Bulawayo Blog 23 Dec 2010 to 2 Jan 2011

General Impressions
Bulawayo has deteriorated further since my last visit 6 years ago. But apparently its not as bad as some cities in Africa, such as Dar-Es-Salam. So, propably it could sink even further. But you also get the feeling that if there was a regime change, and all the educated Zimbabweans in South Africa and Europe came home, it could be transformed very quickly. Some things never change – everyone is an entrepreneur. Many people have short and long term contracts in other countries but retain a base in Zim, and there are rumours that people are coming back in doves.

Xmas at the Matopos
We had sandwiches for Xmas lunch at Maleme Dam. So many people had the same idea that we battled to find a spot. A yellow billed kite circled at a very low altitude with an eye on braai meat. We went to the Matopos game park but only saw hippo and klip springer, no rhino. A former mayor of Byo is calling for Rhodes’s remains to be sent back to England, however at present the grave is still intact and enjoying many black visitors. One of these parties asked Nicky and I to pose for a photo (???)… Driving home we saw a huge giraffe on the road side just outside Byo.

Vic Falls

Vic Falls appears very run down at first but this impression is reversed after you have visited the Elephant Hills Hotel, the Safari Lodge, and the Victoria Falls Hotel - all of which retain their previous standard ,except perhaps the Elephant Hills where we had to compete with yobbos at the buffet. The new display at the entrance to the Falls is informative and interesting.

We went on a sunset cruise down the Zambezi – on a small boat owned by Dambula Safaris with one other couple. They were from Adelaide. They thought we were strange girls but by the end of the all-you-can-drink cruise, we were best of friends.

Our skipper went to ground on sand banks with crocodiles and took us to within about 5m of elephants in the water. These are the advantages of a small boat. There were many big boats on the river, full of rowdy drunken passengers - especially the gin palaces from Zambia. These nuisances should be banned from disturbing the wild life.

The Sprayview Hotel was basic but OK. You get what you pay for and we only paid US$40 per person per night, so we got a room without air con, without screens, without TV, but with a squeaky fan. But the room was clean, the pool was great, and food and drink were half the price of anywhere else.

New Year
We had a braai at home with the folks and their friends, then joined Coll, Denis and Gail at Hornung Park. I said we couldn’t leave until we had seen at least 3 people we knew. Surprisingly, it took a long time to reach this target, even though many of the punters were in our age group or older. Most of the youngsters were in Vic Falls for a concert.

Infrastructure
Many roads in Byo are full of potholes, some enormous. During a downpour it’s impossible to know how deep the puddles are. Many of the robots are not working, or so faint that you tell which colour is lit. Many of the lines on the roads have disappeared, providing a challenge to remember where they used to be.


Airport arrivals and departures are still in the hangar, or “Joshua Nkomo Temporary Terminal”. The new airport building has shown little sign of progress since I last saw it at the end of 2004.

Buildings are generally in decay and unmaintained for the past 10 years. Crumbling, often half completed walls, surround many of the properties in the outlying suburbs. The vlei is full of half completed shells of houses.

Economy
In 2009 Zim vied with the DRC at the bottom of the IMF’s list of GDP income per capita – with a level of about $360 pa, last achieved in 1970. I notice in 2010 that it leapt up about 14 places, to an average income of $475 pa. This doesn’t take into account the money being sent back by the millions in SA and the UK, but generally people are poor. It’s even hard to sell quality items. I don’t know what we are going to do with my parents furniture when they downsize.

Things have been more stable over the past 2 years since the Zim$ has been abandoned in favour of the US$. Most goods are now freely available but expensive, and hard currency sent back home doesn’t go as far as it used to. Petrol is slightly more expensive than in Aus, at about $135 per litre.

Some local businesses are still going, albeit in the face of enormous adversity – mainly the continual shifts in government policies. For example cutting 3 zeros off the currency in 2006. The surreal madness of the last 10 years of these events are documented in a book called ‘Warm Heart, Ugly Face by Jerome Gardner, who moved from Cape Town to Byo in 1999 to expand the Power Sales business for its South African owners.

Cape Point

The old lighthouse at Cape Point
Needing a shorter walk today after very active dreams, we went to Cape Point - getting there early before the torrent of tourists poured in, all wanting their photo taken with "The Most South Westerly Point In Africa" sign.

Blown away at the light house
We had our photo taken by one of a group of Dykes on bikes we met at the top of the lighthouse. She had to snap quickly before we got blown off.

We had parked at Cape Point which gave us a lovely walk along the cliff tops to the funicular railway that took us to the light house. On the way we saw Eland, Blesbok, Baboon, Ostrich, ghetto, cormorants (including one very lame one limping along on road) and some very, very tame dassies.

Winnie had bought along a special treat - some Florentines, which we had with coffee from the Two Oceans restaurant below the lighthouse.


Dassie, which you could almost touch


We are now waiting for the ladies from the Engen service station to clean the bakkie that we borrowed from Roly for the holiday. They are certainly taking their time, even though there is a whole crew of them. The advantage of the iphone is that I can continue with my Blog during interludes like this, and record dramas as they happen. One has just occurred: one of the ladies split her pants climbing into the back of the bakki.

Sea Point Pool

Shopping again. Still on the trial for chrystallised fruit for mummy. Still no success. I nearly bought 3 shirts at Truworths, except that they didn't have my size, which is now 38. A total swizz. Must be something to do with the Chinese - or my determination to select from the youthful side of the store, where the larger sizes are more limited. Both of us found very nice work shoes at Monsons, which were definitely not from the granny side of the shop.


50s pin up!

Today was the first really hot day we've had - ideal for a visit to Sea Point Pool. Many other people thoughts too, but on spite of the crowds we had a lovely swim - complete with a moment of drama when an umbrella got thrown by the wind into the sea and a lifeguard dived in to rescue it. Thereafter we attempted a walk along the esplanade but it was too hot to go far.

I love the blocks of 50s flats in Sea Point, quasi art deco. I would love to research the ideas behind their design. They're from an age of austerity but not meanness because their rooms are huge and they give space to air, eg the huge balconies with decreasing widths to the top which nowadays would be valuable building space.



Sea Point Flats

All the sun made us ripe for a cool sharp Harp. We headed for the Waterkant which is a gay part of Green Point, characterized by very quaint double story terraces, very colourful, many with roof gardens. I wanted to find a cafe with a roof garden, but we had to settle for Manhattans, which has decks on 2 sides. I had a Naked Muscle beer (highly recommended) and Nicky had a gingerbeer.

Kogelberg Nature Reserve

Dee had received word of a rare plant flowering in the Kogelberg Reserve - which only flowers a year after a fire. She wanted to take a specimen and Colin wanted to photograph it. We took the opportunity to accompany them, even though we never learned, or forgot, the name of the plant.



The expedition involved a walk through lovely harsh scenery, at first obscured by mist, but later very hot without a shred of shade, once the sun burned through. Nicky spught refuge in a cool pool, the water discoloured by peat. We saw 2 very energetic tortoises, one of which had been damaged by the fire.

Red Hill Pass to Kommetjie

Koeksusters yum! We got them from the free range farm stall at Kommetjie - where I also bought a b/w photo of race horses on the beach. It's taken from above and behind so you can look through their ears.

Simons Town from Red Hill Pass
Our route to Kommetjie took us up Redhill Pass from where there are spectacular high up views of Simon's Town - impossible to capture on a small camera.

Nicky and Winnie on Scarborough Beach

Scarborough Beach is on the other side of the pass and far less touristy than the beaches near Fish Hoek- probably due to the distance and freezing water. But it's very picturesque with white sand, rocks and big blue waves. Some large dogs were having an absolute ball.


Slangkop Lighthouse on the way to Kommetjie

This morning we managed a swim for the first time, on Fish Hoek beach. We were slow getting in due to the coldness of the water, but quick getting out when the shark siren went off. Even though the red flag was still showing, people lost their fear and were back in the water within about 20 mins. Not us !

Wine tasting in Franchoek

No trip to Cape Town would feel complete without some wine tasting in Franchoek - to supplement the tasting we do at home. I refuse to "spit out" but shared the tasting with Winnie, which reduced my consumption, but not enough to avoid a later headache. Mind you Nicky also got a headache and she didn't do much tasting, so maybe the events are unconnected after all.

La Motte - which has the best wines
We visited La Motte, Stony Brook, Chamonix and Haut Cabriere, of which La Motte was the best and Haut Cabriere the most lethal because of the preponderance of champagne. Winnie left her wine book there, which gives you some idea.

The champagne at Haut Cabrier
I never buy expensive wines so the tasting was a real experience, plus there were some real bargains to be had.

The sole at Dieu Donne

Lunch at Dieu Donne lived up to the standard of the wine, and the magnificent setting. Nicky and Winie had Salmon Trout and I had the sole - all 5 star, and followed by 5 star deserts. You would think after all this that we would retire home with our headaches to an early night with no supper. Instead we met Erline and Colleen for a pizza supper at "Toad" in Noordhoek.

William and family

Nicky has just brought to my attention an omission from my Blog - my Flight Control scores. I am now on 52 after spending a number of days below 10!


William, Adele, Ben, Isabel, Katy, Winnie & Nicky at Kalky's
Thursday was a public holiday (Day of Reconciliation). We spent it with my University friend William and his family. We last saw each other 28 years ago on the occasion of a car crash outside Witbank. We walked down to Kalk Bay through the wetlands and had platters of seafood in "Kalky's" at the harbor, probably the freshest hake, yellowtail and calamari I have ever eaten. In spite of the copious quantities, we still managed to squeeze in coffee and cakes afterwards at William and Adele's nicely positioned house overlooking Simon's Town harbor. Yes, we are getting fat.