Snapshots from the road around Zimbabwe

A Zimbabwean woman carries bags along the road between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.

One of the hazards of driving in Africa?  Trucks precariously loaded and driving way too fast or way too slow.

A woman tends to some cooking in a village.

Laundry hanging in a village.

The Flying Pot Restaurant near Gweru.

The Teecherz shopping mall.  For some reason the name really amuses me.

One of the many car washes outside Harare.

Because the Flying Pot Restaurant was just too creepy not to include another photograph.

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Snapshots from the Zimbabwe roads...

While visiting Antelope Park near Gweru, Zimbabwe, this dog kept watch.

Leaving Antelope Park we managed to get stuck in this rainy season puddle.

See the paved road ahead?  Oh it was a tease..and quite embarrassing to fail so close to the road.

Kwekwe's welcome sign.  You may recognize Kwekwe if you are a watcher of The Colbert Report.

Stephen Colbert did a segment on Zimbabwe (Watch the spot here.)

The Air Zimbabwe museum...or if it's not a museum, it should be.  The airline's gone under way too many times. 

A mosque in Zimbabwe.  You don't see them remotely as much as you did in Senegal.

For some reason whenever I see the lights not working signs (and naturally they aren't working ever), 

I usually find it to be the funniest thing ever.

A street side market somewhere in Zimbabwe during the rainy season.

A storm's a coming!

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...and then the lions charged!

While visiting Antelope Park in Gweru, Zimbabwe, I hung out with these beautiful lions.

I was soooo relieved these were not the lions I walked with because there's no way I would gotten close to these guys.

Or, more correctly: any closer to these guys than I already was...and this was definitely testing my comfort level.

Especially since our introduction to them was them CHARGING to get food placed in front of us, separated by only a thin chain-link fence.

There may have been some silent holy [insert whatever you use after this, we'll be PG] moley, crap...

Check out the charge:

It was very clear immediately who the dominate male was as he guarded the food viciously and the

other lions circled, waiting for a chance to get some food.

I can tell you, the food did not smell remotely good.

Here's the second charge (actually the first one I witnessed)--- you can see I involuntarily move backward as they charge and someone exclaims in amazement; you literally feel your heart drop to your toes and understand immediately the fear these beasts create in everyone and everything:

Isn't this tail just beautiful?

Glad I noticed it so I didn't accidentally step on it; I imagine that would not have gone over well with the lion 

and I don't think that chain link fence would have done very much to protect me.

Beautiful, just beautiful.

Even with the terror they invoke in their speed, power, and size, it is so easy to be spell bound by their beauty.

This male lion was dominate for an extended period, fighting off anyone who came near.

Here's one of his fights then the subsequent grunting (attempted roaring?):

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Walking with Lions!!

Recently I walked with lions in Gweru, Zimbabwe!!

That's right. You heard me. I walked with lions.

And it was awesome.

These beautiful 6 month old lion cubs were my company for the afternoon.

Here's how close they walk to you (I didn't zoom for the shot!):

This makes me laugh. Of course these two Zimbabweans aren't paying attention to the lions right next to them.
They're checking their cell phones.

Okay, I admit it.  They were adorable and playful and so cute,

but there was a clear moment of being terrified just prior to start walking with them.

Just like children, the cubs paused at every sound and every noise, wanting to investigate everything.

Aren't they cute:

I got to pet them!  So cool.  I was surprised to learn their hair is course and not soft like you'd expect.

I was very relieved to learn that we were walking with 6 month old cubs; the 23 month old (waist high!!) cubs had been retired two days prior.
For someone who's not exactly an animal person, and had to talk myself into this afternoon walk, it was a welcome turn of events.

For more information on where I had this little adventure, check out Antelope Park!

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