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Published: August 18th 2010
Zimbabwe outside of Victoria Falls is not on the general tourist map and after the past few years it might be like that for a while longer. To travel here is to witness a proud people that are not only friendly and protective but also resilient. If it weren’t for the people and the golden landscape I wouldn’t have much to say. But this country is a country that is recovering from the top of society to the bottom. So much so that you can get some of the cheapest games of golf in some of Africa’s and the world’s nicest and most challenging courses.
I took mostly sleeper trains to travel throughout Zimbabwe. They were rumoured to be travelling brothels. But I was lucky enough to have 3 other backpackers doing the same thing so we booked a 4-bed cabin to ourselves.
I was expecting a lot worse. From Victoria Falls to Bulawayo we were on a 40 year old train, which was spacious enough and provided sheets and pillows. The guy, who handed the sheets out was a real happy guy. “Heeeyyy! How are you?” He said enthusiastically. “You want some sheets and pillows? Here you go!” He
slides the bags in. “I see you tomorrow morning. Have a nice sleep. Goodnight!”
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe and it feels a bit like being in country town Australia. The architecture at times is similar with sandstone buildings or the look of a corner Queensland pub. Around the train station is ordinary but the city centre is nice enough but it can be covered in the space of 5 minutes. There is a centenary park, which is not well kept.
So with not much going on it was a day of eating until the 9pm sleeper train to Harare. There are other National Parks around the area for game drives but I didn’t want to over do it. There was a restaurant that was 2km north of town called Massimo’s - brilliant Italian food. Food quality since leaving South Africa has been downgraded so this place was really appreciated. But the problem when you have to fill in a good 10 hours in a city that doesn’t offer much is that you nearly always end up rushing to catch the train.
We ended up asking a guy in the car park to drive
us so we could just make it. On the way he said yesterday his “…friend was shot by the police” - He was a suspect for a bank robbery. All the police said was ‘sorry it was mistaken identity.’ It’s this hidden truth that is actually hard to fathom, as the people are so nice and considerate.
Things like being in a country where people with identification are turned away on Election Day. Where the Government take away business enterprises and jobs. Where, white farmers lose their farms. Where the government threatens citizen’s food rations. It is really well hidden from the surface for a 2-week visit. Its reputation is bad and once here I don’t know why at times. I really took a liking to here. Most ‘Journey’s’ I find a place close to my heart that generally means that I will support them in sport (unless they play Australia.) Or be them on soccer computer games.
I don’t know what it is that makes me feel something. It’s definitely not the economy. Since moving to the US dollar I have found that in Zimbabwe the US$100 note is the most useless note. Trying to break just
a $10 note can sometimes be impossible. At some point (before sanity hits) you are willing to give up $50 for the sake of 40 $1’s.
Some days you start off thinking ‘today is my day I have a small pile of ones with me’ but come midday it’s the same old problem. It’s amazing how quickly ratty $1 notes get used up and I mean ratty. Zambia was the same with their notes they are museum’esque notes. They look like they have been dug up from an archaeological site they are that dirty.
The country used to be one of Africa's richest and is now one of its poorest. Many observers now view the country as a failed state. In August 2006 inflation forced the government to replace its existing currency with a revalued one. Hence the 100 Trillion dollar notes. The economy had shrunk by 50% from 2000 to 2007. In September 2007 the inflation rate was put at almost 8,000%, the world's highest
From that Zimbabwe's bakeries shut down in October 2007 and supermarkets warned that they would have no bread for the foreseeable future due to the collapse in wheat production from the seizure of
white-owned farms. For now the supermarkets are full and there are some people selling food from stands on the streets. Apparently that was stopped by the government too so they could have a control on food.
Other parts of the country have suffered too. HIV/AIDS cannot be treated properly anymore. Education has suffered. Close to a 1/4 of teachers quit. A foreign reporter reported that near the capital Harare students were writing in the dust on the floor because there were no books or pencils. The high school system unraveled in 2007 when examiners refused to mark papers. In January 2007 thousands of pupils didn’t receive marks for subjects they entered. Others received “excellent” in subjects they didn’t sit. Disused offices and storerooms were turned into brothels at the Uni of Zimbabwe in Harare. Then there were the 2008 elections, which is just too long to tell.
There are rumors of an election in 2011 but according to the locals they are not holding their breath. But with all that is wrong with the country, as a tourist I felt as long as I had the locals with me I was safe. In fact it would be the
safest of any 3rd world country I have been to.
That could be because the police were only interested in stopping buses for bribes and a chat. After Central Asia I am always nervous about what excuse the police are going to make this time round to get a bribe. But I didn’t cop any flack. I think at the moment they are only interested when cars are involved. Don’t do U-turns in Mutare I heard.
The land doesn’t seem to be utilised to its full potential either. Despite seeming quite peaceful, there are few wheat fields or cows roaming the paddocks. There seems to be so much potential here. The capital Harare has some surprisingly modern buildings and architecture. It’s not many but shows that at some point investors did see the potential that is here. In fact corporate golf was a popular feature in Zimbabwe. But even that is going through a tough time.
With all the negative press and safety concerns Golf has had to reduce rates and open its courses to the general public. I played twice. The first was at Royal Harare where to get there I walked past the cricket ground
on the left and the heavily guarded Presidents palace (on the right) with my backpack. I have to say I was a bit nervous, as they could have assumed that I have a bomb in my bag.
The game cost $5 for 9 holes. This course is one of the few courses not suffering as much but one of the Pro’s said to me that years ago the course was for invitation of members only but they have had to change their policy as it is really struggling. I played pretty ordinary golf but one of the great moments was when the greenkeeper on the 7th was placing sand in the divots on the fairway and I am taking my 2nd shot about 160m out and this guy is standing 80m away. I stand there waiting for him to move but he doesn’t. I say to myself. “What the F*ck is this guy doing? Does he know that a golf ball can kill?” I was sick of waiting so I hit and the ball trickled past him.
I was already thinking about it but the Pro at Royal Harare suggested that I should play at Leopard Rock in
the east of the country near Mutare in the Vumba Mountains.
Mutare is close to the Mozambique border and to get to Leopard Rock I took a taxi up the mountain where I got dropped off at a guesthouse 5km from the course. Now I bought some souvenirs in Great Zimbabwe a few days earlier. When I bought it, I stood there looking at this piece of sculptured work and think shit this is going to cost double the price because of the extra weight. It is the difference of me walking to a bus stop or accommodation and me catching a taxi because the bags are too heavy. I bought 3 sculptures adding a further 6kgs to my bag. In hindsight had I known I would be dropped off at a guesthouse that burnt down the year before and had to walk 5km up and down the Vumba Mountains to my next accommodation? I probably wouldn’t have bought them.
The mountains are quite during the weekdays so no other car passed and the lone accommodation I managed to find between the burnt down guesthouse and the golf course didn’t have anyone there to confirm availability. So I
walked up and down to eventually arrive with stiff muscles to what was once described as the 2nd hardest golf course in the world by European PGA. I was told at both courses that they haven’t had someone walk in with full backpacks before.
This course in Australia would cost about $150 a game. I was 1 of only 4 people playing for the day and I paid $25 plus $10 for club hire and a $15 tip to my caddie for the round. His name ‘Hardlife’ (That’s right his name was ‘Hardlife.’) The course provides great views that make up for the ordinary game you play. The 2nd hole provides views out to Mozambique and Zimbabwe’s mountain range. I am always nervous about losing golf balls when playing overseas because if you lose too many you may not be able to finish your game. And after coming all this way…
I finished with a 98 - 27 over the card. Losing 3 golf balls along the way with about 6 3 putts and 6 pars. That’s right all those 3 putts were birdie chances. Some of the holes were like they were from some fantasy course made
for the computer. The 10th had the green about 8m higher than the fairway (this is a straight vertical up). I think it was the 15th, which had the tee about 50m higher than the green. It was experiences like that that was something else. Every shot had to be thought through for club selection even on the tees where one par 4 I was better off hitting a 5 iron. Than there were the signature holes. The 5th a Par 5 were two glorious shots just drifts away in the distance with the Vumba Mountains in the background and the 9th and 18th. A par 3 surrounded by water and a par 5 that straddles the lake on the right tempting you to go for it or lay up. But they might be my signature holes because I scored well on them. Definitely the first hole 8 was a crap hole. Almost teed into the hotel on that one. The hotel was a direct left from the tee.
I cant put any specific thing about Zimbabwe maybe it’s the scenery but I think it’s the vibe the people give it. It’s a more relaxed atmosphere, a lot friendlier.
They are not just nice because you are a tourist and they could get some money out of you. It’s a different nice, it’s a sincere nice. It’s a nice that is full of respect and makes you feel like a normal human being. A feeling that is a very rare to get when travelling, especially whilst travelling in a third world country.
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Muno
Sally and Nick Griffith
Brilliant Blog. I was born in Zim but left nover 30 years ago. was last back in 1998 and all was ok then. good to hear that the people are still as friendly and genuine as always and that things might be getting better over there!