22 chimanimani

22.
Packing up from our bush camp we were back on the road towards Zimbabwe. Actually, as we got closer to the border, the border just got better and better.
We arrived at the border, which was a most underwhelming small gate. It’s almost like “Is that it?!”
All was going well until it was discovered that we needed double entry visas. That was a problem, as they had just three double visas available. We would have to wait until the main boss arrived, and he was about 40 km away. No matter, we would just deal with it. Not only that, it was lunchtime, so out came the tables, and lunch was prepared. Liz had some wraps stashed away, as there had been no bread bought the day before. What could be better, wraps filled with salad and leftover curry from the night before.
There was an amusing border official who seemed to be a jack-of-all-trades. Yes, he was an immigration official, but he was also the local soft drink seller, as well as a handy contact for us to change our leftover Mozambique Meticals, albeit at a terrible rate. But still, they would be completely useless elsewhere.
Finally we were all stamped, and ready to go. A final look-over by the female customs attendant, who obviously was just simply fascinated by the truck, and then we were off into Zimbabwe. For me, it was a return; last here when I was 8 years old.
We got a shock; the roads! While the road leading up to the border where quite good, the roads after were appalling. At one point, I really wondered how we would get through. To compound things, Florence was really struggling. The poor girl was pretty ill, and it was such a struggle as we climbed up hills. With the sun setting, we finally pulled into Heaven Lodge at Chimanimani. Cook group got to work in the dark, and we put our tents in the increasing cold of the evening.
I woke way too early. Looked up when sunrise was; 6.11. I crawled out of my snug sleeping bag into a cold morning. But it was worth it. The feel of the warmth from the first rays of sun is glorious.
It was a day when we didn’t want to do too much, but decided a walk to the bridal falls was in order. That took us through the small town and into the reserve. Coming back, we stopped in at a small bar. Who was to know we were not the first from Oasis Overland to enter this bar. As I looked around the walls I was struck by the fact they were covered in graffiti from previous Oasis Overland groups. There was just one empty spot left, and it was begging us to leave our mark. I was elected as group graffiti artist, and soon had us immortalised on the wall.
That evening was pizza night at the lodge. They weren’t the cheapest pizzas in Africa, at US$10, but they may well have been the most delicious. What an amazing lasting culinary memory from Chimanimani.
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Видео 22 chimanimani канала Paul Artus