Mapungubwe National Park

“Go to the banks of great grey-green greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever- trees, and find out….”

Our drive north towards the Botswana and Zimbabwe border began in the middle of the night. With sleeping girls wrapped in blankets and bags of provisions, we piled into Oom Piet’s land rover and settled in for the six hour journey to Mapungupwe National Park. Four cups of coffee already in his system, Piet drove steadily towards sunrise in the Limpopo province.

We arrived at Mapungupwe before noon and and set off to find our camp, which like so many camps in ZA, was much nicer than most of the places I've ever stayed. Our camp, a well-appointed grass-thatched rondavel featured electricity and running hot and cold water, king size bed, a kitchen (stocked by us, "self-catering" as they say), and a nice lapa (porch) with a braai (barbeque). Of course, a braai is not really an amenity here, it's a necessity. The view to the valley beyond revealed a scrubby veld grass landscape, enclosed by sandstone cliffs. Looking carefully we could make out the silhouettes of BABOONS perched on the cliffs peaks.

After hours in the car we decided to explore the camp, one of a few select areas where walking around is permitted. Climbing steadily up the ridge, Piet introduced us to the some of the signature species of the area including the Mopane tree, a fragrant favorite snack of elephants, several hardy and thorny Acacia, majestic baobabs (fondly familiar to Baba Djibo), the SHONGOLOLO (centipede), and the green dove, which Veronica learned to recognize by its distinct call. The girls were intrigued by the discovery of bleached bone shards on the rocks, perhaps Zebra.

A much needed rest in the cool of our rooms, (it was several degrees warmer up north), reinvigorated our sleep-deprived bodies and we decided to drive about in search of ELEPHANTS. While we saw nary a one, we did pass several impala of both hornless female and horny male variety. Violet is an enthusiastic game driver, “Look mama! Kudu!” she would shriek with delight, while Djibo kept making Biltong jokes. We topped off our first night with a boerwors and lambchop braii, red wine, and a dazzling starry sky.

Saturday morning we awoke to the sound of lions roaring nearby. We took a guided group tour of Mapungupwe itself, a designated World Heritage site within the larger game reserve. Ascending a newly added staircase, we explored the remains of the first kingdom of South African and Greater Zimbabwe area. The people of Mapungupwe inhabited the area between 1320-1390, and in that time built and rebuilt their huts, with changing moods of the rivers and the spirits. Mapungupwe is situated at the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers. The Limpopo forms ZA's northern border for quite a ways, and the Shashe forms the border between Botswana and Zimbabwe.
It was amongst the king’s quarters on top of the hill that a small gold plaited rhino was found, as well as pottery shards, gold as well as glass beads, game boards, grain pestles, indicating an advanced civilization reached by Indian traders from the eastern shores. The Mapungupweans moved onwards probably having depleted the area of firewood, to a neighboring site, and then on to the Greater Zimbabwe where their descendants kingdoms flourished for generations.

We picnic’d at a hilltop spot overlooking the confluence, which was running near dry and then returned for a nap after which the girls splashed in the chalet’s pool. Later that afternoon, we returned to the connected boardwalk decks featuring vistas towards Zim an Botswana, for a proper south African sundowner (a round of drinks at sunset). Having started the coals earlier in the afternoon, the OXTAIL poitje was well underway upon our return. Marinated in red wine and spices, the poitje was rich brown and sumptuous, a feast conducive of only the most bizarre bushvelt dreams.

Sunday morning the lions were busy again, and before setting out in earnest to find some elephants, we decide to explore the canopy walk. This boardwalk, designed by one the youngest UP architecture professors Nicholas Clarke, ambles through the riparian canopy, connecting a series of perches. It culminates at a bird hide from which we could spy an array of birds including the saddle-billed stork, a large CROCODILE across the banks, and vervet monkies. Returning from the canopy we hit the game drive for one last tour.

Well, despite our relentless tracking from one end of the expansive park to the other, one of the earth’s largest land mammals and its relations, managed to elude us. Were we disappointed to go all this way and not see elephants? No, really it adds to the incredible magic of the wilderness that is Africa. But just as we were straining to look deep into the bush on either side of the road, having sighted a giraffe in this way- across the undulating hills, where it was browsing and minding its own business. Just then with all eyes including the drivers off at the edges, there appeared in the middle of the road A GIANT RHINO! “Look mama, rhino!” and off it loped.