Saturday, June 15, 2024
Continuing in Zimbabwe on Rovos Rail.
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| Local housing and kraals/fenced enclosures |
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| Children on an errand to collect water |
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| Off to work? |
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During the pandemic, all the copper wiring
disappeared from the rail network |
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The tracks go through Hwange National Park;
here Hippopotamus amphibius/Hippopatami
lie on the banks of a lake (KSS) |
The train traverses along one of the globe's lengthiest stretches of straight railway track, spanning 114 km/71 miles, essentially through Hwange National Park..
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| Connochaetes taurinus/Blue Wildebeest (KSS) |
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Old termite mound with a tree
growing out of it |
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Lunch Main: Aromatic prawns in coconut cream
served with basmati rice (KSS) |
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Lunch Dessert: Banoffee tartlet with banana
and caramel cream |
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Rovos Rail staff wave goodbye as we begin our
included Hwange National Park Game Drive |
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| Macrotermes sp/Fungus-growing Termite mound |
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| Tockus leucomelas/Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill (KSS) |
We would also see helmeted guineafowl, white-crowned lapwings, secretary bird, martial eagle, grey hornbills, red-billed hornbills, swallow-tailed bee-eaters, lilac-breasted rollers, magpie shrikes, and Cape starlings.
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A memory/group of Loxodonta africana/
African Bush Elephants (KSS) |
Video of elephants drinking water:
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| The tiny Raphicerus campestris/Steenbok (KSS) |
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| Stigmochelys pardalis/Leopard Tortoise (KSS) |
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| Elephants strip and tear down trees while eating |
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| Giraffa giraffa/Southern Giraffe |
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| Nursing elephant calf (KSS) |
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| Equus quagga/Plains Zebras |
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This female elephant trumpeted and began to charge
at us, but we called her bluff |
We would also see baboons, jackals, impalas, waterbucks, greater kudus, and warthogs.
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The safari vehicles were usually modified
Toyota Land Cruisers |
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| Sunset |
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Around a campfire, we enjoyed the Sundowner tradition:
drinks and snacks at sundown |
The Sundowner tradition began in South Africa with British soldiers drinking a tonic water made from quinine, gin, sugar, and lime to prevent malaria. It became a social ritual with tonic and gin, and spread throughout the British Commonwealth.
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Kent at our candlelight dinner; men
are currently excused from wearing
jackets during the formal dinners |
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Dinner Dessert: Dark chocolate fondant with vanilla
ice cream and berry coulis |
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| For the last night on the train, a variety of cocktails |
Next: Victoria Falls Helicopter.
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