!! Kariba and the Nyami Nyami !!What a trip !!! We had deliberately planned to be in Harare on Wednesday so we could visit the “Skull and Skud” biker bar before riding up to Kariba for the annual Nyami Nyami rally (For those that don’t know, a Skud is the Zimbo version of traditional Shake-Shake). Man, what a pub, the Zim bikers have built a dedicated biker bar with a proper biker feel – knick naks and biker paraphernalia abounds, old helmets hanging from the ceiling, good music, dstv, biking memorabilia etc and anything goes. If your lady wants tequila drunk from her belly button – no problem tell her to climb on the bar counter and the barman pours tequila into the button without batting an eyelid. Burn outs – no problem, just wheel your bike into the bar and rev it up. Noise – no problem, if you can shout louder than the music – go for it. A bar of friendly people that is well worth visiting. All bikers, from anywhere, on any bike, are welcome.

We spent the next day sightseeing Harare (it doesn’t take long) with an alcoholic lunch and a hilarious dinner with the Harare biking crowd. Then on Friday it was up early for breakfast to meet other rally goers departing for Kariba. Man these Zimbo's have got things waxed .... 8am in the morning at the rally departure point, and everyone is drinking beer with not a care in the world !

A toot or two then we joined the 80 odd bikes that headed North from Harare. The Zim bike community has got no real riding protocol, the fast boys go hell for leather into the distance, the slower community cruise at whatever speed they are comfortable at and the recovery vehicles tootle along with loud music and cooler boxes. Seems everyone does their own thing and it all works remarkably well. There is many a pit stop - which works to the advantage of the fast riders because they have lots more time for beer while waiting for the slower guys !

We reached Kariba in fine fettle at about 3pm ( That’s seven hours for a 280km trip – serious pit stops !! ) and checked into the Cutty Sark Hotel. Registration for the Nyami Nyami – named after Nyami Nyami who is the god of the Zambezi River, was a breeze and we were made to feel really special and welcome. After putting kit in the room it was straight into the pub to party till the wee hours. The hotel was block booked and all rooms and camping area were allocated to the rally, so there were no other guests to get upset about bikes in bars, burn outs, language, silly behaviour , lack of clothing and a thoroughly good time.

Saturday saw many a red eye having breakfast on the terrace overlooking Kariba ( That is one very serious dam - 230k’s long - think Joburg to Welkom - and it averages 30km wide ) Zim’s licensing laws are a pleasure – breakfast with beer was the order of the day. Then a stroll down to board a big car-ferry called the Sea Lion that had been hired for the day. Surprise surprise – on board the bar was open for our arrival. The Disco from the night before was

there and we set off with AC/DC scaring the crocs away. We stopped on an island for a few hours and played the Kariba version of golf – tee up on the wet sand, grab a ball from the bucket, then see how far you can drive a ball furthest into the lake – there must be hundreds of balls in that water! The usual tyre throwing or just sitting waist deep in the warm water in the blazing sun with cold beer rounded it all off – man it's tough in Zimbabwe.

A cruise back to the hotel in the late afternoon with many a sunburnt shoulder to sit on the hotel veranda to have sundowners with new friends before attending the rally prize giving at 7pm where prizes were plentiful and well received. After prize giving a a buffet braai dinner of as much as you could eat was on display. So stuffed full of Meat and Puddings it was back to the bar for more biker jol – but a little earlier to bed this time – must have been about 3am.

The next morning we left Kariba for an uneventful ride back home, bringing with us fond memories, herds of photos, names and telephone numbers of lots of new friends and a vow to do the Nyami Nyami again next year. What a trip, brilliant hospitality, great rally venue, great organisation, great activities and great people. We’ll be back !!!