Animals Galore
Hey y'all,
Coming to you live from rural Zimbabwe. I arrived a few days ago to a private game park called Antelope Park near Gweru. The Park runs a lion-breeding programme endorsed by the World Wildlife Fund for the release of lions into the wild. They breed them and then train the young to hunt and all that jazz. I wil be checking out the cubs this afternoon, though I'm a bit sore from a safari on horseback yesterday. I went out for a couple hours with a private guide and got a phenomenal perspective of some of the wildlife indigenous to these parts. You wouldn't believe how close you get to the animals on horse, as the animals are all very accustomed to one another. The horses graze out amongst them when they're not saddled up. Imagine being in the middle of a swirling herd of wildebeests or galloping alongside running giraffes. I never thought I'd experience such a thing. Witnessing giraffes in full trot, you can see an entire chain of muscles working their way up, from their legs to the top of their necks, almost as if they're moving in slow motion. Breathtaking.
I arrived to Gweru by bus "with black people," a fact which some locals have difficulty grasping and makes me feel strange explaining … like I'm supposed to be rich enough to afford a rental car, or something. Locals also think it's bizarre that I'm traveling alone … this statement is almost always followed by 3 questions: "aren't you scared? … how old are you? … aren't you married?" When I tell them, "no, 26, and no!" they say, "Ish, no … really?!?" Our conversations, of course, go much deeper than this, and I've met some fascinating characters.
One employee at the park, Moses Kevin, dreams of attending the University of Toronto, like his father did in the 1970s. when he heard there was a Canadian law student at the camp, he searched all over the park to talk to me. He's a bright articulate guy just trying to make ends meet with the hope of going to school in Canada. And I never thought I'd meet one of the so-called White Farmers evicted from their land recently by some neigbours with Mugabe's blessing. They arrived home one day to find their tractors embedded in the walls of their home and everything gone or destroyed. He received no compensation for the seizure of a farm that had been in his family for generations.
My time in Bulawayo, a sleepy town of 1 million, was a good mix of meeting Thando's friends and their families and just seeing Zim urban life. there are few cars on the road and surprisingly few queues considering the scarcity of necessities (though I had to stand in a 20 minute lineup for the ATM in Gweru, taking $2, 000, 000 out at a time, 5 times!). But as Thando told me, it has a very different feel than just a few years ago. she says people have started to give up and you can see it in their gait and appearance. yet I wouldn't have guessed it, as Zimbabweans seem so jovial, even laughing when they tell you about how hopeless life has become. with unemployment at a reported 75% and inflation at 2000%, I can only imagine. I spent my whole 15 minute cab ride to the bus station counting out the ZIM$2,500,000 fare.
The night before I left for Gweru I was invited to a braii in honour of the cousin of Simba, Thando's boyfriend, who was getting married in a few days. Southern Africans love their meat, but I chowed down on coleslaw and sadza - think a cross between potato and maize. They had a stereo pumping incredible African hip hop, so we all busted some moves that night. They were more than a little surprised to see a white girl gettin' down with the rest of them and howled in delight at my enthusiasm. They insisted Thando gave me lessons, and it took repeated assurances that it's a common misconception that white people can't dance. They did not believe me. They were fantastic hosts and I feel fortunate to have met them all.
Love,
Allison
Coming to you live from rural Zimbabwe. I arrived a few days ago to a private game park called Antelope Park near Gweru. The Park runs a lion-breeding programme endorsed by the World Wildlife Fund for the release of lions into the wild. They breed them and then train the young to hunt and all that jazz. I wil be checking out the cubs this afternoon, though I'm a bit sore from a safari on horseback yesterday. I went out for a couple hours with a private guide and got a phenomenal perspective of some of the wildlife indigenous to these parts. You wouldn't believe how close you get to the animals on horse, as the animals are all very accustomed to one another. The horses graze out amongst them when they're not saddled up. Imagine being in the middle of a swirling herd of wildebeests or galloping alongside running giraffes. I never thought I'd experience such a thing. Witnessing giraffes in full trot, you can see an entire chain of muscles working their way up, from their legs to the top of their necks, almost as if they're moving in slow motion. Breathtaking.
I arrived to Gweru by bus "with black people," a fact which some locals have difficulty grasping and makes me feel strange explaining … like I'm supposed to be rich enough to afford a rental car, or something. Locals also think it's bizarre that I'm traveling alone … this statement is almost always followed by 3 questions: "aren't you scared? … how old are you? … aren't you married?" When I tell them, "no, 26, and no!" they say, "Ish, no … really?!?" Our conversations, of course, go much deeper than this, and I've met some fascinating characters.
One employee at the park, Moses Kevin, dreams of attending the University of Toronto, like his father did in the 1970s. when he heard there was a Canadian law student at the camp, he searched all over the park to talk to me. He's a bright articulate guy just trying to make ends meet with the hope of going to school in Canada. And I never thought I'd meet one of the so-called White Farmers evicted from their land recently by some neigbours with Mugabe's blessing. They arrived home one day to find their tractors embedded in the walls of their home and everything gone or destroyed. He received no compensation for the seizure of a farm that had been in his family for generations.
My time in Bulawayo, a sleepy town of 1 million, was a good mix of meeting Thando's friends and their families and just seeing Zim urban life. there are few cars on the road and surprisingly few queues considering the scarcity of necessities (though I had to stand in a 20 minute lineup for the ATM in Gweru, taking $2, 000, 000 out at a time, 5 times!). But as Thando told me, it has a very different feel than just a few years ago. she says people have started to give up and you can see it in their gait and appearance. yet I wouldn't have guessed it, as Zimbabweans seem so jovial, even laughing when they tell you about how hopeless life has become. with unemployment at a reported 75% and inflation at 2000%, I can only imagine. I spent my whole 15 minute cab ride to the bus station counting out the ZIM$2,500,000 fare.
The night before I left for Gweru I was invited to a braii in honour of the cousin of Simba, Thando's boyfriend, who was getting married in a few days. Southern Africans love their meat, but I chowed down on coleslaw and sadza - think a cross between potato and maize. They had a stereo pumping incredible African hip hop, so we all busted some moves that night. They were more than a little surprised to see a white girl gettin' down with the rest of them and howled in delight at my enthusiasm. They insisted Thando gave me lessons, and it took repeated assurances that it's a common misconception that white people can't dance. They did not believe me. They were fantastic hosts and I feel fortunate to have met them all.
Love,
Allison
posted by AXL in Africa at
3:02 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home