Well, we are here at our supposedly ultimate reason for heading out to Africa: maybe this is the village we will find our retirement home in. That was part of the original idea for this trip anyway.
Ideally, we will only be looking to have a place to stay in occasionally in about 10 years time, but right now is the time to buy.
Our trip here was pleasantly tame, and quite a change from frenetic adreniline puping action of our last few weeks.
We survived intact, apart from one incredibly stupefying moment on the trip to Mutare from Harare where I nearly killed several people due to my own stupid driving - thank Allah I had the brakes fixed professionally in Kariba, otherwise I would be in a Zim jail cell right now facing charges of Manslaughter!........ (follow that?). Other than that, the trip was totally uneventful.
The journey took us further up the Zambezi valley to the highlands of Karoi, Lions Den and Chinoyi; we stayed several nights here about's last time (including on a farm almost invaded by "war vets"). This was the fertile area where all sorts of grains and vegetables were grown. It was easy to see back then, mile after mile of cultivated fields stretching for ages. This time, after the farm invasions and resettlements, so often heard about, it's a sad place. Very little greenery (it's winter, but water in dams is still plentiful), and most of the area is now fallow, or has dead mealie stalks sitting in the soil. No wonder the country is starving.
The landscape is very much farming. This is all highlands so not too hot, with enough rains (usually), to support agriculture. There are few game farms or spectacular geologic sights on this trip.
We just drove all day, with only a few 5 minutes stops for drinks and pies. It was, as we had expected well past dark when we arrived at Ndundu Lodge in the Vumba. Once again, the cell phone overcomes all obstacles as we keep our hosts for the weekend up to date on our arrival plans and requests for dinner.
It is about 280Km from Makouti to Harare, and we pass through about 3:00PM, late but not too bad. We later learn that there were riots at the banks in town that day, but we just pass safely around the outer city. We only have 3 police checks on the way. Always calm, friendly and invariably polite with no need for anything more than insurance and our "CT" - carbon tax certificate.
Harare to Mutare - 265Km. We have come right across Zim in one leap from the heat and bugs of the drought stricken jungle, to the cool of the green mountains. Did I mention Zim seems to have it all?
After an 8 hour hectic drive across the country, we arrive at Ndundu Lodge.
Ndundu is a lovely place to come home to. Bart & Petra, Dutch/ Belgian couple have been here for about 10 years. We stayed here last time we came. This time, it's only to regroup, organise our laundry, battery recharging , van emptying, cleaning, reorganising general well being quotient update. The Vumba is really little England made good, fantastic climate, lots of retired (white) Zim folk, truly endless greenery, incredible vegetation and active community.
There is also of course Tony's Coffee Shoppe.......... - more later
After going through everything twice, we realise that all our maps, and many of our references like Lonely Planets and address books are not here. Lost in Kariba somewhere we surmise. Life in Mozambique will be interesting to say the least without our maps and Lonely Planet guide.
Mutare is Zim's third largest city. Its on a border, so it's pretty international and quite "cool". Next morning - Saturday, we head back down the escarpment to Mutare 25Km away. Amazingly, I cannot find anyone to change money with, you'd think that it was totally illegal (it is now of course). Even the Asians do not want to know! I check out the fuel situation, yes some is available if I cannot get any in Chipinge.
We left Makouti with a full tank of fuel, plus another tankful (90 litres - about 550Km) in three containers in the van. We are now down to one full container with only half a tank left. I empty it into the tank and now we have to live on good will here. This lack of fuel everywhere may get kind of scary soon! Now we are starting to get some space in the van.
I call Garth our long time contact and truly excellent resource. Things are, as ever with Garth, confusing. He knows exactly what is happening, and how it will all work, but we do not. Sounds like we are expected and we have no problems with accommodation and general living in Chipinge. Good!
The kids have email, and my server is still down! I call Tom in Toronto - I have to get my messages before we leave for Chimanimani. He gives me a quick run down on the power freak out in Eastern North America. They are still out and he has to get out to get fuel early while the power is still on in his area. Sounds just like Zim I think!
However, he sorts out my server (really must fix the internet connection when I get home!) and after 90 minutes I have read 1 and sent 2 emails. Totally useless.
I do know that I have no responses to the ad I put into the Bulawayo paper, so at least I know that there is no one awaiting my call.
Nanoos for lunch and back in time for a coffee and cake at Tony's. Talk about to die for darling! We have either the best chocolate or the best coffee in Africa. We also have a full helping of Tony's chocolate whisky cake (chocolate whisky sponge with chocolate filling dipped in chocolate, covered in chocolate, drizzled in chocolate, dipped in chocolate and drizzled in chocolate again. On top of all this is of course, a very delicate chocolate decoration). This is probably the only cake in the world that has as many calories as it costs ($ZIM4500) but GOD! Was it ever the best cake in the world! So much so that no one is hungry for dinner that night. Watch this space as my weight problem reasserts itself!
Come Sunday, and we arrange to meet Garth at Inn on the Vumba.We say our "goodbye and see you agina soon" to Tony, and head back down the mountain. He is of course, delayed but the manager has been expecting us and looks after us in grand
style.
We leave for Chimanimani about 3:00PM, it's about 180Km - about 2.5 hours away. We never made it here last time as the brakes seized up on the cruiser (hence we met Garth in Chipinge). We are booked into the Frog & Fern, but have no idea of what the place is like.
Well, it's a truly fantastic place. Just exactly where we would like to live occasionally. We arrive about 5:30, and just catch the local supermarket and the market - it's dark then so we cannot see what we are buying. Scratch meal of baked beans (4 cans) and some really wormy sweet potatoes - truly a meal fit for royalty.
During the next two days, we meet some of the locals - mainly really "hang in there" whites, and the local deputy of the council Chester who takes us to places for sale in the village and general property development for the council. This is my favourite, on a hill overlooking the vast mountains ahead, just inside a national park. For sale at about $US10,000
Yes, this is a lovely place no doubt. The scenery is stunning - huge mountains all around. It is fairly isolated, so the residents live on what is available - no much brought in here. We therefore live on stews (even the butcher laughed at the meat I bought), spuds, lots of veg & fruit and porridge. There is some bread at the now totally moribund garage - just buns are available as loaves can only be sold at strictly enforced government prices - so "yes, we have no bread" is the way it works here. The only local restaurant Msasas, serves lots of dishes a'la Mexicana, which I cannot stand, and very poor coffee. I give it a pass and live on local stuff.
We wander around the market, go to several peoples homes and introduce ourselves as prospective future neighbours and pick up the REAL vibes of the government/ opposition frenzy here. It turns out to be quite frightening. One house we go, we meet Shane, a Zim national who fights the government at everything they do. We have heard about him already, he has been beaten, jailed, starved and him and his wife severely abuse by government supporters. In the hallway, there are crutches which he needs fairly often according to how much the government thugs beat him up. This is certainly real stuff. He is out again soon after we arrive, off to fight for what he believes in.
Others, like the many pensioners here, prefer to keep their heads down and have a quiet life.
Things are certainly down from where they were a few years ago. We are staying at the Frog & Fern for about $US1.25 per night. 3 years ago it was $25 per night. People seem to be staying away from here. I wonder why?
We are here for three days, and I make a lot of contacts including Peter a local, who is investing in the area. He asks his property manager, Wellington to meet with us, and he will start looking for "suitable" houses for us, ie properties that his boss does not want I assume.
During our lazy days when we are not house shopping, we catch up journals, read, play cards, meet people, wander around the market and take pix of the street sellers and fruit & veg merchants.
Living like this is pretty easy and very cheap - we spend about $US4 per day on food, $US6 per day on accommodation. Probably about $30 for our 3 days here. It's time however to finally catch up with Garth, so come 20th August - a Wednesday, we depart, leaving Jane & Lameck a tip and some food which they can no longer afford to buy on their income. Finally we hope to meet up again with Garth, the elusive.
Odometer: 311815 Distance Travelled: 777 Km Trip Distance: 715Km, Total Trip 6138 Km
