park, where we would dock for the night. I can’t tell you of a better sight (other than my wife) than to wake up for a sunrise in Matusadona. The dried trees from the swallowed up islands deflecting the sunrays, and shining on to the water – one can’t help but believe in a higher power because there is no other way of explaining such beauty. It is food for the soul, a sight for sore eyes and therapy for the troubled mind. Every time I am out there, I develop newer feelings towards the place, and the Princeton University students shared the same sentiments as I did. We then passed through Fothergill and Spurwing Islands for some water/river safari.
Once we got back to land, we went across for a tour of the bridge and hydropower station. A little unknown fact is how Kariba Dam is the World Bank’s most successful project in the world, which is a little ironic given the thousands of people who were displaced in order to construct the dam wall. A similar thing is occurring currently in Victoria Falls with the construction on the Batoka Gorge. We of course walked over to the Zambian side because Jenny wanted a photo on the sign saying Welcome to Zambia hahaha! A time well spent in the resort town with the Princeton University students who were in Zimbabwe for medical internships.
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