The Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) was held in Harare, Zimbabwe one year and I went as an assistant to the director of an American NGO. The big issue was the ban on the trade in ivory. The Zimbabweans and other Africans argued that the elephant population had grown too large and it was getting hard, if not impossible, to live together. It was encouraging to see groups of African NGO's lobbying on issues they believed in and taking an active role in the discussions about their country.  But the decision would be made at the United Nations level not to lift the ban. And while I did not see any elephants in the streets of Harare as you may in the streets of Bangkok, I went searching for them and other magnificent beasts in the protected haven of Hwange National Park.

I can never fully describe the awe and wonder experienced on a safari, how insignificant you feel, or how wonderful nature really is. The sky is huge, the air is The seasoned tracker gave us our money's worth as he and the driver led us to groups of elephants, zebra, gazelle, warthogs, monkeys and more. I observed how calm they were, and how quiet.  I silently commented how at home they seemed to feel.  I am a city girl through and though.  Could I survive life in a national park?  A 4am wake up was necessary to catch a pride of lions before the day's heat drove them away from the sun and out of our sight. The other cats were too elusive for us to find. We were even surrounded by a pack of hyenas. While we were watching nature, they were watching us.

Some of the national parks allow tourists to drive through on their own, or even take a walking tour. I was told of two European woman who were "treed" by a pack of hyenas and were a bit out of their minds when the authorities found them the next morning. Remember the tag line "don't mess with mother nature"?

After the safari my next stop was "Mosi-oa-Tunya", the smoke that thunders. At least that is how centuries of Africans in Zimbabwe refer to the natural wonder. Europeans, Americans and other Westerners call it Victoria Falls named after Queen Victoria of England. By any name it is truly one of the seven wonders of the world. Where does all the water come from?  Even with the levels low, the falls' rush and power was evident and I only had to close my eyes to imagine the look of wonder on the face of the very first people to witness the thundering smoke.  And again I only had to open my eyes and look at the faces of the other tourists to confirm that we were indeed witnessing something very special.  An evening cruise on the Zambezi only added to the wonder of the day as the occasional hippopotamus swam by, or came up for air. A week in Zimbabwe among the beasts and falls reveals why it was so attractive to Europeans looking to colonize an ancient culture and people. A week with nature reveals what a wonderful world in which we live and how amazing life is. Observing a baby elephant with its family while hyenas are watching you produces chills beyond thrills and I was left wanting to hear the smoke that thunders once more.

The links below will take you on a virtual trip to Zimbabwe without the shots. The first link is your admission to Hwange National Park and the second link is Victoria Falls. Enjoy your trip!

http://www.e-gnu.com/country_info/zim/zim_004.html
http://ce.eng.usf.edu/pharos/wonders/Natural/victoriafalls.html