Two National Park officers, one receipt-book, a 14 digit calculator, and an AK-47
The Sanyati Gorge is part of the Matusadona National Park, one of several protected wildlife areas with shorelines on Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe.
To stay over night in the gorge, on a houseboat, and to fish, one needs to pay the Matusadona National Park a set of fees, ranging from an over-night, river, fishing, and entrance-fee. But, to pay these fees, you firstly need to find the National Parks office, which is located somewhere on the banks of lake Kariba.
We docked our houseboat in a little bay, outside the Sanyati Gorge, and took the tender boat out in search for the National Parks Office.
The first bay we entered was deserted, just a couple of elephants, crocks, and impalas jumping around. We got off the boat and wondered about, but no National Parks office was in sight.
So we got back onto the skimmer, whizzed to the next bay, and found a hut – but the hut was deserted, except for a hippo, and crock skull lying about, and some other dried up bones.
Back on the boat, we decided to try one more bay, and we actually found the office. A simple, rusty table, chair, and metal drum welcomed us!
We got off the boat, walked towards the ‘office’, picked up a metal pole and started banging it. Chase, your captain told us that this is how you call the park officers. After a couple of bangs no one appeared, so Chance and I decided to walk a little into the bush to look for them.
After shouting and whistling for a couple of minutes we finally heard a response, got back on the boat, drove a little further into the bay, and found two National Parks Officers sitting on the embankment, waiting for us.
Geared up with a receipt-book, a 14 digit calculator, and an AK-47, the officers greeted us and we bargained our way into the gorge paying Zim$ 9 750 000 000 000 (nine-trillion-seven-hundred-fifty-billion).
Needless to say, it was an unforgettable adventure tracking down the Matusadona National Park office!
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