Thanks to the one guidebook on Zimbabwe, I found Sally Preston and her cottages. She has a plant nursery in Mutare so I met her at work and she drove me to the Brumba Mountains. I have the whole cottage to myself- it resembles a Sue London cosy home. Think of a beautiful cabin in VT- and that's what I have for $20 including someone to wash the dishes and light the fireplace!! I will post pictures.
Whites here need to be creative, if they have lost their farms- and even if not, because the economy is so bad. Sally employs 17 people. She has 7 horses. I took a ride today. Julia and Hannah would have laughed their heads off. Nehemiah had my horse on a leash and I was as happy as a clam!! We went through the forests- down some steep, rocky paths to the very exclusive Leopard Rock Hotel. They have a game reserve. Even tho it was 11 am, we saw baby giraffes, pregnant zebra and ostriches. 2 hours was plenty for my butt bones.
Then Sally drove me down another road and I took the path to the hotel. Thought I could use a computer to download pics, but they don't have a business center. Chatted with lady in gift shop. She informed me that her daughter got asylum in KY because the farmer next to their farm was murdered. So questions keep coming up about this place. This very exclusive hotel- Leopard Rock- has a PGA 18-hole golf course, but the place is a ghost town. I walked up to the original castle that the owners built as their home- it is now a wedding venue. Beautiful gardens everywhere.
Sally and her husband have a nursery up here in the mountains and at a restaurant garden in town. She has 3 cottages and manages 3 cottages for other people. At the cottage where I am, she has a small grocery store. They buy things in town and sell them because there is no store in the area. So the gift shop lady will bring me home because she wants to pick up fresh milk! Sitting waiting for my horse ride, I met a guy who is running Intnl Rescue Cmte projects - agricultural, etc. AND I met some other guests who will now bring me to Harare on Monday.
Saturday I went for a 4-hour hike with Charles. He is a certified guide who recently lost his job with a non-profit conservancy. Started at 8- he carries no water, no food and walked 1+ hrs to meet me. We walked through the forest to the waterfall. Saw the soccer ball fruit- even the animals don't want to eat it. Saw a very thick vine that strangles extremely large trees to death. Nature certainly is incomprehensible at times. A hole that resembled a grave was an old trap, people would cover it with boughs and there would be spikes in the bottom to catch the animal. People come in a make rings around the trees so they will die, fall and then be used as firewood. We saw some very rare bird- only in this area. He could identify all bird calls and dung along the way. In a million years I could not find the path on my own. There were markers (like grave stones) but sometimes they were lying on the ground or the letters were totally worn off. We then walked to George's Point- a magnificent viewpoint. Charles was very upset to see a cleared section below- people were illegally living in the national park. They cleared trees for their cattle to graze, then he said the person's cousin would come and do the same. He was very upset that there was no enforcement.
I was really tired after 4 hours. It was just devine to sit in the garden- it is terraced and very natural plantings everywhere you look.
The night guard is there to watch the horses and nursery...and me! He came to start my fire. Godfrey was very talkative. He was taking over the vacation hours of the regular guard. He walks 2 hours to work. It is very cold at night, but he doesn't light a fire because he said that would let intruders know where he is. He was so thankful when i gave him a tip and an apple. He doesn't bring food with him. Sunday night, I noticed this gigantic spider on the cupboard door. I thought is was a decoration at first, but then it moved. I quickly called the guard and he slammed it with some firewood!
Sunday morning was completely foggy- good excuse not to climb the mountain nearby. I walked to Leopard Rock. Luckily joined a man walking there so he showed me the quick way around the golf course. I left markers on the path- (ah, the benefits of litter.) A whiskey bottle and a can of beans marked my way home. The man said there would be people walking to church, so I won't get lost. The hotel wouldn't give me wi-fi, so I asked the way to church-which was by the workers' quarters. Told to turn at the gum trees, luckily there was a woman heading there. The quarters were like wooden barracks with tin roofs. Didn't look too bad, but families were living in one room. Saw women cooking outside on the fire. Laudry strung up between poles. Men sitting in doorways. In the dark room of the church, people were praying to themselves - sort of like Jews saying the Amida. Then a woman started a song which was beautiful harmony. But, when a guy stood up to talk scripture, I left as a young girl was guding the kids out for a lesson. Before that, 2 women came to invite me to sit closer. One woman asked if I understood Shona so she could bring me a translator. The young woman was just standing with the kids outside so I headed back. I followed my markers and remembered the landmarks so headed straight back.
Quite a few years ago a white woman started made some patterns and taught the local women embroidery. Now all along the road where I was, women hang clotheslines to display table cloths and aprons in various colors and patterns. They sit there from 8-5 - few tourists come by.
I loved the HIVU cottage. There were always workers around and people stopped by the store. It was so peaceful to read in the garden and enjoy the views of the mountains. Of course there were electricity outages. Luckily I had a gas stove and plenty of candles.
Monday Andrew and Judy arrived at 7. They told me the buses from Mutare were very dangerous. Judy was a very cautious driver. I'm glad I stayed we had really interesting conversations and arrived in 3 hrs. Andrew has a farm in Mozambique. Judy has a college counseling service. A white farm can be taken at any time. The reason a white still has their farm is because political crony has not decided that he would like to take it over. Andrew had trained some black farmers, but now that has all ended.
I arrived at immigration at 12:07, by 4:15 I had my visa! First they couldn't find the paperwork, then the office who had to register my visa was not answering the phone then the clerk made a special effort for me and walked upstairs so they could type a 4-line letter and Voila: My Temporary Work Visa. The woman from the US embassay said the previous Fulbright Specialist had a Business Visa, the govt changed the rules because they are desperate for money. She provided me with a driver to get to my friedn Leslie's house. I had told Leslie I would take her and Sasha out for dinner. Sasha was working and she forgot and prepared dinner. So the 2 of us had a delicious dinner with delightful S.A. wine. She will bring me to the airport at 5 tomorrow. Need to go to bed, will write more relections later on leaving Zim. Right now I am in denial. Too sad. The time has flown by. I will miss the people most.
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