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Before going to Africa I tried to pick up as much information as I could, but I was surprised to hear or read so little about Zimbabwe and Botswana in the news.

Zimbabwe

Cora
2004-02-19 20:05:20

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Harare, first days in Africa

Before going to Africa I tried to pick up as much information as I could, but I was surprised to hear or read so little about Zimbabwe and Botswana in the news.
Though there is still quite some poverty in Zimbabwe, Botswana had been lucky to exploit its diamond mines after its independence, which makes it a rich country to African standards. In Gaborone, Botswana's capital, there are no slums; when people leave the country side to go and seek their fortune in the big city, the government gives them a choice: buy a (cheap) piece of land or rent a house from the municipality.
In Zimbabwe, the difference between rich and poor is still enormous, because the authorities are very careful with claiming the land on the rich (white) landowners, for they still have a great influence on the economical situation in the country.

The night falls quickly here in Harare, so I have little time left to write down the experiences of my first day in Zimbabwe.
Our journey here was quite tiring, though we had no delays, no strikes, and even the three hours waiting at Charles De Gaulle Airport were spent pleasantly. You can't really sleep in an air plane, and even though I am tired and my feet are swollen, I am savouring every minute of my adventure.
Today we arrived at the backpackers lodge just outside Harare, where we enjoyed a great lunch and we had the briefing of our tour leader under a shady tree where brightly coloured birds fly off and on.
This is a beautiful place and we should enjoy the reasonable luxury we have here, for most of this journey will be much less comfortable.

Bvumba, the cloud forest

The beautiful purples of the jacaranda trees and the bougainvillaea around Harare would almost make you forget the fact that it has not rained here for five months now.
The Bvumba Mountains where we arrived in the afternoon are a lot greener, ...