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8 | THE COLONY NEWS | NOVEMBER 2022 | By Kathy Sullivan How can I tell you about the beauty of Africa? How can I tell you about the beauty of the smiles and friendship of the African people? How can I tell you about the wonder of Africa? I had no idea when planning my trip exactly what to expect. But what I have experienced is beyond all my expectations. I was worried that with a bad knee and back that I might not be able to fully experience Africa. The only thing that I didn't do in my 12 days on safari was one four-mile bush walk. What I am trying to convey is that just about anyone at any age can go on a safari. My camps were situated in four different National Parks in Zimbabwe. My accommodations ranged from semi-temporary tents with a bath and shower to a beautiful, thatched cottage that looked like it came out of the safari movies. The timeline was similar in all the camps. Wake-up call at 5:30 am, continental breakfast at 6 and on the road at 6:30. We would stop for tea or coffee at 10:30 at a beautiful overlook or next to a river or pond, then were back in the camp for lunch. After tea at 3 pm, we left for an afternoon game drive. There was a "sundowner" break for a libation of your choice while watching the sun set, then back to the camp for dinner at 7:30 pm. By the end of dinner, the bed was calling. The food was superior and so beautifully presented to equal a five-star restaurant. The guides were incredible! They drove the Land Rovers with so much care over very badly maintained roads, and while navigating the bumps and dips, they could pick out a brown bird in a brown bush at 50 feet. We took off in the morning at sunrise and then traversed through bush country or sometimes forest with all of us looking into the bush for animals. Of course, the guides saw them first. The most common animal was the impala. These are small members of the antelope family — the ones you see on TV gracefully jumping over logs. They often travel with SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS AFRICA SAFARI CAMPS IN ZIMBABWE At Huange National Park, we spotted a pride of 15 lions which had recently finished eating an eland, about the size of a cow. Check out the size of the belly on the lion lying down. Their stomachs were so big they could barely walk, and all they wanted was a nice shady spot for a nap.