Shona is the largest single tribe in Zimbabwe, making up about 70% of the population of that country. We will have to learn later if the tribes overlap into various countries. I imagine they do since there were not borders when the tribes were formed. He loves being a tour guide because he started his first job as a river canoe guide on the mighty Zambezi. I immediately think of another probably poor reference - Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart in The African Queen. Can't you just see her mopping her brow as the finish the rapids?
Mr. Chipunza is 'very honored' to have me traveling on his trip as a solo woman. Hmmm. No, we won't go there!
He goes on to describe the school we will be visiting and suggests gifts to bring. This is not an unusual event. I have been to elementary schools in China, Russia, the Ukraine, Romania, Egypt and India. The tour companies support schools and take you to visit. It is supposed to give you a taste of real life. It gives me a reassurance that we may complain about our school systems but we have some of the best systems in the world and finest teachers. It is also, I think, to give us a feeling that the huge sums of money we spend on these trips is not selfish but doing good. I think that the benefit to the country may be disproportionate to the benefit to the tour company. I also do think that tourism, however, brings a in a major portion of the GNP of many of these places and provides good jobs for lots of people!
It is suggested to bring useable gifts to the school. Susie bought construction and notebook paper we are giving and I have bought USA flag pencils. You would think cash would be always welcome as it is in other countries but not here. Cash is too difficult for the people here to exchange as there are no nearby banks. A donation to the foundation can be made on the Grand Circle Foundation website. OAT is part of this agency.
When we go on another day to visit a home and be immersed in a Day In the Life of a family we will also take gifts. These will be purchased in the nearby village and again be necessities: sugar, flour, cooking oil. I wonder if this family is visited weekly by different tourists and has a vast storeroom of basic commodities or if they share them with other families in the village. If they share, do they do so as gifts or sell the stuff. Or maybe different families are visited on different tours. In other countries we have always a tour of the home and land and then a small meal. In Russia it was unforgettable as it was 8:30 in the morning for our group, and the breakfast included a variety of homemade vodkas! These meals, in each country, have always included the local brew and a lesson in the right way to toast the health of the guests and hosts! We then have placed some cash in a little bowl near the door as we left. The family never would be standing right there but would be nearby hugging all their new friends goodbye.
Vitalis goes on to tell about the camps in which we will be staying. Here are a few photos of what we might expect in the way of accommodations.
Will our campfire look like this at the lodge ... or ... like this?
The conditions at the lodge are going to affect your enjoyment of this blog. Africa had no FDR to bring them Rural Electrification so the lodges and camps operate on generators. These do not run 24 hours a day but apparently somehow switch to something called a "central inverter." We can charge batteries "on rotation." Unfortunately, all my cameras have specific ones not good old AA's that I could lug along by the carload. Charging will be an integral part of this journey for me. The tablet has to be recharged regularly, so to prevent any loss of my memory, good old paper and pen is going along for the ride. Internet will be available, I am sure, only when we are in the cities of Johannesburg and Cape Town and probably at the Sprayview Hotel at Victoria Falls. So you will have several days adventure sometimes to binge read. Please keep in mind that the oldest posts are at the bottom and newest at the top. Probably good to read in order as you would be wondering why I am in a cast, if you read that I am, and it is several days earlier that the elephant stepped on my foot!
Vitalis confirms my greatest worry. We have to be honest in telling our weight for the Department of Civil Aviation before boarding the planes so that they can balance the distribution to prevent flight disaster. I knew I should have stuck to my diet! He also said that despite the few hundred dollars we have spent on inoculations and the fact that the camps provide insect repellant we should bring 100% Deet along for use in Zambia as protection against the Tsetse-flies! We used to joke about them because of the funny name and now I will be fending them off.
The last night at each camp, the local guides and staff will perform traditional songs and dances for our entertainment. We are expected to reciprocate! I hope our group won't be depending on me for this. Although this might be the perfect opportunity to bring out the old favorite family story that begins, " 'Twas a dark and stormy night, and three men sat around the campfire."
We are depending on you to give us the African experience vicariously since it is on neither John nor my bucket list. Don't leave ouany details. Nothing is too insignificant to include. Stay away from elephants who might step on your foot. I won't be there to provide band aids. The lodging looks so fancy. You are not roughing it by any means!
ReplyDeleteThanks. I will do my best. I am not known to leave out any of even the slightest details! I have packed plenty of band aids. They brought us together and with them we will stick together!
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