Zimbabwe
Bulawayo

Discover travel destinations of travelers writing a travel journal on FindPenguins.
Travelers at this place
    • Day 278

      Bulawayo's Städtischer Campingplatz

      August 29 in Zimbabwe ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

      Sieht aus, als wäre er in den 1950er Jahren stehen geblieben. Das gilt leider auch für die Installationen. Uns gefällt es trotzdem. Außerdem ist er zentral gelegen und so können wir zu Fuß in die Stadt bummeln.Read more

    • Day 18

      Lehrer:innenbildung in Zimbabwe

      March 4 in Zimbabwe ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

      Lehrer:innen-Bildung in Zimbabwe: Ähnlich und doch ganz anders!

      Von Alina Nahrstedt

      Heute besuchten wir am Vormittag das Hillside-Teacher-College in Bulawayo. Dort trafen wir auf die Leitung des Colleges, Verantwortliche des Departments für Geographie und Studierende, die so wie wir Geo-LehrerInnen für die Sekundarstufen werden. Im Rahmen dieses Zusammentreffens sprachen wir über die Rolle von Lehrkräften in der Gesellschaft und verschiedene Aspekte des Klimawandels und dem Umgang mit diesem. Anders als in Deutschland übernehmen Lehrkräfte in Zimbabwe eine äußerst weitreichende Rolle in der lokalen Gemeinschaft. So zählt es zu ihren Aufgaben, Lösungen für lokale Probleme zu entwickeln und mit der Gemeinschaft umzusetzen. Nach diesem spannenden Austausch gaben wir noch den Song „Wahnsinn“ mit vollem Einsatz zum Besten bevor wir zurück zur Unterkunft fuhren.

      Nach einer kurzen Pause führte uns unser Busfahrer Mr. Moyo zu einem Souvenir-Shop, wo verschiedenste Dinge verkauft wurden, welche von Menschen mit Einschränkungen gefertigt
      wurden. Nachdem wir Kämme, Holzschalen, Keramik-Elefanten, Holz-Giraffen und andere schöne Dinge gekauft hatten, fuhren wir zurück ins Lynn's Guesthouse, wo wir den Tag beim Abendessen gemütlich ausklingen ließen.
      Read more

    • Day 21

      Bulawayo

      March 7 in Zimbabwe ⋅ ⛅ 35 °C

      von Arne Beckmann und Marie Langendorf

      Heute brach ein Teil der Gruppe zu einer Stadttour in Mr. Moyos Heimat Bulawayo auf, während ein anderer Teil in der Unterkunft blieb, um sich etwas zu erholen bzw. Besorgungen zu machen.

      Mr. Moyo zeigte uns die Innenstadt, das Fußballstadion, das innerstädtische Kohlekraftwerk, den Bahnhof und seinen Betriebshof. Im Anschluss schauten wir uns im Unity Village um, einem Markt für Kleidung, in dessen engen Gassen man sich leicht verlaufen konnte. Einige von uns verließen den Markt mit einem Trikot des örtlichen Fußballvereins Highlander FC im Gepäck. Da uns der Magen knurrte, führte uns Mr. Moyo zu einem seiner Lieblingsrestaurants - the Smokehouse. Neben dem schönen Ambiente überzeugte uns vor allem das Essen und Trinken. Pizza, Burger und Malawi Shandy schmeckten köstlich!

      Zurück in der Unterkunft setzten wir uns alle zusammen und sprachen mit Mr. Moyo über seine Eindrücke der Reise mit uns. Wir nahmen auch die Gelegenheit wahr, ihm weitere Fragen zu stellen und schlossen ihn spätestens nach diesem Abend richtig ins Herz (Moyo heißt Herz, haben wir heute gelernt).
      Read more

    • Day 17

      Von Masvingo nach Bulawayo

      March 3 in Zimbabwe ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

      Nach dem gemeinsamen Frühstück ging es heute um 10 Uhr los nach Bulawayo, unserer vorletzten Station in Zimbabwe. In Lynn's Guesthouse wurden wir herzlich begrüßt und nach einer kurzen Einkaufstour und einer gemeinsamen Besprechung gab es am Abend ein üppiges Abendessen mit Icecream als Nachtisch.Read more

    • Day 273

      Bulawayo Railway Museum

      August 24 in Zimbabwe ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

      Auch für Laien wie uns ist das Eisenbahnmuseum eine nette Abwechslung. Zwischen den Ungetümen aus Eisen spürt man die Kolonialgeschichte. Unter anderem ist der persönliche Waggon von Cecil Rhodes ausgestellt, der eine ambivalente Rolle in der Geschichte Simbabwes spielt.Read more

    • Day 21

      May 26 - Sunset Boat Cruise

      May 26, 2023 in Zimbabwe ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

      At 4:00 p.m., we climbed on a boat reminiscent of the African Queen in the movie with Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. The boat was named Ra Ikane, after one of the guides who first led David Livingstone to the Victoria Falls. There were just seven other people on the boat. We were served drinks and snacks as we lounged amide the period decor as we gently cruised the Zambezi River. We could see the mist from Victoria Falls off in the distance. We made a new friend, Anouk, who is a travel agent based in Johannesburg. She is evaluating properties in the area.

      Along the river, we saw two pods of hippos, a very well-hidden crocodile, and then another crocodile with the distinctive ridges on its back swimming along the shoreline. We saw lots of birds too.

      The boat stopped so that we could enjoy the beauty of the sunset. What glorious shades of orange and red as the bright sun dropped beneath the horizon!

      We had planned to return to the Three Monkeys tonight for dinner, but with the lovely munchies that we had on the boat, none of us was hungry enough for a real restaurant. We opted to eat at the outside bar area on this clear, warm, beautiful night and just have a drink and light foods. Anouk joined us and kept us entertained.

      We have a full day tomorrow - the last day of activities for Sandy and myself.
      Read more

    • Day 22

      May 27 - Chobe Game Drive

      May 27, 2023 in Zimbabwe ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

      Today’s destination was Chobe National Park in Botswana. We had a 7:30 a.m. departure. Sandy and I were the first people in the breakfast room.

      Our driver arrived, and very fortuitously, mentioned to us that, since we would be leaving Zimbabwe for Botswana, and coming back into Zimbabwe, that we would need another entry visa, meaning that we would each have to pony up another $75 US. I was the only one with enough cash left, so the other three opted to stay back while I ventured out on my own. I must say, I was taking a leap of faith in doing so!

      The drive to the border took about an hour. The border crossing was a sad Pepto-Bismal pink building bordered with rusty abandoned vehicles, with a tangle of mini-vans dropping off tourists and safari vehicles picking up tourists and the occasional semi-truck trying to get through the maze. No lane markings, nobody controlling traffic flow. Just chaos. Oh yes, and wart hogs wandering around.

      I rendezvoused with the driver/tracker for the day, Tiki. Five other people loaded into the safari vehicle, and we set off to enter Botswana. We had to get out and dip our shoes in disinfectant (vehicles had to drive through a puddle of disinfectant),

      We got through exiting Zimbabwe, and got our passports stamped to enter Botswana. Off to Chobe National Park – about a 20-minute drive. Chobe is Botswana’s first national park and its most biologically diverse park.

      We set off in search of four of Africa’s Big Five – this park does not have rhinos. My fellow searchers had not yet been on a game drive, so they were eager to see anything of interest.

      The park has millions of impalas. They have distinctive markings on their behinds that look like the McDonald’s Arches, so we quickly became adept at identifying them.

      Then we saw kudu, the largest of the antelope family, with the distinctive white stripes on their bodies.

      Then we saw giraffes. They move from tree to tree eating the foliage. The trees secrete a tannin that makes the leaves bitter to discourage the giraffes from feeding any more, so they move on to the next tree. A tree will become palatable again in a few weeks.

      Then we saw a herd of elephants drinking at the river while a pair of young impala did some play fighting – good practice for when they will have to defend their young when they are older.

      Next, we spied hippos up on their legs. They spend a lot of time in the water to protect their skin against the sun, so this was a good sighting.

      Then we saw buffalo, so we were two out of five on the Big Five. And then, we spied a pride of lions sunning themselves in the shade of far-off trees. All of a sudden, the lions got up and went on the move. The alpha male lion followed behind. Something was up.

      We stopped for our morning water break, and as we finished, Tiki got word that the lions had killed one of the buffalo. We hopped back in the vehicle, and Tiki sped over the rough roads as we hung on. He had to go off the beaten road which Tiki said he was not supposed to do, but this was a very special reason to bend the rules. About 125 meters off the road, there was the entire pride (someone had counted 17 lions) gnawing on the carcass of a buffalo. What an incredible sight!

      We saw elephants - the baby elephant was delightful to watch.

      So, a count of three of of five, and a lion kill. Pretty amazing for a morning game drive. We were incredibly lucky because our river cruise was supposed to have been in the morning and our game drive in the afternoon. We would never have seen the lion kill if the original schedule had held up.
      Read more

    • Day 73

      A shopping stop in Bulawayo

      July 18, 2023 in Zimbabwe ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

      We were delayed due to slow-moving coal lorries and the appalling state of the pot-holed roads, so we didn’t arrive into Bulawayo until about 5.45pm. It was already getting dark. Henry needed to do some grocery shopping, so we stopped for 30 minutes. It was weird being in a busy city after so many miles of nothingness! We only had time to pick up some essentials (like beer and crisps!) before we had to be back on the truck to drive to Burke’s Paradise, our camp for the next two nights.

      When we got there, we had to help Henry carry all our gear to set up the camp kitchen as it was a distance from the truck. Then, as people started putting up their tents, we spoke to Vicky, our host, about upgrading to a private room. It was only US$20 a night for a double room. We would still have to share toilets and showers with those who were camping, but it seemed worth it, especially as the forecast was for a really cold night! We chose a room and went to get our stuff from the truck.

      I was on food prep tonight, so soon found myself chopping carrots alongside Mona. We were the only members of our group to show up, so I sent out a search party (Mark and Liz!) to encourage the newbies to come and do their share! Because we were late getting here, we didn’t eat until 8pm. We spent the time while we were waiting using the internet. It’s the first decent wifi we’ve had in a long time. Nobody minds paying US$3 to use it for a couple of days!

      We also listened to a talk by David from Black Rhino Tours about the optional excursion for tomorrow. It’s a full-day trip, with rhino tracking in the morning followed by lunch and then a visit to see some San rock painting in the afternoon. The cost is US$100 each. We have decided not to do it as we did rhino tracking in Eswatini, and we saw ancient rock paintings in Namibia. I’m sure it will be a great trip, but we couldn’t really justify the cost for something we’ve done before. We have decided to visit the railway museum in Bulawayo instead. David’s wife, Vivien, will take us there in the morning and bring us back later.

      For dinner, Henry had prepared vegetable soup followed by pasta bolognaise with vegetables. We didn’t stay up for long after eating as it turned very cold.
      Read more

    • Day 74

      Bulawayo Railway Museum

      July 19, 2023 in Zimbabwe ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

      We slept pretty well. Everyone else complained about the cold, but we were warm enough in our room. Breakfast was at 8am this morning, ahead of the trip leaving at 8.30am. Those of us not going (Mark and I, Kim, Iona, and Greg) got landed with the washing up, but it was no big deal.

      After the others had left, Vivien arrived to take Mark, Greg, and me to the railway museum. On the way, she explained that her and David are in the process of taking over the company from a couple who are retiring to the UK. At the museum, she introduced us to Mr Murray, who would show us around. She then left, promising to come and pick us up a couple of hours later.

      Mr Murray is a white Zimbabwean who started working for Rhodesian Railways in 1972 and who now runs the museum assisted by Blessed, a young local girl who he is training to take over from him. The museum is clearly a passion project for him. It is owned by the Zimbabwe national railway company. They pay his and Blessed’s wages, but that’s it! They have just told him to do what he can! He has no funding. All of the entrance fees (US$2 per person) go to the company. None of the money goes to the museum. There are no sponsors. I asked Mr Murray if he has been in touch with any international railway preservation societies, particularly in the UK. He has, but no-one wants to send money to Zimbabwe! This is all very sad.

      Mr Murray has amassed a huge collection of Rhodesian/Zimbabwean railway memorabilia, including several steam and diesel engines, and a number of coaches. He even has the coach built for Cecil John Rhodes by the de Beer diamond mining company, which he founded. The coach was used to carry Rhodes’s coffin after he died. All of the exhibits are left as they are. There is no money to preserve them properly. Mr Murray is passionate about his museum, but it’s hard to see how the items housed there will survive for future generations to see.

      After a fascinating couple of hours, we thanked Mr Murray profusely for his time and gave him a small donation towards his work. Vivien then took us back to our campsite. On the way, she told us that her company, Black Rhino Tours, offers city tours of Bulawayo, as well as the rhino excursion the rest of our group were doing. These include the railway museum, the national history museum, the cultural centre, and a tour of the city. Had we known about this, we would definitely have booked it! We will feed back to Laban and ask him why it isn’t offered as an alternative on our trip!!

      Back at camp, we sat in the sunshine writing my notes, posting, listening to music, and chatting to Kim and Iona. It was all very pleasant. Henry cooked us chicken, rice, and salad for lunch. We then went for a wander around the site. It’s a bit rundown, but that’s understandable given the recent history here in Zimbabwe. We took advantage of having the facilities to ourselves and had showers this afternoon!

      The others got back at around 6.45pm. They had had a good day, although some said they were disappointed that they only saw four white rhino and no black. I think we made the right decision for us.

      We had dinner at around 7.30pm – pumpkin soup followed by chicken with pasta and salad. Afterwards, some people came over from another Intrepid truck that’s also on site. They are heading south doing our trip in reverse. They were mainly young Australians who wanted to party! Within 20 minutes of their arrival, all of our group had decided to go to bed, except the two young Canadians who have joined us recently. They were overheard complaining that our truck has too many rules and that it’s full of old people!! Rude!!
      Read more

    • Day 273

      Bulawayo Club

      August 24 in Zimbabwe ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

      1895 gegründet, handelt es sich nicht nur um ein historisches Gebäude, sondern auch um einen funktionierenden Gentleman's Club mit vielen Originalmöbeln und -einrichtungen. Wir trinken in der Bar ein Zambezi und fühlen uns an 'Jenseits von Afrika' erinnert.
      Wie ähnliche Einrichtungen auf der ganzen Welt wurde der Club ursprünglich als gesellschaftliches Zentrum für die (männliche) Elite von Bulawayo gegründet. Damals wurde die Anwesenheit von Damen nur ein- oder zweimal im Jahr zu besonderen Anlässen geduldet, und zwar unter der Voraussetzung, dass sie durch einen Seiteneingang und eine Treppe eintraten. Das hat sich natürlich längst geändert. Das große WC im Erdgeschoss ist aber weiterhin nur für ein Geschlecht eingerichtet...🤔
      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Bulawayo Province, Bulawayo

    Join us:

    FindPenguins for iOSFindPenguins for Android