I had some electrical trouble with Zimba. This went on for a few weeks. Once I needed to track 3 kms through the dry riverbed for help. But strangely enough, wherever we couldn’t go on, help wasn’t far and very friendly. I made some new friends. Strangers at first. Best mates after. Or so it felt.

Zimba has always done that. He always had the ability to be in the wrong and right place at the right time. Not only in recent years. It’s always been like that. I don’t know how he does it but if we hadn’t stopped there, we wouldn’t have met a new friend, or seen this spectacle.

Or I wouldn’t have witnessed an unreal natural display.

Even back in Khaudum, our misadventure turned into an unimaginable adventure. Not even Stephen King could have scripted a better story. It’s not only the lions. Or the elephants. The recovery was even more dramatic than the survival lesson itself. I was the fortunate one. What happened after I was cleared as ‘safe’ was partially traumatic and taught the one and only lesson in Africa, you must never forget.

If you screw up, you must bear the consequences.

It’s not only the trust I have in him, as he trusts me, but the faith he reflects to his surroundings. He reflects happiness. He reflects adventure. He reflects admiration. Particularly in rural or remote places, a zebra on the street is a welcoming sign. Kids often swarm us, after they overcame their initial shock. But then it’s all smiles.

He would be the most photographed cruiser in Africa, I reckon. Not only how many photos I have taken in surreal remote areas. He just fits in. Once you’ve seen the zebra, you can’t take your eyes off him.

Oh and yes, he looks charming anywhere we go.

And for the wildlife? Zebras and elephants in particular I find very calming around us. Zebras can’t stop staring. This is a fantastic opportunity to take a few shots. Closeups. The sun in the right angle. Outstanding backdrop. They are most definitely one of my favorite models.

And elephants know that Zimba is not real, but surreal. The stripes remind them of something familiar. Something that isn’t a thread. From a safe distance anyway. And that’s just how it feels.

The reason we get on so well, Zimba and I, is that we’re both cruisers. We see what’s in front of us and take it from there. If a side-blow gives us problems, we face that direction.

So, a big Thank You, as I tell him every day, to my trusty zebra wagon Zimba. My travels won’t be the same without him. It was fate that I looked him up in the ads back in 2017.

What a Zzzuper Zzzebra.

All my experiences and adventures in this deserted triangle are linked in detail to my Facebook account Travelswithben.com

I dare you!