As hard as it was to leave the comfort of the duToit home in Harare, it was definitely time to move on. On Monday we left the highlands to drive south through Mashonaland to the Mukiriwe Dam. We found a quiet self-catering apartment on a lovely property down the road from Great Zimbabwe and crashed soon after dinner.
Although we did not sleep particularly well (warmer than usual, lumpy pillows and beds, and mefloquine dreams), we rose early to explore the amazing ruins down the road that gave this country its’ name. I had been to Great Zimbabwe once before, but my memories from twelve years ago were cloudy. It was refreshing to revisit this special site in Southern Africa and to bring everything back in focus. It was also good that we started so early; by 8:00 the heat started to remind us of Botswana.
The civilization known as the Great Zimbabwe started in the eleventh century and lasted until the fifteenth century, when like other people groups in the Americas, they overused the land and its resources and had to abandon the area. The ruins are in incredible condition and consist of two parts: the Hill Complex built high on a mountain and the Great Enclosure below which shows advanced craftsmanship in construction of their walls.
We spent a couple of hours walking around on our own before getting back in the car to drive west to the Matopos in southwest Zimbabwe where we spent Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. While Great Zim is a foundation in the Shona history and tradition, the Matopos are a sort of the spiritual home to the Ndebele. It is easy to see why. This valley in the center of Matebeleland is surrounded by huge boulders, often one or two balancing on top of each other. It is magnificently awesome and deafeningly silent – the sort of place one can be still for a very long time, to think or just to be. Cecil Rhodes’ “World’s View” became a World Heritage Site which means they can charge extra money to see it. Being the frugal travelers we are, we found a boulder down the road, climbed up that, and had our own world view for free.
Thirty-five kilometers north is the city of Bulawayo, which we instantly liked for its wide streets, late 1800’s architecture, and tree-lined avenues. We liked it much more than Harare, but then again we really only stayed in the suburbs. It has a vibrant artistic community; the international book fair is held here each year. We also went to the Railway Museum; Bulawayo was a central piece to Rhodes’ Cape to Cairo dream. But the highlight was the National Art Gallery showcasing the best of Zimbabwean art, which is some of the most talented in Africa. There was also a graphic exhibit that was off-limits but we sneaked a peak; it is highly critical of Mugabe and reminiscient of his 1983 Matebeleland massacre. It had to stay in the museum until the case went to trial, but the museum did not make it difficult to see the controversial graffiti art. We bought music cds on the recommendation of a friend back in the States; by several accounts also some of the best in Southern Africa, and had lunch in a garden cafe. A most enjoyable day.
We stayed with friends of friends of Jane and Andrew, a young couple from the US who came to Bulawayo four years ago, in the “tough times”, the “Zim dollar days”. Like the duToits, they would frequently go to South Africa for shopping, bringing back carloads of staple goods. They were once tied up and robbed in their home; the thieves apologized for stealing but explained they were desperate. Kayle and Matt went to college in the Boston area; he is from Maine and she is from Indiana, so we made connections. Their two kids are African babies, and the plan is that they will grow up here. I must admit that I envied their ex-pat lifestyle, difficult as it has been, because there still seems to be a higher quality of life that I hoped we would have. They were quite gracious and we stayed with them for two nights.
We’ve just arrived in Victoria Falls, where our story as a couple had its beginning back in 1999. We had met three weeks before in Mariental; then my friend Amy and I left for a road trip through Zimbabwe and Russ embarked on his infamous journey with the Luderitz students. Without knowing each other plans, we ended up at the Falls at the same time and knew it was not a coincidence.
More on our current time at the Falls in a minute...
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