Bulawayo is the second
biggest city in Zimbabwe after Harare and is the country’s
geographic hub. It was once a royal village, the seat of the Ndebele
dynasty, until the British colonial take-over in the late 19th century.
It’s a laid-back, spacious and attractive city with wide boulevards
and a mixture of old colonial and modern architecture.
The tree-lined streets and suburban lawns belie the fact that dusty
Botswana is just over the border. Although it has more than 600
000 residents, it doesn't feel that large and retains an old-fashioned
small town charm. The atmosphere is somewhat dated and it
feels like an English country town of about 50 years ago.
There are several good museums which are worth a browse, many of
which are housed in turn-of-the-century buildings. These include
the Natural History Museum, the National Gallery, and the Bulawayo
Railway Museum where there are exhibits of railcars from the Rhodesian
period, including the lavish private coach used by Cecil Rhodes.
He used this both in life and death as it transported his body
back to Bulawayo after he died in Cape Town in 1902. Rhodes is
buried outside Bulawayo at Matapos National park. Most travellers
find themselves in Bulawayo en route to the park. There was once
a statue of Rhodes in Bulawayo but this was torn down when Zimbabwe
finally achieved independence in 1980.
Beyond the city limits, the Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage is well
worth visiting. Orphaned, sick and injured animals, including
big cats, are nursed back to health and cared for until they can be
relocated in the national parks.
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