Cascata

Today felt more invigorating than any day I've experienced for a while. The stress of the past few weeks is being successfully suppressed and I'm enjoying being present for these biodiversity surveys. It's crucial to connect with sites where I'm going to be involved in the long term and also exciting that whatever the surveys reveal will be put to good use in our conservation planning.

Chimanimani has a range of habitats, ecozones and species found in each. Today the herpetologists and ornithologists wanted to drive into the mountains to Chikukwa Camp to record what they could find, and Millie and I joined. The ride in the back of a truck was spectacular: dramatic rocky outcrops, bursting green foliage from every crevice, precipitous roadside drops, amazing scenery at every angle. From Chikukwa, as the herps team focused on uncovering rocks and searching for basking reptiles, Millie and I were lost in the area's natural beauty, culminating in this waterfall (cascata) at the end of the path. Norina, one of the masters students, is pictured, also gazing up in awe.

We meandered back downhill to some famous ancient rock art (pinturas rupestres), and continued enjoying the fantastic scenery. Facts were confused about whether the paintings are 15,000 years old or from the 15th century. The former seems more noteworthy yet they are in extremely good condition. Feeling satisfied by what we had experienced we jumped back into the vehicle for a long rough ride back to camp. My ribs are bruised from being slammed against the roll-cage for hours, but the car rides were just a small part of today's exhilaration.