Zimbabwe

After a week in South Africa, we make a side trip in July for some time at the majestic Victoria Falls. We’ll later return to South Africa for several more weeks of mountains, coastal drives, wine touring and bungy jumping. This is Zimbabwe, though, an utterly broken country. The abrasive, smelly, ugly oyster shell that contains a famous pearl called “thunder that roars” or Victoria Falls.

Yet, Marshall is immediately captivated by our surroundings. His seat in the front of the hotel van presents all of it to him: women carrying sacks on their heads, roadside baboons, a mule-drawn cart on the road’s shoulder, pot holes in the street, etc. Cars do operate on the road, but our driver tells us that the Vic Falls BP station is shuttered and it’s an hour’s drive to Botswana for petrol.

The Zimbabwean Dollar becomes substantially more worthless each day (the national bank has announced that it will trade one new Zim for every thousand old Zims soon after our visit). Bartering has become a significant form of commerce. Despite these structural challenges, we are here to see the magnificent falls “discovered” by the legendary Dr. Livingstone.

“Sir, Sir, look at this,” we hear in the unkempt bush land outside of the falls. Among freely roaming cape buffalo, warthogs, and elephants, we are shown a large wooden carving, a cape buffalo, that Marshall must have. He’s a good trader, but I observe and then become more involved. One T-shirt and US$8.00 later, it is his.

“And how many Zims will you give me for another dollar?” I ask. The man offers a Zim$100,000 note (well below the going rate of as much as Zim$400,000). He’s perplexed when I indicate my preference for the Zim$55,000 he’s holding in his hand, in the form of six notes. His thoughts are of numismatic value, while mine are of the mere souvenir value of six notes versus one. Both of us are pleased with the transaction, though as we part he’s unable to explain my satisfaction.

(Zimbabwe Photo Credits: Dot Griffifth)