Don and I had a great breakfast with our charming hostess, Helen, the chick lady. Helen raises day old chicks and sells thousands daily all over southern Zim. She has trucks, office etc and it is all scientifically done. She has carved a valuable niche that really helps Zimbabweans. Her home is lovely, and overlooked Kyle Dam, which has sadly shrunk to 20%. Her husband is a legendary bass fisherman, and has amazing stories to tell. He produces and sells veggies. Thanks to Don, this was a really rewarding experience talking to farming folk who lived through the war, lost part of their farm, and have an amazing story of survival. Joe is the cook and does a great job, but really Helen loves cooking, and makes amazing meals, chutneys, jams and delicious meals. Every evening we had a sundowner with them....a real African sundowner, as shown in my pic of sunset over the mountains in the distance.
I digress. Cheryl, Roy Miller's wife came with us on our trip back to Harare. We took the short cut route from the Mutare road to Chivu ( Enkeldoorn) . I took pics of kopjes to show the amazing rocky outcrops that characterize Zimbabwe. We noticed a snake as road kill, and Don actually saw a live one on the road. At Chivu I took some pics of locals and a local market. We were stopped several times by police for one thing or other but they couldn't really find anything to fine us for!! The police wait along the roadside at many points along all Zim roads. When in Harare, a black lady ignored a police signal to stop, and was probably fined for that. We dropped Cheryl off in Mabelreign and got back to Willomead Lane, Don's place with the familiar brick wall. We had a quick lunch.
After a short while, Carrie and I took off on a very interesting trip. We went to an AIDs clinic, and picked up a charming black lady, Eleanor, and Eleanor's nice, Chakunde, who raced up to Carrie and hugged her. She is a lovely young girl. We all went to a home in another part of Harare to pick up fabric scraps, and drove to an African high density suburb called Tafara. It was good to see how most Zimbabweans live in the cities. I took a pic of avocados growing on a tree, and we got to Risi's home. She is a grandmother. Eleanor showed us the home. Risi greeted us on all fours. ( She has some back issues, I guess). She screamed with joy when she saw Carrie! She managed to get up and sit on the bed. Risi has few teeth, but became very animated. She is the lady that knows how to make the rag rugs and will teach others how to do it. Risi made sure we could spell her name, and scratched it out on her arm! This shows on black skin. Carrie and I bought a rag rug each. Risi again was overjoyed with getting some money for her rugs. After a visit, Eleanor, young Chakunde, Carrie and I left in Carries car, and drove up the dirt road to Eleanor's home. She has the only garden in front of her house. She had planted a pomegranate shrub, which had grown from pomegranate Carrie had given her!! We met Eleanor's kids, and her brother, Ellard and his two boys. Check out the pics!! All the kids Eleanor and I took the many garbage bags of fabric scraps to the front of Eleanor's home. The kids were delightful. Then we went around the back. Eleanor had some chickens there that she was raising. Don had helped Eleanor set up her chicken business, which is successful. She had a dog, but could not let it out, as she said locals would poison her dog. We entered the home from the back, and it is very charming. We sat down, and chatted. Ellard, her brother is very talented as a scrap metal sculpture/artist. He has shown his work at various shows here, and been to California to demo his work. I thought it would be nice to see if I could get him to Edmonton if our local Art Gallery were interested. So many Zimbabweans are so creative. You see many sculptures outside made of hard stone. In the old days they were soft soapstone but not now. Carrie has two of Ellard's sculptures in her large garden. Carrie and I said goodbye to Ellard ( he is now a Facebook friend) and Eleanor, and drove back to Don's place.
In the evening we went to a Portuguese restaurant for Don's birthday and peri peri chicken!! I met Don's daughter Sarah, and her daughter Hannah. It was a great meal. We all sang to Don, led by the black waiters, and they are great singers!! It was good to me Heather, who had originally introduced Don and Carrie!! A great day ended with a quiet walk. Thanks for checking in!!
Above: Eleanor, Carrie and Chakunde
Above: Eleanor holding Risi's rag rug
Above: Risi ( grandmother) Eleanor and myself
Above: all the kids at Eleanor's home
Above: I joined in
Above: Ellard , a very talented scrap metal sculptor
Above: Hannah, Don and Sarah ( Don's daughter) for Don's birthday
Above: on right, Wayne, Sarah's husband at the Portuguese restaurant
Below: my old school
Below : Beit Hall, Prince Edward School where I participated in G& S musical
Below : The school chapel where I was organist when a student
Below: rugby training on the school field
Below : my old boarding establishment, a bit the worse for wear. Rugby guys staying there
Below : in the school grounds
Below: rugby kids in school gym tracksuits
Below: young rugby players
Below: flowering tree
Below: the Bull, Ellard made this of scrap metal: at Don's place
I digress. Cheryl, Roy Miller's wife came with us on our trip back to Harare. We took the short cut route from the Mutare road to Chivu ( Enkeldoorn) . I took pics of kopjes to show the amazing rocky outcrops that characterize Zimbabwe. We noticed a snake as road kill, and Don actually saw a live one on the road. At Chivu I took some pics of locals and a local market. We were stopped several times by police for one thing or other but they couldn't really find anything to fine us for!! The police wait along the roadside at many points along all Zim roads. When in Harare, a black lady ignored a police signal to stop, and was probably fined for that. We dropped Cheryl off in Mabelreign and got back to Willomead Lane, Don's place with the familiar brick wall. We had a quick lunch.
After a short while, Carrie and I took off on a very interesting trip. We went to an AIDs clinic, and picked up a charming black lady, Eleanor, and Eleanor's nice, Chakunde, who raced up to Carrie and hugged her. She is a lovely young girl. We all went to a home in another part of Harare to pick up fabric scraps, and drove to an African high density suburb called Tafara. It was good to see how most Zimbabweans live in the cities. I took a pic of avocados growing on a tree, and we got to Risi's home. She is a grandmother. Eleanor showed us the home. Risi greeted us on all fours. ( She has some back issues, I guess). She screamed with joy when she saw Carrie! She managed to get up and sit on the bed. Risi has few teeth, but became very animated. She is the lady that knows how to make the rag rugs and will teach others how to do it. Risi made sure we could spell her name, and scratched it out on her arm! This shows on black skin. Carrie and I bought a rag rug each. Risi again was overjoyed with getting some money for her rugs. After a visit, Eleanor, young Chakunde, Carrie and I left in Carries car, and drove up the dirt road to Eleanor's home. She has the only garden in front of her house. She had planted a pomegranate shrub, which had grown from pomegranate Carrie had given her!! We met Eleanor's kids, and her brother, Ellard and his two boys. Check out the pics!! All the kids Eleanor and I took the many garbage bags of fabric scraps to the front of Eleanor's home. The kids were delightful. Then we went around the back. Eleanor had some chickens there that she was raising. Don had helped Eleanor set up her chicken business, which is successful. She had a dog, but could not let it out, as she said locals would poison her dog. We entered the home from the back, and it is very charming. We sat down, and chatted. Ellard, her brother is very talented as a scrap metal sculpture/artist. He has shown his work at various shows here, and been to California to demo his work. I thought it would be nice to see if I could get him to Edmonton if our local Art Gallery were interested. So many Zimbabweans are so creative. You see many sculptures outside made of hard stone. In the old days they were soft soapstone but not now. Carrie has two of Ellard's sculptures in her large garden. Carrie and I said goodbye to Ellard ( he is now a Facebook friend) and Eleanor, and drove back to Don's place.
In the evening we went to a Portuguese restaurant for Don's birthday and peri peri chicken!! I met Don's daughter Sarah, and her daughter Hannah. It was a great meal. We all sang to Don, led by the black waiters, and they are great singers!! It was good to me Heather, who had originally introduced Don and Carrie!! A great day ended with a quiet walk. Thanks for checking in!!
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