Meeting giants in Zimbabwe
Do we? Don’t we? Every penny is precious when you’re backpacking around Zimbabwe.
But the sound of floating down the Zambezi river in anticipation of spotting a few of the ‘big five’ got my friend and I dizzy with excitement. So, we dusted off our bankcards and came to terms with the prospect of bread and peanut butter meals for the foreseeable future.
Our alarms buzzed at a fresh and dewy hour before sunrise, and after a short drive through the Zambezi national park we arrived at our canoe safari launch spot on the river.
Haunting sounds of a large hippo echoed from just a few yards away - a warning call to trespassers on their turf. ‘If you see bubbles appearing from underneath your canoe, paddle.’ Warned our guide. So, with safety briefing over, off we rowed. Once on the water we floated down the river with the beautiful African rays beaming down onto our pasty English skin. The quiet sound of trickling water passing our canoe lulled us into a peaceful and relaxing trance. Over an hour of tightly crossed fingers passed and still not a peep from any large mammals.
Then. Gasps and whispers started to murmur from fellow canoeists. Pointing fingers shot forward. Cameras popped up and ready. Far in the distance was a blur of grey - ELEPHANTS.
Hearts thudding, we silently meandered closer to the herd. Old, young, calm, nervous – a count of eight elephants lined the riverbed. It was a magical experience to be up so close to these beautiful giants as they went about their bathing ritual. Young ones played, clumsily running from adult to adult, whilst their minders nervously flapped their Dumbo-sized ears at us foreign objects floating past. Aware that we didn’t want to outstay our welcome we flowed on with the current, slightly shaky and speechless at seeing these incredible creatures up so close. My previous encounters with elephants had included electric fences and a bunch of noisy kids as they stood gormless, showcased behind bars in busy zoos. Seeing them in their natural environment was truly humbling.
That night, back on dry land, we happily munched on our peanut butter sandwiches whilst flicking through images of our ‘David Attenborough Africa’ moment. I’m glad we did.