Human Origins and Zulu Battles

Zambian family compound

The rains which have been causing flooding in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania were making their way south, with Zambia and Zimbabwe receiving the first significant rainfall of the season. A section of road works between Lusaka and Livingstone uses a temporary road, which after heavy overnight rain became very slippery, so the road workers were having to use a grader to push the heavily laden trucks up some of the slopes, causing a huge tailback.

Border bridge across the Zambezi Gorge

The border to Zimbabwe crosses the old combined rail / road bridge over the Zambezi gorge. Still very little water in the Zambezi, and at 8.00am I managed to cross both border posts in less then 45 minutes - all very easy. Victoria Falls Town has all the feel of a modern tourist town with smart shopping malls and lots of quality hotels, but following the road south to Hwange National Park there were very few cars, and few roadside stalls selling goods. Many locals were sitting waiting by the roadside and an occasional overladen bus would pass by.
Hwange National Park covers a huge area with many different environments and habitats, from rocky hills, through dense forested areas to open savannah type grasslands and feels very undeveloped, though there are several camps and picnic areas where people can stay.




Gathering Storm Clouds

Wildlife densities seemed relatively low compared to some of the other parks, but that may be as a result of more vegetation obscuring the view. I booked a couple of the picnic sites to camp as they are in more interesting areas than the main campsites, and the first night we were rewarded with a spectacular lightning display to the north, east and south, while the sun set in the west giving an ethereal light to the whole proceedings.

Dramatic lightning with elephant

As it got dark, a herd of elephant arrived at the local waterhole unfazed by the proximity of some of the lightning strikes.

Khami Royal Palace

Bulawayo is a sad shell of its former bustling past, with few cars on the roads due to fuel shortages - none of the central fuel stations had any petrol or diesel, and large swathes of the industrial area closed, so no jobs for the locals. 20kms west of the city lie the ruins of Khami dating from 1450 and was the capital of the Torwa Dynasty for 200 years and seems to have taken over after the demise of Great Zimbabwe. Very few visitors go to this site which has the stone ruins of several platforms including the royal palace, with others appearing to be for cattle kraals and housing for the commoners.
Returning to South Africa after another easy border crossing I visited several locations where remains of early hominids have been found. Along the (now dry) Limpopo River lies Mapungubwe National Park. Made a World Heritage site due to hominid finds in the caves, as well as to preserve one of the few undisturbed mopane forests so loved by elephant. A gold rhino from 1100 AD has been found here.

Gold Rhino  from Mapungubwe

It also encompasses the junction of three countries, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa.
200kms south the Makapane World Heritage site protects a limestone cave system where thousands of 3 million year old fossils have been found. Excavations on site have uncovered remains of Australopithicus occupation from 3.2 million years ago, including the earliest evidence of the use of fire from 1 million years ago. The site also houses a cave where the Voortrekkers massacred a local tribe in the 1800's and a more recent lime kiln for processing the mined stalactites.

Makapane Valley

At the associated Sterkfontein Caves near Johannesburg a museum displays the Australopithicus skulls and associated artefacts discovered in the numerous caves of the area now called the "Cradle of Humankind".
With a week before returning to the UK for Christmas I headed for the Drakensburg Mountains, only for the rain to catch up, preventing any serious walking, but at least filling some of the dry waterfalls, so I diverted to visit some of the famous battlefield sites, notably the battle of Isandlwana, where British forces were routed by the Zulu, and then the subsequent heroic defence of Rorke's Drift. Fascinating to see.

Memorials on Battle site at Isandlwanda

The final visit before parking in Johannesburg was to the battle of Blood River, where the Voortrekkers, having pulled their wagons into a defensive Laager, inflicted a major defeat on the attacking Zulu.
The site has become a major focus for reconciliation and a site of pilgrimage with a ceremony on 16th December (a public holiday decreed by Mandela in his first year in office) each year.

Recreation in bronze of the Boers Laager

In persistent rain I returned to Johannesburg to clean and pack the van before leaving it in storage until the New Year.