Our Last Week in Zimbabwe - A Lovely Visit to Harare

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We got up early to a rainy and somewhat cold Saturday, and in the dark, since the power was out again.  For some reason, the generator didn't kick on as it had so faithfully for the past week.  Getting packed and ready to go in the dark can be an experience.  We were transferred to the airport by yet another pleasant driver.  Our thirty-minute flight via FastJet was great.

Landing at Robert Mugabe International Airport we were met by our transfer driver and guide, Lenon and Elisiah.  It was really early and our apartment was not ready, but Willian, our sweet security guard let us store our bags at the gate and we walked down to the street to the strip center.  There we found two supermarkets and a couple of restaurants.  For the next four hours, we ate a meal, took a long walk around the city center, and shopped for a week's worth of food and supplies.  Back to the apartment at 2PM, we met our host and were shown around the apartment.  We settled in for the night, Kathryn made us a nice meal, and we were all in bed before 9PM.  We are getting old indeed.


Sunday was spent enjoying the cool but bright, sunny day and relaxing.  We are directly around from the Statehouse and from the fourth floor we have a bird's eye view of the grounds.  Bobbie and Kathryn took a walk in the neighborhood and Andi and I played house.  Our apartment for this week is a large, three-bedroom unit with nice furnishings, two bathrooms, a nicely equipped kitchen, and really comfortable beds. 

On Monday Lenon and Elisiah arrived bright and early for the first of two full days of touring the city.  Our first stop was at the downtown bus terminal...basically, a huge parking area where small vans, called "kombi" wait in line to fill up, before departing to various parts of the city and beyond. A ride to pretty much anywhere in the metropolitan area is about 50 cents USD. They are widely used and even though the vans are designed originally to carry 8 to 10 people, you will often see as many as 15 or 16 crammed in. The government does not regulate the kombis. HOWEVER, they do have a government-owned bus system...new busses...the big 45 passenger ones with air conditioning and nicer seating, that compete with the local drivers. Here's the rub. A ride on one of the government busses costs about 10 cents USD. The lines are huge and the wait is long, but saving that forty cents means being able to buy food to feed a large family for that night. So, instead of promoting the individual entrepreneur, the government has created a monopoly on transportation and outpriced their own people. So WRONG.

We walked around the city center talking to so many people...all curious about the strangers and asking questions.  We took loads of photos.

 We left to drive to the memorial park and passed a huge line of vehicles waiting for gas.  Our guides told us that sometimes the lines go one for miles and people can wait all day for only 20 liters.

Next, we visited Heroes Acre, a huge memorial park built by the North Korean government back in the the 80's.  I was not really interested by the initial research I had done, but was moved and impressed by the monument once we arrived.  We toured the museum first, viewing photos and exhibits that documents the genocide in the 70's of the resistance fighters.  The British government murdered thousands and dumped their bodies in abandoned mine shafts.  The pour lime and acid in on top to hide their deeds.  Fortunately, the acid killed the bacterial and created a seal that allowed discovery years later.

 Moving plaque at the base of the main monument.

 Graves of the national heroes, mostly military in the beginning, but now scientists, doctors, teachers, and community leaders.  We saw the grave of Mugabe's first wife and the plot reserved for him.  ironically we are here during his death that happened a few days ago.  He will not be buried next to his wife, but in a small plot in him home village a few 100 km away.

We went to a sports club restaurant and had lunch with our fellows.  They enjoyed the treat and our invitation to join us for a meal.  We always invite our guides to join us and it is always a special time to learn more about them and share photos.

For our next day, we started off at the local flea market, wandering the clothing merchant and rag stalls.  It was busy, loud, and full of activity.  We had a wonderful hour chatting with local vendors and customers.  Everyone was so pleasant and curious.  Loads of smiles and photos.  Below an herbal merchant was selling oils and herbs, as well as elephant dung used to make snuf.

 Outside there were dozens of folks selling fried potatoes and chicken.

 This mural represents local musicians who grew up in the area and made it to the national stage.  The fellow on the top left is famous in the US rap scene.  Did not write down his name.

 The founder of the eco-cash and Eco-Bank system grew up in this same area and is now considered the richest man in the country...a Zimbabwe Elon Musk.

 Kathryn chatting up a bunch of local fellows.  They were gambling.

Next, we visited the farmers market...the largest in the country.  So full of produce, it was overwhelming.

 Dried caterpillars...a local food sourse and common on many table.  Just not ours.

 This lady fell in love with Kathryn and demanded a photo.  Elisiah is the photographer.

Several of the hundreds of money changers offering cash from the digital account at a 38% margins.  Sad. 

We were caught up in a traffic jam in the market that lasted over an hour to go a mere block or two. 

 More money changers tied to the digital banking system.

 The name of the street where the political and government offices are located.  Quite humorous.

We ended our day at an expat mall where we splurged on a huge burger.  A double patty tower with enough meat to feed a small family.

 Until a few months ago, this was the local currency, so inflated and devalued that a 50 BILLION dollar note was worth about 50 cents USD.  This was a souvenir given to us by our guide.  Amazing.

We spent a whole day preparing for a dinner party where we invited our new friends and their families.  It was quite a feast and REALLY LOVELY EVENING.  Our guides Lenon and Elijah from Harare joined us.  It was such a SPECIAL evening.

We spent a day at home recovering from last night's meal...LOL.  The lads took a lot of it home with them and in the afternoon we treated them once again to a movie.  Maybe Tarantino isn't the best way to take a couple of local fellows out.  The story went over their heads but they did agree to look up the Manson murders to better understand the story.  Later that night we feasted on leftovers and finished the Game of Thrones marathon...a bit disappointed in the final conclusion...like everyone else.

We spent our last day doing laundry and preparing for our early morning departure back to Victoria Falls.  That evening, there was a knock on the door.  Lenon and Elisah appeared with gifts.  They gave each of the girls jewelry and I got a wonderful African shirt...each handmade by friends of the guys.  Our friends picked us up early, this time bearing more gifts, woven hats and handbags, and Elisah brought along his wife and son.  We were overwhelmed, yet again.  We got to the airport early, were checked in and waiting for our FastJet flight before our second cup of coffee.