Great Zimbabwe

The entrance to the king's complex on the hill.

A view of the great enclosure from the king's complex.  From here the king could see his kingdom and all his wives.

The Zimbabwean flag.  Notice the bird on the left.

The king's court.  Can you see the bird in the rocks?

How about now?  This is the bird represented on the flag.

The faux granary showing the wealth of Great Zimbabwe.  It's now Zimbabwe's greatest icon.

Hanging out on the wall of the great enclosure.

                When you think of monuments to ancient civilizations in Africa, what comes to mind?  The pyramids of Egypt would easily be first, then maybe Timbuktu in Mali, but what about Great Zimbabwe?  It’s a long forgotten ruin that more than deserves recognition for the civilization and ability to teach us about ancient Africa.

                In 1980 Southern Rhodesia changed from a British colony to an independent country.  In search for a new name and symbol, they looked to the ancient civilization in the center of the country.  Zimbabwe means “house of big stones,” and Great Zimbabwe symbolized this with massive stone walls and civilization.  Furthermore, the bird symbolized on the Zimbabwean flag comes from a stone crafted bird found in Great Zimbabwe in addition to stones in the King’s judicial court in the form of the bird.  Despite this deep representation of Zimbabwe, few Zimbabweans ever travel there.

                The greatest era of reign for this ancient civilization was from the 11^th to 16^th centuries.  Due to seasonal winds and greater abilities to travel exceptional distances, traders from all over the world landed in ports in current Mozambique to trade with Great Zimbabwe.  This impressive feat of trading with sea faring vessels despite their location far from any port is only shown in one other place in Africa (Axum, Ethiopia).  From the coast goods would be brought into Great Zimbabwe, which in turn would be traded for goods to be sent back to the ports.  The results are astounding: pottery, tools, and beads have been found from Portugal, Persia, and China.  These cultures were interested in Great Zimbabwe’s two greatest commodities: gold and ivory.  As a result Great Zimbabwe flourished and became the greatest sub-Sahara African ruins that we have today.

                The ruins are basically divided into two areas: the king’s hill complex (perched high on a hill overlooking the rest of the structures) and the great complex.  Between these two areas there is evidence of education, iron smelting, a court of law, and congregation area to discuss issues with advisors.  In a sign of wealth (a la the Tower of Pisa in Italy), Great Zimbabwe constructed a fake granary which still stands as the premier symbol of Zimbabwe. 

                I took a two hour tour of the ruins with a Zimbabwean guide.  We battled the heat and baboons to explore the grounds, but the effort was worthwhile. 

Namib and Kalahari Deserts

The Namib desert outside of Swakopmund, Namibia.

Sandboarding in the Namib Desert, Namibia.

Quad biking is actually really fun out in the desert dunes.  Namib Desert, Namibia.

Catching the sunrise on Dune 45, Sousselvei, Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia.

Atop the Sousselvei Dunes, Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia.

One of the many dunes in the Sousselvei, Namibia.

A fisherman piloting a mokoro in the Okavango Delta, Botswana.

Cruising in a mokoro in the Okavango Delta, northern Botswana.

            The desert is a cruel and unforgiving place.  It’s also where a nation, Namibia, sits between two of the largest deserts in the world.  The west coast of Namibia is the sand dune Namib Desert which houses the world famous areas of the Sousselvei and Skeleton Coast.  To the east is the bushier Kalahari Desert.  This arid Kalahari plain extends from northern South Africa to the Congo border, and from Namibia to Botswana. 

            Look on a map of Namibia and you won’t see many settlements.  There is a reason: no water.  Namibia is (along with Mongolia) the least densely populated country on earth.  Coming here from Rwanda was a night-and-day situation.  Here is a land of vast stretches with nobody around.  In fact, on my drive from Swakopmund to Sousselvei (five hours on a gravel road) I came across one building: a gas station with no gas.  Now look at a map of Botswana.  Most of the country (with the exception of the east and south border areas) has very few settlements due to the Kalahari Desert.  It’s no different than looking at a map of Nevada.

            Undoubtedly the most famous part of Botswana is the Okavango Delta.  The largest inland delta discharges all of the Okavango River water into dry salt pans in the middle of the desert (this was the area that Planet Earth filmed their first hour of the series).  As a result Botswana has some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in the world.  Traveling in a mokoro (carved out wooden boat), you rarely encounter water deeper than a few feet.

            The past two weeks have been a journey of going through these two deserts in search of their best activities and most scenic opportunities.  Enjoy the photos.

Interacting with animals

Playing with two white and two tawny baby lions (all 6 months old) at Seaview Park near Port Elizabeth, South Africa. 



Playing with two baby tigers (age 3 months) at Seaview Park near Port Elizabeth, South Africa.



At a bird sanctuary at Cango Park in Oudtshoorn, South Africa.

Playing with adult cheetahs at Cango Park in Oudtshoorn, South Africa.

With three baby white bengal tigers (age 4 months) at Cango Park in Oudtshoorn, South Africa.

Feeding ostriches at the farm in Oudtshoorn, South Africa.



Riding an ostrich at the ostrich farm in Oudtshoorn, South Africa.

Getting into the shark cage in Shark Alley near Cape Agulhas, South Africa.
http://www.sharkwatchsa.com/en/home/

A shark showing off in Cape Agulhas, South Africa. 
http://www.sharkwatchsa.com/en/home/

A 15 foot great white patrolling near the boat at Cape Agulhas, South Africa.
http://www.sharkwatchsa.com/en/home/

A great white going after the bait at Cape Agulhas, South Africa.
http://www.sharkwatchsa.com/en/home/

A picture from the day of shark diving courtesy of Marine Dynamics.  You can visit their site and book a trip: http://www.sharkwatchsa.com/en/home/

A typical shot of the sharks going after the plastic dummies.  Courtesy of Marine Dynamics:  http://www.sharkwatchsa.com/en/home/

A breach while going after the plastic dummies. 
Courtesy of Marine Dynamics: http://www.sharkwatchsa.com/en/home/



             This is Africa.  The animals are everywhere, with game viewing opportunities in every country of every type.  Gorilla watching in the mountains, houseboat safaris, bike safaris, game reserves, or just a plain ol’ safari in a Land Cruiser.  However, what if you want to get up and close (or even touch) the animals of Africa?  South Africa, with a great tourism industry, is the place to do it. 

            There are several places along the route from Johannesburg to Durban to Cape Town that give access to interacting with lions, ostriches, giraffes, elephants, and sharks.  You can even do a safari while riding an elephant.  As South Africa touts itself as a great outdoor tourism destination with plenty of hiking, biking, surfing, swimming, etc, (see my previous blog post for an example) the animals just add to the “outdoor vibe” of Africa. 

            Interacting with these animals can be surprisingly cheap given the exclusivity to these rare species.  Going to ride ostriches and walking the farm only cost $8, while petting tigers and lions at Seaview (near Port Elizabeth) cost $30.  However, the shark cage diving cost $200.  The shark cage dive was a real well done operation with a 1,050 horsepower boat, breakfast, lunch, and nice amenities along the way.  These are great, once in a lifetime opportunities that are unique to the area.  Enjoy the photos.