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Courtney Mukamba Cool writer
Our school trip from seven to 10 August was quite an experience. We set off from Seke 1 High at about 9 in the morning and the mood was jubilant. Everyone was excited. After days of expectation this was finally it.

We started by visiting the mysterious Chinhoyi Caves. Our tour guide told us that the caves are named after a local chief who used them as a refuge from Ndebele raiders and also that the caves were designated a national park in 1955. They are managed by the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority.

I had the pleasure of touching the blue water in the deep underground pool after going down the stone steps. The water is believed to have healing powers. We arrived at midnight and we glad for the few hours of rest.

The following morning we went straight to the dam wall which is marvelous to see in person. Kariba is the biggest man-made lake in the world, can you imagine that?

The lake has a surface area of 5 400 square kilometres.

The history associated with the dam and the Zambezi River is just awesome. When the dam wall was completed and the area filled up with water for the first time a lot of animals were stranded and had to be rescued under Operation Noah. Even fearsome creatures like leopards and lions had to be taken to dry land by people. Scary!

Legend has it that it is the home of Nyami Nyami the great river god who is in the shape of a snake. It is said that about 200 men died when the first dam wall was constructed and that they are still part of the wall. Does that mean their ghosts haunt the wall?

The good part is we were allowed to cross into Zambia and we took lots of pictures for souvenirs. For most of us that was the first time to ever cross the border.

Afterwards we went to The Crocodile Farm where they keep crocs of all sizes. They sell the skins for leather products like shoes, bags, belts and so on. The meat is sent to top hotels and restaurants. You can even get it in some supermarkets these days.

But perhaps the best part of all was getting onto a boat. I cannot describe the feeling of standing there and looking down and all around at the water. I am happy and proud to have been to these new parts of my country. School trips are a great idea. Big up to the teachers, and head and the parents, for making the trip possible and so wonderful!