After an early breakfast, we pack up and head to the local "airport" for the short flight back to Kariba, our stopover before heading to our next destination, Matusadona National Park.

We elected to make the return trip by air rather than that punishing four-hour drive. The dirt airstrip is red and dusty-dry. The "airport facilities" consist of a limp windsock and... well, that was all I could see. Still, it was smooth and serviceable. Eventually a twin-engine 8-passenger Beechcraft appears and takes us over the brown undulating hills to Kariba, giving a fine view of the land. From the air, I clearly see what the Mana Pools area consists of; twisting oxbows and dry pans bounded by the broad Zambezi to the north.

At the Kariba Airport we are picked up by an assistant of John Berry's and transported to his offices in Kariba Heights, which overlook the town from high up a hill. John has a surprisingly nice office set-up, sharing space with a crafts store. We also met John's wife Trish and their son, and his office assistant, Chipo Mlambo. I was amused by how prominently their URL, www.zambezi.com, was displayed on the front of the building!

That afternoon we relax by the pool at the Kariba Breezes Hotel, a pleasant, white-washed establishment on the shore of the lake. Weaver birds endlessly tended to their nests in the palm trees towering over the pool.

Later, along with Jane and Graeme we travel by speedboat across the lake to the camp at Matusadona, a 45 minute ride. We pass odd-shaped 'chapenta' fishing boats with their large conical bow nets and outrigger lights for night fishing. Patches of water hyacinth flash by. The lake is near flat calm.

The camp at Matusadona is directly on the lake shore. Because there are just four guests (us and Jane and Graeme) only a few tents are set up. I'm still a bit amazed at how dry it is: everything is shades of brown. There isn't as much tree cover in this camp, and I'm thinking it is going to be very hot here.

That night we slept well, the animal noises were less than at Mana. I wonder what tomorrow will be like. Will we see more lions? Maybe a rhino?