Tshipise, here we come!

Sunday, January 4^th. 2009

We were up early the next morning, preparing to hit the road south.  Once the ladies had returned from a last minute excursion in the direction of the shops, we embarked on the all-day journey that would take us toward the border with South Africa and a cozy night at the Lion and Elephant Hotel on the banks of the dry sand of the Bubi River.

Mandy’s excursion in search of supplies for the trip South was an interesting experience. “Going shopping early the next morning to buy some provisions for our journey, I felt like a visitor to a once familiar place.  So much was still the same to me, and yet so much had changed.  There was a feeling of ‘disconnect’ between what I saw and what I knew to be reality. This theme continued to play throughout our month’s stay.  

Before we’d passed the outskirts of Harare I noticed the first of very many abandoned vehicle carcasses in various stages of deterioration.  This alerted me to the reality of the heightened risk one undertakes when driving Zimbabwe’s roads.  The combination of excessive speed, carelessness, awful road conditions and the unpredictability of “the other” driver calls for skillful defensive driving and a total dependency on the Lord’s hand of protection.”

The day was a wonderful adventure, given the level of excitement most of the occupants of the Toyota van shared.  This, in spite of having to negotiate numerous Police road-blocks and menacing potholes, and some road-crossing cattle along the way.  Providence planned the timing of arrival at our destination in a way that allowed for a leisurely stroll along the riverbed.  Late evening bird song accompanied our intent investigation of signs of the wild as we walked, turning just in the nick of time to make it back to the dim distant lights that beckoned from farther away than we thought.