Journey to Harare, Zimbabwe

I woke up at around 4am after a reasonable night's sleep despite the stifling heat and humidity that continued through the night. Light rain started falling which made packing up a wet tent more challenging. We cooked beans on toast for breakfast which helped to raise spirits before heading off for the Zimbabwe border in the increasing light of the early morning. It took a couple of hours to get through the border while the Zimbabwean authorities, who were far more organised than the Mozambique officials, processed our passports. We continued on into Zimbabwe through similar scrubland and trees peppered with mud and brick round houses. Tiredness had befallen me again, and I looked forward to a shorter day's driving and an earlier arrival at our next campsite.
As we drove on, the landscape took another dramatic turn with great, grey, rock protrusions emerging vertically out of the earth. The surrounding countryside was also covered in smaller tumbles of ancient folded rocks and boulders interspersed with humble dwellings and farms. The scenery had a unique look and the high rock outcrops were at times breathtaking.
After the beautiful geology of the Zimbabwean countryside, we began to enter the outskirts of Harare, with large mansions in the hills indicating there is still a lot of wealth amidst Zimbabwe's crashed economy. We arrived at the 'Small World Lodge' campsite and hostel which had large metal sculptures of a lion and an elephant outside. I booked a twin bed room with my fellow traveller, Brian, rather than camp in the grounds. The hostel was quite characterful, but basic, with a nice small pool, artificial beach, and bar area. I went for a swim in the pool to cool off and then had a very enjoyable and well needed hot shower after a showerless bush camp the previous night. I followed this with a short nap to complete this restful interlude from the rigours of overland travel.
All of us on the truck tour went for a meal at a local restaurant in the evening. There was no real vegan option on the menu for me, so I took the decision to eat some chicken for the first time in ten years as it has been difficult to find enough vegetarian protein on this trip and I had given myself prior permission to eat fish and chicken on the trip if I felt I needed it. The chicken was nice and well cooked, but I did find it a challenge to eat after all this time without eating meat, and it lay heavily on my stomach after eating it. It confirmed that I would never go back to eating . meat on a permanent basis. I also had my favourite cocktail, a rum mojito and enjoyed the evening with my fellow travellers. Seeing the local Zimbabweans on their Saturday night out with a good local DJ playing dance beats added to the enjoyable ambience. We returned quite early to our 'artsy' hostel and I got a reasonable night's sleep despite the heat and humidity of the Harare night.Read more