Bulawayo & Rhodes Grave Oct 5, 2012

Got on a 4X4 with a driver by the name of Tracey and went to Matobo National Park which means "bald headed ones" that aptly describes the rock formation in this area. The local tribes believe these hills are sacred and when we climbed to the top of one, it was pointed out by our new guide, Ian Harmer that this is Cecil J. Rhodes' grave site. He then spent two hours explaining the life of Rhodes and much about the English and Boers in southern Africa. We also drove to the Painted Rocks which they have discerned were drawn upon about 1,000 years ago.
We then went to Churchill Hotel were most of our train group stayed for lunch. We, with 5 others left with Ian to go on a walking safari to find a white rhino. Ian had a picnic lunch which we ate beside the park opening in a lovely spot near a lake. He regaled us with stories and he and John became fast friends as he was really interested in history and it seemed John's questions allowed Ian to really get into his stories! When we got into his 4X4 John got to sit in the front with Ian, while Shirley got to sit in the "bait seat". Which is a seat built out over the front hood of the jeep so that person can look for spore and other animal tracks or even better the animals.
We saw lots of rhino dung and walked a bit and encountered: giraffes, water bucks, hippos, cliff climber deer, wart hogs, and numerous rhino tracks and even leopard tracks and scat, but no live ones.Although we missed the rhinos we both had a great day. Ian, who was born and raised here had great stories and provided John with a full afternoon of conversation from a description of Ian's first girlfriend and her Boer father's attitude to life to what it means to Ian to live in southern Africa even with its difficulties. Ian also has an unbelievable store of information about Cecil J Rhodes - he is in the process of writing a book on him.
Arrived back at the train with our stories and got the Chibuku out of the cooler and shared with all who wanted some. John ended up drinking most of it with the German guide, York as most people didn't like the taste or the consistency.

Good dinner on train and good conversations with our new friends. Off to bed with many great memories. Shirley still feeling ill but has the "bait seat" feeling of living on the edge to keep her going!