Daxk

Really, which year?

elfman

we were there for a few weeks in 1998 - did a few trips by train: Harare to Mozambique border, Bulawayo to Vic Falls, and back again. Did the Bulawayo - Vic Falls round trip on my own about a year later.

Felt perfectly safe at the time and we weren't the only muzungus (as they say in East Africa) traveling the same way.

SeaninOzalready

yes as a young Mukiwa I also remember catching the train, sadly those days are all behind us now. All the businesses which had started on the Zim side of Vic falls are all now either abandoned or sold off for nothing.

Mind you from what I hear alot of investors are keen to buy up businesses for next to nothing in the hope that when Bob the Breaker finally snuffs it (or when someone can put a bullet in him), they will be able to start up again relatively cheaply.

newshoney

So envious of you both. But then when I was last in Harare in 1991, life was wonderful for most people. I stayed with the then Reuters bureau chief whose wife took me riding at 6am - a not-to-be-forgotten experience, all so "Surrey" until we got amongst the boulders and saw the kudu. The expat journos all used to meet up for drinkies at Meikles and it all seemed so wonderful to someone who was then living in wartime Angola, where "peoples shops" all had empty shelves, there were no cafes or restaurants or bars outside of the Meridien.... so the Zim supermarkets were a luxury and I even lugged packets of bacon home to Luanda in my luggage as a special treat. In some respects though, even then the racial divide was greater than I had noticed anywhere else in Southern Africa. I will post a blog when I get back from VF in early March and let you know how far I got and what it was like.

Daxk

I assume Newshoney was there for the elections?
Angop and Linha Aberta spring to mind.
Place I miss is the Island Musillio.
Angola is Another Paradise Lost

shiftdelete

Hi newshoney

Have you looked at the option of a chartered flight?- may be cost effective if its available- apparently Skylink (cessna 10 seater) does link hre/hwange/ vic falls/ bwayo and some other places- I'm trying to get some info, but if you find some, let me know too,..thanks

If anyone else knows, pls chip in..

newshoney

Yeah. 1989-1992, reported on Savimbi's disappearing act and the return to war then evac'd. Went back in 2000 and again in 2002 to deliver some journalist training and there were plenty of changes... but deep down it was still a "paradise lost" as you call it. The elite have all decamped to "Luanda Dois" (Luanda Mark 2) anyhow so they have little incentive to clean up their mess.

But yes, there were many memorable weekends spent on the Ilha, across the bay in Mussulo, or (when Unita wasn't attacking and no bandits were carjacking) on any number of virgin beaches along the road down to Cabo Ledo and the Kwanza estuary. I left a large piece of my heart there - and practically all of my peace of mind - and if it weren't for family responsibilities and so on, I'd be there still.

Daxk

yeah, Newshoney,swimming at Palmeirinhas, what was that Game park about 25 k north?Kissango??
Used to stay at the presidente, then called the Meridian? could never guarantee a flight in so used to either Citation in from Windhoek or a Beechcraft from Ruacana ,large fellows with sunglasses seemed to deter the beggars.
So many chinese these days tho!
Aaah well!! Next lifetime

newshoney

Beautiful land, beautiful people and I am so glad to have been again... am now scheming to get back asap. Yes there is government-engineered economic chaos and life is hard.. but not impossible and everyone I met in the Vic Falls/Hwange area WITHOUT EXCEPTION remained cheerful and filled with hope with a kind of "wartime solidarity" operating.

It is perfectly safe to take the night train to Bulawayo, even if you are travelling alone, are female, or not black. Biggest "danger" is mosquitos. Left VF every night at 7pm on the dot. Declining standards aboard (as you might expect from near-to-zero investment in maintenance). First class carriage was okay (fine by developing-world-backpacking standards) and fellow passengers very solicitous and kindly.

If anyone is planning a trip to the area in the near future take lots of single US dollar bills and don't bother with denominations higher than $20. And if you have any reasonable quality clothing and footwear - take it to barter or donate. Don't bother with Zim dollars, you won't use them at all, in any circumstances. Taxis will be pricey... because of the total absence of any fuel for sale at local petrol stations.

I will blog when I have time... but although I only visited Matabeleland North, there was plenty to be optimistic about (also plenty to cry about - especially the HIV-AIDS orphans and streetkids, and failing harvests - but it's not all negative). Streets are safe, even after dark... townships included (I was walking around escorted by a friend's teenage nephew and everyone who crossed my/our path treated me to beaming smiles and a "Good Evening Madam, How are you today" greeting. Even white residents of VF say life can still be good - you just have to adjust to the circumstances (like having to bring in all your fuel needs from Botswana or Zambia) but they still rate their quality of life as better than working dawn-to-dusk in expensive, rainy, emotionally-cold London and IMHO, they're right.

shiftdelete

Thanks for the post- good on you for that warm report. I'm told by people there that things are vey hard. Of course there are people coining it as well- I guess it all depends on your situation. I'm going back again soon....heard there is a thing about it being illegal to carry more than $20US cash around- is this true?

newshoney

Things are hard... foreign currency earnings obviously make all the difference. But tourist numbers are down - the hotels reported that generally they were only at 30% capacity. So there is an air of desperation and a bit of a "hard sell" mentality as a result.

Beware the street traders - they are very insistent, and "will rip you off in a cheerful Zimbabwean way" as one of my advisors put it... offering up a basket or stone carving for 10x the first asking price in the craft village. Of course, you can do some very hard bargaining if you are that way inclined. A Tonga basket from N. Matabeleland was being traded by its creator for US$1 or $2 (depending on size)... in the craft village you could get it for $3-5 after bargaining... but several of the salesmen were giving an initial asking price of $30 assuming (correctly) that most tourists counter-bargain at about half the first asking price.

It's not illegal for foreign visitors to carry large amounts of US dollar cash around... in fact all foreign visitors MUST make payments in foreign currency -with hotel rooms at $150 per night, a helicopter ride at $60, a safari at $120 and so on . As you can imagine there were a lot of prosperous travellers of a certain age flashing wads of greenbacks.

If you are going back, take all the clothes and shoes you were considering donating to the charity shop and barter with them (or just give them away) - then use the space in your bags for local arts and crafts because they sure do need the custom. If you're going to VF avoid the pricier places like the Victoria Falls Hotel (shabby) and the next-door Kingdom (tacky)... the Ilala is better but full of American seniors (in large tour groups) and the Elephant Hills and Victoria Falls safari lodge are a bit of a hike (about 1.5kms) for getting into town and the falls. The Rainbow is 3* and good value for money (recommended by the NGOs and others) and there are plenty of more modest lodges and campgrounds and such.

shiftdelete

Excellent, thank you.

Wondering how old you are then I can measure you on my bravery barometer...are you as old as daxk

SeaninOzalready

I admire you alot for having the pluck to do this. Did your years as a journo though not teach you that carrying large wads of US currency in Africa is a bad idea. Rape and murder come to mind- these folks have sweet fanny adams and won't hestitate to kill you for your money.. It is not a joke or some Diane Fossey adventure (let's all go to Africa and love the Africans nonsense). but then it is your life really... Personally I would think you are better off though being killed by petty thieves than by facing Mugabe and what his troops could do to you in jail if they find out you have anything vaguely to do with foreign media. Again maybe you are after that time in an African hellhole so that you can come out and go on Oprah, write a book and retire.. Trust me lady this makes my blood boil- you are the kind that as soon as it gets hot will cry to the nearest embassy, but you see Bob does not care- he has told the west and dear bonny England to get stuffed and inside Harare central no one can hear you scream...

Sleep well on that tonight...

shiftdelete

mate, with respect I think you've got the wrong end of the stick on this one...she didn't come down in the last shower- (lets just call it a hunch).

For me, her post was spot on.
Don't do a campbells on her....pleeeease.

ps. BeaninOzalready

Mitzyboy

Give over will you please, I'm beginning to tire of these unecessary personal attacks