Zim 2 Mali 1 Mugabe 0

From Antelope Park we headed to Great Zimbabwe Ruins, the biggest iron age settlement in sub-Saharan Africa.  It was built by a series of kings who traded iron for the daughters of local farmers.  At any one time, they had 200+ wives.  Our local guide 'Stephen' really brought the site to life for us with his enthusiasm.  Zimbabwe took its name from the ruins when it ceased to be Rhodesia in 1980.  Zimbabwe means Great Stone House in Shona.

Entrance to the king's palace, Great Zimbabwe

Queen's palace, Great Zimbabwe

Entrance to queen's palace, Great Zimbabwe

As everyone's passports whizzed across the globe, we were forced to kill a few more days in Zimbabwe before, hopefully, picking up the returned passports in Harare. Andi and Hasty decided that we'd add a few days in the mountains on the Mozambique border. They hadn't been there before but camping was booked at a placed called Heaven's Lodge, who sold them with the promise of $1 pints.

We were met on our arrival in Chimanimani with beautiful views of the mountain range. Heaven's Lodge, however, had seen better days. The manager told us they'd received few overlanding groups in the last 10 years, and it showed. In it's heyday, the lodge had employed 32 staff but these days a few men sat around the forlorn bar area 'smoking' and dishing out beers. One of these guys, Luke, had been a full time hike leader in the past but rarely had the opportunity to take tourists into the mountains. So, we arranged that he'd take 8 of us out the following day.

The hike started at 8am with a precarious ride in the back of a very old Ute up to base camp. On the way we passed through farm land once owned by local MP Roy Bennett. Luke told us how Bennett had been the only white MP on the opposition government, voted in by the local blacks who regarded this strong Shona-speaking farmer, affectionately, as 'one of us'. His farm, considered the most beautiful in all of Zim, employed many local people, whose children attended the farm's school, part of a wider workers' compound. Bennett's coffee cash crops, and the town, prospered. When Bennett was voted in, Mugabe's followers decided to punish the local people.  First the farms harvest was stolen and then the equipment. Then invaders broke into Bennett's home and terrorised his pregnant wife while he was away. She lost her home, her baby and then her husband, when Bennett was arrested on false charges and sent to prison. Even with Bennett away, the local people were harassed with violence and intimidation: punished for their vote. Yet they continued to support Bennett and celebrated when he was released from prison 2 years ago. He is now in hiding to avoid more false charges and the town suffers. His farm, now derelict, is eerily quiet. The invaders, arrogant and greedy, destroyed the coffee crops and planted maize. Unsuccessful, the people of the town now have no work and little food.

Chimanimani NP

Chimanimani NP

Chimanimani NP

Chimanimani NP

Chimanimani NP

Our hike day with Luke was really brilliant. Strenuous inclines, varied terrain and breathtaking beauty in the scenery. We stopped at Digby Waterfall for an ice-cold dip at lunchtime and felt incredibly lucky to be seeing a part of Zim so few people have got to see in the last 10 years. I asked Luke what Chimanimani meant and he told me it was Shona for 'narrow passage'; referring to the narrow route through the mountains that led to Mozambique. During violent episodes in the town, people who had tried to escape Zimbabwe through the passage had been gunned down on the mountains and many bodies had strewn the paths we were hiking. Meeting Luke and hearing about his life and the town's recent history made our hike even more memorable. People like Luke deserve so much. They still have hope. We hope they get to see their home returned to the place it was. We have had many such humbling experiences in Zim. As we travel through Africa we are very aware and thankful for all the privilege in our lives.

Chimanimani NP

Swimming in a waterfall, Chimanimani NP

Shaking hands with gold poachers/smugglers we passed on a mountain track, Chimanimani NP

Chimanimani NP

From Chimanimani we made our way to Harare, the nation's capital.

Lee, a football mad Brit in our group, had read that Zimbabwe were playing Mali in the African Nations Cup and we were all keen to go. Andi, our ever awesome leader, helped us arrange $3 tickets for the general stands and we equipped ourselves with flags, caps and vuvuzela. We'd been told that "very bad people" attend football matches and that we should take no valuables but I chanced it and took my camera. And I'm glad I did. The noise that ensued when we, the only whites in a 40,000 seater stadium, was bonkers. We received a standing ovation in our stand!  They wanted to high-five us and have photos and sit next to us (well, they did before Falcon got his vuvuzela out). The stadium was rammed by kick off - probably 10,000 over capacity with people in all the aisles, edge of the pitch and hanging off the floodlights. There was a bit of crowd trouble outside the ground, the police drove in trucks with watercannons and the crowd dispersed.  The game itself was very exciting, with a Mali red card, plenty of head butting and a Zim penalty just before full time that would give them the lead. They missed but a second was awarded - we were on the edge of our seats - and they scored!

Zoe & Kat with some local fans

Zim scores a great goal, 1- 0

Half time photo op

Tension mounts as Zim lines up a potentially match winning penalty

The next day we were relieved to hear that our passports were back and ahead of schedule. I was even happier to hear that it means I'll get an extra day lying horizontal on a beach in Zanzibar : ) and a shorter stay in Addis.

Weighed down with a ALOT of Zim handicraft, we prepared to depart to the Mozambique border sad to leave our favourite country so far...