Yuha, Zimbabwe! was
the map it for a long time but now he was finally a reality. Zimbabwe! For Sven, this trip was the last company in Africa before his return to Germany with his friend Fred, we have finally tackled this adventure. The situation in Zimbabwe (15,000% inflation), with all its consequences, then also required a slightly better preparation - Tons of U.S. $, food for the entire time, etc. - and more spontaneity when it went differently than planned. All in all it was but much less complicated than we expected and my personal impression of the ten days of Zimbabwe (the political situation sometimes neglected) an incredibly positive!
It started on 15 February, a Friday. We took four clock in the afternoon led to the (very late) bus from Pretoria and the journey takes us towards Zimbabwean border. I sit apart from the two guys between Zimbabweans trapped and almost all passengers are packed extremely - eggs, cooking oil, a DVD player, corn flour and what the family members in Mugabe's empire otherwise need an extent. Even before the border I get my giant sitting next to Sam Dube know, a friendly types from Harare, who promptly invited us to his family home. Very good start!
on the border then a surprisingly smooth process, we pay our visa with the U.S. $ and down we go. On the other hand, then somehow everything "shabby", disturbing many beggars and homeless people right on the border post (mind you in the dead of night) and this exciting feeling of adventure. After an unpleasant sleep I am finally excited about the sunrise over Zimbabwe, the landscape is simply gorgeous! Deep green forests, which extend from round rock, Rundhuetten and small fields that are appointed by the people, the rivers meander through the area and wash their clothes in which people, acacia and the sunrise. This sounds pretty cheesy, but really was beautiful Sun
The bus let us out then at a gas station in front of Masvingo, drives away and BAM! - Now we are alone, really deep in Africa. After the first flash about the new situation we have first the Bananenverkaeufer and money changers are gelatscht abgeschuettelt and beautiful comfortably along the road towards the city. But after a few minutes stopped a car that would in Germany, "easy" problems with the street legal and will get us a taste of the Zimbabwean hospitality. Our Backpackers in Masvingo was in any case described in the Internet as a so-called "Shit Hole. Nothing to add ... went
Then it purely the minibus taxi, darn darn darn, Zimbabwean music and our initial expenses in the millions. A short taxi ride costs already four million Zim $ per head! From the bus stop Are we then went with a guy from Botswana to the Great Zimbabwe Ruins, had used the oldest stone structure south of the Sahara and evidence of pre-colonial Bantu civilizations (which tried the colonialists of course, to cover up by all means, they still like the culture in sub-Saharan Africa brought ). In addition to the re beautiful landscape with palm trees and monkeys was impressive, especially the harmony between the rocks and walls, and the fact that everything has been built entirely without mortar and constructed only by skillfully stacking the blocks so stable that even arches for centuries could survive. On this day, Fred has also brought such a tough sunburn, that he the rest of his trip distributed throughout Zimbabwe has skin:)
Our agreement with the bus company was that we can on the next morning at 5:15 in the morning take the bus from Harare-Masvingo from Pretoria, which is only unofficially possible, since it was usually not allowed to climb in Masvingo. Despite fuel shortages in Zimbabwe and the need of fuel at exorbitant prices on the black market to buy, we can realize a fair price for a taxi that drove us around Herrgottsfruehe the agreed meeting place, a gas station outside Masvingos. Time passes and after a while comes over us the wisdom to wait for security at the edge of the road. . After about ten minutes chilling and the African landscape on the road (women with large packages on their heads and babies on their back all know the cliche ...), then the bus comes - and goes ice cold past us. Great panic broke out, but with our U.S. $ we can motivate one local to drive us to the next gas station, where we then get the bus. Phew!
Harare - Zimbabwe's center and at first glance more Manhattan as the capital of a starving people (please forgive me for the controversy). One finds futuristic Glastuerme and wide streets palmengesaeumte, playful Houses from the colonial period and great urwaldmaessige parks. At second glance, however, also shows the ugly side: many impressive, young street children, the sight is really disturbing. Shops, where there are things DDR moderately in abundance, while another is not essential to get. The gradual decline of the magnificent buildings. Educated people who sell on the road donuts from the bucket. Robert Mugabe's property, which is guarded by heavily armed soldiers. And then there are also all the people who are simply unhappy with the difficult life of the country and - without it explicitly say so - the political changes do.
In Harare, we met with Sam Dube, who had to do another meeting. After a brief conversation, the three white store their backpacks in the car so the locals and remove it - the moment on which we had been waiting for this moment already under surveillance secret police. Sam stopped and three men with ZANU-PF cards (ZANU-PF is the ruling party in Zimbabwe) sit in the car and take away his cell phone. They thought we were journalists, and given the "elections" in March 2008, the gentlemen uebersensibilisiert something they wanted so our backpacks for incriminating material such as cameras the subject line Browse. While we are running around cozy my friend Sam So the worst stress, and above us pull themselves out of the affair had - for the Zimbabwean police are quite happy sometimes violent. In the end, but then all good, neither they frisked the luggage, we still had to come to the police station, as was actually being considered. You ultimately have only Sam intimidated and warned to get involved with the wrong people. Just scary!
After this shock, we have a nice day done with him, were at the comrades from North Korea in the form of an AK-47 built State Monument "Hero's Acre," have chilled at fairly rich friends of him and were at the end of Sam's Indian woman in his house not bad cooks. A dream for the canned food the day before.
next day - a fat stack of money for every now and then squashed in a minibus taxi, this time to Bulawayo. Mind you 70 million Zim $ per person! Bulawayo (called "The City of Kings") is quite nice, though not particularly exciting. Impressive as was already the tour that we have made in the near Matopos National Park. In addition to a rare stupid driver and guide, a burst Tires on the outward journey and the late recognition that we have been cheated at the price, I am almost moved into a really big fat (!!!) snake, we have the San Hoehlenmalereien (Buschmaenner), the grave of Cecil Rhodes and Ueberkolonialisten so-called "Balancing Rock" and saw us at the end still sneaked in two rhinos.
Last trip, we climb in the evening very reminiscent of the Wild West train to Victoria Falls. We had tickets for the 1st Class, which means: The night is no way to make light. A few cockroaches. Everywhere the emblem "Rhodesian Railways of last white regime. A train ride with a little fear of death. A beautiful starry sky. Vacuum bread with canned meat. A great experience. The morning was very chill, a little chat with people on the train, enjoy the sunlight and ... Outside, a guy to see who is riding on an elephant. Welcome to the picture book!
are in Vic Falls it at first time rather large baboons, in which intimidation we had proper respect, as we with our backpacks direction Backpackers ran. The city itself is nothing special, a place of primarily for tourism was built. Based just outside hostel, however, was great - green, tranquil and with a nice pool. Ah, finally Vic Falls!
The day was then even more lazy, we are a bit of a reconnaissance of the area. On the Zambezi River, the Zimbabwe off from Zambia, rich to a (!) Baobab tree and then to the bridge, which forms the frontier between the above mentioned countries. Get out of Zimbabwe and the Bridge-No Man's Land the first stunning impressions of the Victoria Falls catches. It is very difficult to describe this beauty, for it is by no means the only cases that are so special, but just the overall impression including the roar of the water, the rain, caused by the water thrown up by the multiple rainbows (some continuous circles!), the baboons, the tropical vegetation, the sultry heat. And then of course the sight of the falls itself .. But that was just a taste!
The next day we made a bit of decadence, a day tour into the Chobe National Park in neighboring Botswana. And that was definitely a great idea! In the morning we took a small boat cruise on the Chobe River, Botswana and the Caprivi Strip of Namibia separated from one another - drinking elephant, isolated Hippos, baboons and especially beautiful nature. But she was somehow on the whole trip is a permanent condition ... After lunch at the luxury lodge on the river (there was springbok stew), then went on the terrain vehicle's, and thus the high point of the entire enterprise. In addition to the (including fighting) hippos, baboons, vultures, giraffes and Wasserbueffeln it was first and foremost, the incredible mass of elephants, which we have flashed so hard. You look at one level and as far as the eye can see are elephants, no exaggeration. We have seen how they swim through the river, as they protect Earth from the sun as it get wet injections, their social behavior within the family. Simply fantastic! Added is that this park is really the way it is. Namely huge and completely wild. In comparison, most parks in South Africa have rather large zoos, with their herds of origin waterholes and relocated ...
only drawback was that my credit card was declined and we no longer had U.S. $ to pay for the day. Well, no problem, we imagine, we faxed them stop from Sven's credit card details from Zimbabwe, then we do it over his card. Haha! Next day, the woman comes from the hostel and told me that even Sven's map does not work and we must now get cash. No Zim $, understood, but foreign currency. So we have to get out of Zimbabwe. The nearest border was already mentioned bridge to Zambia, however, the visa cost U.S. $ 50 per person - we still had approximately $ 70 U.S.. All right, I just do it alone, going on the adventure.
The plan was as follows: Armed with my credit card and debit card Sven I run out of Zimbabwe over the Zambezi, Zambia and purely up to the next hotel. There I get Kwachas (the Zambian currency) to pay for our safari, come back and meet me after about two hours away with the guys in front of the entrance to the Victoria Falls National Park, but as I mentioned at the beginning had, we had to bring the trip a bit more spontaneity that this was just the plan!
After the not so short walk to the Zambian border post, passing the commuters with the items on the head, baboons and all the mud, I'm on my way to the hotel. What a Hotel? An eternity me stumbling with my flip-flops on a highway through the bush, only a few African society with probably the same goal and the ubiquitous baboons. At some point, then dives actually a resort on the left of me, juhuuu! Directly to the small bank branch and checked the card - Maestro is at all not compatible with the machines, so it was Sven's card schonmal out. And I did not, because it claims for fraud protection and Zambia to the need to disable the first place. Okay, then the staff of the hotel restaurants bequatscht to get a cell phone and Gespraechsguthaben of the few South African Rand, which I had purchased. City Savings Bank called and - closed since the weekend. Arrgh! Plan B call the mother. "Hi Mom, now vice-no questions, I am in Zambia and I need your help!". The questions came naturally anyway, but then we have addressed the problem and after some back-and-Hertelefoniererei we have finally found that you can not with my credit card well in general can take off overseas, and pay only. And you can change the not so readily, particularly by the often uncooperative with this lady Emergency Service! Last brainwave was finally Western Union, a process with which you can within seconds money from a Western Union office can send to the other. Problem: The next office was in Livingstone, a town about 12 km away, and makes up 12 clock. It was 11.35 clock. Well, my homies from the hotel got me drove to Livingstone, as one anyway and the market had dropped me off to the Western Union office. Before he left, he made it clear even the lady at the counter, that you are not closing time of the question, before I got my money. Geil! In the meantime my mother and I imer back and forth on the phone and somehow this has actually all worked out in the end. With the rich bundle Kwachas I have given back the phone to my homies and I tried to give my huge gratitude for this very unusual in Europe but expressed willingness to help. Wet with sweat as I was at this point, I trudged all the easier Kackweg back again.
gaining entrance to the Victoria Falls National Park then a touching scene;) Three guys fall happily into the arms, as the prodigal son returns to about four hours delay in the bosom of the community back. If something happens had, I would have no way to communicate it to the boys - big and accordingly was the relief that everything went well! So, next commit stage: The Victoria Falls. Take my exuberant description of the first impression and multiply it by ten. It then comes out approximately. It's really incredible to stand up there and to be able to witness it. Anyway since I can not really put into words, I'll leave it simple. Only so much, it was definitely with the most impressive face of nature that I have ever seen!
the evening it was finally completed on a so-called sunset cruise on the Zambezi River is, then de facto: boat on the river + mad Sonnuntergang + palms + + hippos as much beer and whiskey as you = would like great fun! In view of our approaching separation, Sven and I will also very emotional, but this is explained by security also significant with the drinks;) It was certainly a successful conclusion and the next day it was for me unfortunately again towards Pretoria ( The two boys have four days left Cape Town drangehaengt).
Conclusion: The best trip of my life!
[ photos Zimbabwe ]
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