These are our personal thoughts written during the trip itself.
|
Mark's EntryJanuary 1 - Water. Water. Everywhere. And not a drop to drink.It’s the new year and we are still in rainy and depressing Victoria Falls. We got about 12 hours of sleep so we felt better. Since there was nothing on our itinerary until 7:00pm, we just sat around the hotel (mostly the hotel room) and tried to relax. Mostly we typed about our experiences, especially since this was our first chance to write about the Nairobi adventure. This hotel room had a TV with 8 channels: Local Zim TV, CNN, 2 movie channels, 2 sports channels, the Cartoon Network, and GOD TV. We watched just a bit about the Kenya situation but most of CNN international is sports and personalities, so information was limited. We had lunch at a pizza shop in the ‘food court’ (only a little better than the steak joint) and found an internet café to Skype and e-mail home. Can’t wait for tomorrow when we get to CapeTown and have real internet connection on my laptop (I hope). After sitting around in the room for another few hours we went to a “Boma Dinner” which is supposed to be a traditional Zimbabwe dining experience. I’m rather nervous going there but it turns out to be OK. It reminded me a lot of the touristy luaus in Hawaii. Granted there were some rather exotic foods, but there were some tame ones as well. I had a taste of this weird dried fish thing, a fermented porridge drink, some impala meat and some warthog meat. Ann really liked the warthog and got a big second helping. We left early before too much traditional dancing took place. |
Ann's EntryThe Rains Down in AfricaVictoria Falls, Zimbabwe – 1 Jan 2008 – much of the day It is the rainy season here in Zimbabwe. It rains for at least a portion of each day, heavier at times than others. Like Christmas Day, I spend a good portion of New Year’s Day in my hotel room playing computer games. This is not due to the weather, but rather due to the climate. Both Mark and I are uncomfortable here. As we move further south on this continent, we find that the general attitude of people also “moves south” as well. In Uganda, the people were happy to see us. It was a joy for our guide (and the bishop) to show us their country. As we traveled to Tanzania, our guide (and all hotel staff) took pride in providing us with the best service they were able to give. In Zimbabwe, service and interaction is motivated by only one factor. It is awkward to think that I am one of the richest people in the country. Why? Because I have two of the hottest commodities around – U.S. dollars (USD) and clean drinking water. The inflation rate is surreal. I go into the local bank to exchange some money so that we have some Zimbabwe currency for “show-and-tell” when I get home. I give the teller one U.S. dollar. She gives me $300,000.00 Zimbabwe dollars! We must declare what currency we intend to use for our purchases because Zimbabwe money has so little value. The economic status of Zimbabwe affects the behavior of the residents. They hover near us like flies, looking for any opportunity to “help” us, with the expectation that we will tip them in USD. The lack of clean water is also noticeable. Bottled water is at a premium – it cannot be purchased in restaurants. No ice is served with your beverage. The uniforms of hotel workers are worn, torn, and faded from repeated wear without a decent washing. Tables in restaurants are sticky because they are not able to be wiped clean. We are not enjoying our stay in this country. Thankfully we can depart tomorrow. Wonderful WarthogVictoria Falls, Zimbabwe, - 1 Jan 2008 – 18:00 I am very surprised by my dining choices. There is a section of the resort called “The Great Enclosure” which is the equivalent of a mall – some shops, some restaurants, and a casino. One of the restaurants is a steak house/burger joint called “The Spur.” It has a Cowboys-and-Indians western theme (no American influence there – ha!) A cheeseburger costs over sixteen million Zimbabwe dollars. I also eat at a pizzeria. They make a very good pizza, I must say. But the best surprise is my evening meal. Our guide, Pumlani, takes us to the Boma Restaurant, also known as “the place of eating.” We must wear a traditional cloth in order to gain entrance. We are given tribal foods to start our meal: a sip of something fermented (yuk!), a hush puppy, a piece of butternut squash, and some small fish. I did not eat the fish – it was still looking at me (gross!) Then we must wash our hands in the ceremonial water bowl. We are then free to partake of the buffet, which includes traditional Zimbabwe dishes. I enjoy their version of three-bean salad, but pass on the fat, round, juicy worms! For my main course, I get daring… I eat grilled warthog. And it is tasty! Must be the special sauce. ************************* And in Zimbabwe, we have more “sign” language: |
| next day: January 2 | ||