dont throw off my groove

While traveling alone, I am never really alone. My visa for Mozambique expired and so I had to leave the country. I traveled into Zimbabwe on a short chapa-ride from Chimoio. The first half of the trip I sat beside a sweetie-pie of a man who talked with me cautioning me of the dangers in Africa. He got off at the city of Manica and other passengers filed in. At the border I got out and was immediately followed by a fellow. Passion is a commonly used word in Mozambiquan Portuguese. He told me how he had passion for me… him and all the other Mozambqiuan poets. However, he was able to help me walk through the steps to get my Zimbabwean visa.

On the other side, in Zim, a taxi picked me up. My drivers name was Harry. An awesome guy! His car has had it, and next time I go to Zim I doubt that thing will still be running. He dropped me off at a hostel-house that was recommended to me. 99 – Fourth St. At the gate a small pear-shaped Zimbabwean woman named Emma greeted me. She lead me in the house and showed me her family who lives with her as well as all the rooms and told me to choose one. Super-quaint little place. Her son showed me a good restaurant for lunch. If I were to open a place that place would be pretty much IT. I ate outside in an Aunty-Laurie-decorated garden (if you know my Aunty-Laurie and her purple-house and multiple-award-winning garden, you will understand). Everyone there seemed to be white and had prestigious accents, but it was wonderful. I even proceeded to talk with a British accent…in my head. :)


I walked, (in terrible sandals that did more harm then bare feet would have), and came upon the most beautiful park! Zimbabweans sure know how to make a nice landscape, or rather to place a path in perfect splendor. As I walked oohhing and ahhhing at the different flowers and trees around me, I lowered my chin to focus my vision on dozens of little monkeys running around me. I could never have imagined something more magical.

Zimbabwe has gone through some recent economic problems and is now, just recently, using ONLY US cash. There seems not to be the existence of coins. So at the grocery store when I bought a yoghurt, my 13 cents was paid to me in a couple pieces of bubble-gum. It was not just me, each costumer in like was handed a couple bubble-gum depending on how much was to be repaid.

During the evening, I went back to my cute little house and met 2 interesting woman, one from Australia, the other from UK, both living in Zim for the majority of their lives. One was a chain smoker, the other obese. They invited me to chat with them as they drank their wine and ate their sliced cheese.

The rest of the night I spent with Emma and her family. They invited me to watch “Big Brother Africa” as Amanda, Emma’s’ daughter plaited (braided) my hair. Simply the worst show I have ever witnessed. They were so into it.

I have defiantly surpassed my previous record of how many cute cafés I have gone to in the same day. Mutare, Zimbabwe is absolutely littered with wonderful cafés and teahouses. In less then 2 days in Mutare I went to 8 different places! Now I know, it was just gluttonous. I ended up meeting someone interesting at each place, either a worker of the café, or a local resident. I have numbers and cards of each person as well as had an invitation for a ladies-dinner with a couple of UK girls. Next time I go to Mutare, I will have numerous places to stay, as well as personal tour guides.

The chapa ride from the border to Chimoio was quite hilarious. I sat in the front middle beside the driver and a fat, friendly woman. She has 4 boys and no daughters. We joked around and I told her I could be her daughter she never had, she was so happy. The back of the chapa was filled with boys/ men. The whole 4-hour ride I got taps on the shoulder from them asking me whom I choose as my boyfriend. The cobrador (the money manager of the chapa) told each new passenger that entered the chapa that I was his love. Once again I was the entertainment of the evening.

Jon is someone I think I will get along with real well. He also works for MCC up in the Mozambiquan province of Tete building sand-dams. He and I are continuously called the two most enthusiastic people in MCC. Back in Chimoio, staying at Jenny and Joel’s house (more country reps), we made real chai tea, real stove-popped popcorn then watched the ‘Emperors New Groove’.