April 23 Harare to Masvingo ( Fort Victoria) the homecoming

I was up early to go for an hour’s walk before the journey to Masvingo. After breakfast we packed, and I left with Don. Our journey was pleasant, not too hot, and we passed two toll gates. Many times there were police on the road, but we were never stopped, never speeding. It was great to see the Zim countryside as I remember it. We stopped from time to time to take pics. At one stage there were many baboons around that included themselves in a scenic pic. Landmarks on the way were Enkeldoorn, (Chivu) and Mvuma, with the familiar huge mine chimney, that has been damaged by lightning over the years. The kopjes just don’t change but add to the beauty of a landscape that looked green after the late rains. We also saw a waterbuck but no other game. Carrie had made us sandwiches for the journey. On our arrival in Masvingo our first stop at the entrance to the town was the pre primary buildings of Victoria school, where Eunice, my mom taught. Everything is gated so we could not go in, but saw the Junior school that both Don and I attended. Then we went to the Victoria Sports club which is very close by. Of course everything is different, as expected. The sports club is a bit run down but totally the same building I remember. Don and I had a beer in the pub!! The  swimming pool is still there but disused. We stopped at 68 Hellet Street, Don’s old home, which is now the open university for Zim. We were taken around by one of the staff. All the old memories flood back, happy memories and the building is in great shape. Aunty Betty’s lovely garden is gone of course, paved over and all the fun parts of the garden long gone. I spent a lot of my childhood in this grand home. We went upstairs, and looked at each bedroom, now offices of various professors!! From there, we drove to the Anglican church close by, where we both have history. We met the current black  minister, which was pleasant. Behind the church is the garden of remembrance poor repair, so we went into the church and saw the plaque to Vera Carey, a family friend, and also the plaque remembering Betty and Frank Lapham my aunt and uncle. The old organ my mom used to play is long gone, replaced by a piano. Change! Then we drove to my old home. Everything along the way had drastically changed, so the old picture memories only exist in my mind. I could not recognize my home at all, but knew it was where we lived as the house next door had not changed! Our old home apparently burned down due to an electrical fault. It is gated now. On Monday we will return to look in more detail at the home and yard when we have more time, but we drove on the old Umtali road out of town to Beza and arrived at Anthony and Helen Mitchell’s home, in the bush right near Kyle Dam. They have a lovely Rhodesian home on the side of the mountain, looking at the hills, and Lake Kyle in the distance. Helen has chicken wire over some of her flowers to prevent the monkeys from eating them. Helen raises day old chicks for sale. We had a great visit, then Anthony arrived, and we chatted about the old times with him. All very interesting. We had drinks, and a lovely meal, a braai of rump roast, together with Roy Miller and his wife. Roy was in elementary school with me!! He remembered me. It was an evening of remembering the good old days!! Then we retired to our guest bedrooms, and slept well. 

 Above: Small tasty bananas from Don's garden

Above: Tobacco on the road to Masving

 Above: typical Zim shade tree

 Above: Mvula chimney....old gold mine, recently revived

 Above: Kapok tree almost in Masvingo....kapok flying around!

 Above: Victoria Junior SCHOOL

 Above: sitting in the Sports Club bar

 Above/below: my second home, Don's old home

 Above: the living room dedicated to you know who....note the 1532 tile over the original fireplace

 Above: Don's place, now the Zim open university....big emphasis on education

Above: St. Michaels and all Angels where we were very regular attendees over the years: a centre of community life

 Above: plaque to a friend of my moms

 Above: inside the church

 Above: plaque to my aunt Betty and Uncle Frank in the church....loyal members.

Above: at Anthony and Helen's place....view of patio/pool, and a drop below that.

 Above: African sunset over the Kyle Hills, as we had a sundowner.

Plants Helen had on the patio