23 June
Thursday 32nd Wedding Anniversary
None of us had a wonderful night. The guys woke
up often worried that there might be prowlers around the car. They went to bed
armed with a machete and an ax! We
want to leave the city as soon as we can, but we do need to find dollars. The
interesting situation in Zimbabwe at the moment is that the US dollar is the
currency in use! It is very strange to walk through the store and all the
products have $ prices! I do not understand too well how this happened, but the
change occurred in 2008 when the Zimbabwean $ and economy totally
collapsed.
At Barclays bank we find an ATM where one can use a foreign visa
card and with a mean looking Hugo at my side as body guard I manage to complete
our mission successfully. We stock up at a wonderful Spar and leave the city
after 12. All 4 of us are happy to turn our backs on
Harare!
We head out to the Kariba dam and reach the town
of Kariba after 5pm where we find a beautiful campsite run by an organization
called MOTH. Big shady trees, green grass on the banks of the Kariba dam. A big
sign on the gate said “No Dogs”, but Trust, the camp guard, told us that it is
fine with Sammie. We pitch camp 20 feet from the water’s edge. We notice another
overland camp-trailer when we drive in, but Trust says they have left to go to
town. Half an hour later we meet them when they return: Michael and Heidi with
their 3 children from Cape Town. Willie and I walk over after dinner and we have
a wonderful evening with them sharing lives and experiences. I am always amazed
in what unusual places and unexpected ways one meet new
friends.
PS – It is our 32nd wedding anniversary, but I have so lost
track with time and days that I am convinced that it is
tomorrow.
Thursday 32nd Wedding Anniversary
None of us had a wonderful night. The guys woke
up often worried that there might be prowlers around the car. They went to bed
armed with a machete and an ax! We
want to leave the city as soon as we can, but we do need to find dollars. The
interesting situation in Zimbabwe at the moment is that the US dollar is the
currency in use! It is very strange to walk through the store and all the
products have $ prices! I do not understand too well how this happened, but the
change occurred in 2008 when the Zimbabwean $ and economy totally
collapsed.
At Barclays bank we find an ATM where one can use a foreign visa
card and with a mean looking Hugo at my side as body guard I manage to complete
our mission successfully. We stock up at a wonderful Spar and leave the city
after 12. All 4 of us are happy to turn our backs on
Harare!
We head out to the Kariba dam and reach the town
of Kariba after 5pm where we find a beautiful campsite run by an organization
called MOTH. Big shady trees, green grass on the banks of the Kariba dam. A big
sign on the gate said “No Dogs”, but Trust, the camp guard, told us that it is
fine with Sammie. We pitch camp 20 feet from the water’s edge. We notice another
overland camp-trailer when we drive in, but Trust says they have left to go to
town. Half an hour later we meet them when they return: Michael and Heidi with
their 3 children from Cape Town. Willie and I walk over after dinner and we have
a wonderful evening with them sharing lives and experiences. I am always amazed
in what unusual places and unexpected ways one meet new
friends.
PS – It is our 32nd wedding anniversary, but I have so lost
track with time and days that I am convinced that it is
tomorrow.