Africa Journal

September 26, 1995


Katete Lodge, Lake Kariba

Up at 4:30 to pack and head for the airport. Before heading out, I am able to get connected and send Harlan journal entries through 9/24. Rob and Shirley are fascinated by the Toshiba and the process. They ask for advise on Windows 95. I tell them to wait for the next release.

We sadly leave Chokamella Lodge. We were very impressed with every aspect of the Masuwe and Chokamella Lodges, which are both owned by the Landella Group. They work very hard to make your stay enjoyable and memorable. Well run, good food,and personalized service on the game drives. They don’t know how to say no. They’ll be hard to top.



An Air Zimbabwe Fokker 50 to Kariba Airport, and we connect on a charter across the lake to Bumi Hills. The charter is a Britton Lee Trislander with 14 seats, three engines, four doors and picture windows. It looks like it flew right out of a 1930’s era newsreel. Every seat filled, with inadequate venitlation, but still a fun 30 minute flight over the lake. The lake is huge. Formed when the dam was built in fifties, it is populated with crocodiles and hippos. We spot elephants and buffalo from the plane. The runway at Bumi Hills is gravel, but the landing was smoother than many I’ve experienced at SFO.

It is hot. Really hot. We are riding in a open top jeep, under the blazing sun, up a dusty, rough road to the Katete Lodge. I mean it is really, really hot. At the lodge, we find that we have landed in the lap of luxury. We enjoy a very nice lunch with salad, gazpacho, and several glasses of white wine. In a heat and wine induced stupor, we float down the walkway to our room. The room is beautiful. White mesh mosquito nets cascade from the tall thatched roof to form a canopy over the beds. Dark wood furniture and accents in the colonial style complete the romantic picture. Sigrid takes one look and says we are never leaving. We drink in the view of the lake and wildlife from our balcony, and collapse until sunset. Drag ourselves out of bed to photograph the sunset. Dinner and back to bed. There are no mosquitos this time of year, but we use the nets anyway.

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