A trip to the Chimanimanis is always such a refreshing delight.
Apart from the stalwart little community who remain steadfast and
enchanting, the little village was very quiet and there are no
tourists visiting the most beautiful mountains in the world.
The Chimanimani area was due to be given World Heritage Status but a
recent upsurge in gold panning activities in the mountains will no
doubt put a stop to that plan for some time.
The district offices have menacing armed guards there now, to protect
the gold stocks, which are being bought quite openly from the panners
by the Government authorities (Who said gold panning was illegal ?)
The trip from Bulawayo to Chimanimani was spectacular, thatching
grass will be abundant in all areas this year. There were crops,
crops and more crops growing in profusion all along the roads as the
rains have been way above average this year, but a serious absence of
fertilisation was obvious.
Sorghum, rapoko, maize, millet, sunflowers, groundnuts, tomatoes,
potatoes, cotton, sugar cane were being sold in all lay-bys and vast
sacks of produce were awaiting transport to the city markets all
along the way.
Giant sacks of baobab pods which yield the coveted powder cream of
tartar were everywhere in the lowveld areas where the cattle and
goats were eating their unaccustomed gourmet meal in great delight,
as that area is usually dry and bordering on desert for most of the
year.
Crude bundles of makamane, pumpkins, squashes of all shapes sizes and
varieties and loads of succulent water melons were balanced
precariously on top of the many buses, ready for despatch to the
hungry folk in the towns.
All the rivers we crossed were running furiously, the Save, The
Runde, the Muturikwe, the Mtshelele, the Ngezi, the Devure, all
thundering happily down to the Limpopo where flood warnings are being
announced as the rivers gain momentum.
In the little village, which has probably had the most unfair share
of trials and tribulations in the history of this country, the mood
was festive, as the "locals" gathered to celebrate the birthday of
Beautiful Brigit.
A long table was set on the veranda of the house, which was balanced
precariously on the side of the hill, and the heavy guests were
advised to sit on the house side of the veranda, after the two pretty
heavy earthquakes had created some interesting ventilation holes in
the walls !!
It was a veritable orgy of eating as Shane the Chef had planned a
seven course meal, all cooked beautifully in spite of the frequently
irritating power cuts.
A dazzling array of delicious dishes, mostly caught on various
fishing trips to Mozambique, followed by incredible mature cheddar
cheese from the Chipinge Dairiboard which to date has not lost the
cheese making recipe unlike the it's counterpart the Bulawayo
Dairiboard !!
We ended up with the delightfully aromatic Chimanimani coffee,
hopefully not the last of a crop that used to bring vast amounts of
forex into the country, but which now seems to be fast disappearing
as maize fields have taken the place of the coffee crop.
There were no beer supplies in the village but fortunately some
intriguing brands of red and white wine were discovered in one of the
enterprising little stores and great fun was had by all.
The guests at the little birthday bash were an eclectic crew. There
was even a smattering of aristocracy whose next important function
would be to attend the birthday of HRH Queen Elizabeth at the palace
in August !!
As we ate, the amazingly abundant bird-life kept us entertained. The
Gurneys Sugarbird did his rounds of the proteas on the mountainside,
the paradise fly catcher did a very good job on the unusually high
plethora of insects thanks to the high rainfall, and the shy Cape
Robin and the ubiquitous Red Chested Cuckoo called sweetly from all
around us.
Way in the distance we could hear the peculiarly distinctive harsh
call of the Purple Crested Lourie and all the while, the brilliant
flashes of the abundant yellow bellied sunbirds caught our eyes and
the speckled mousebirds darted in and out of the thick undergrowth
seeking delicacies that only they know.
Somehow it is this special little village, with its devoted group of
compassionate, caring inhabitants, that brings a quiet assurance to
life, that normalcy will someday soon return once again, to our
beloved country.
ENGAGEMENT
BRICE - DICEY
Barry and Adrienne Brice have great pleasure in announcing the
engagement
of their eldest daughter, Elaine, to Mike, youngest son of John and
Coppie
Dicey of Gwanda on 31 March 2006.
BARRY AMYOT, MUCH LOVED HUSBAND OF GAIL, FATHER OF RICHARD, ADELE AND
ANTONIO
CONDOLENCES
Please publish the notification of the sad passing of Tony Wright in
the early hours of Sunday Morning 2nd April '06
Tony was a founder and honorary life member of the Vintage and
Classic Club of Matabeleland who's contributions over the years had
considerable and positive effects on the success of that organisation
and he was both Chairman and committee member of long standing.
Our Heartfelt sympathy goes to his widow Dawn and family on their sad
loss of a wonderful, caring and kind husband, father, brother and
grandfather
Chairman and Committee VCCM
IN LOVING MEMORY OF MAGS BROOMBERG
Margaret Ann Broomberg was born in Durban on 4th November 1946.
She married Mike Broomberg on the 28th April 1973.
She was a loving mother to Stephen, Gary, Shayne & Craig and had much
love for her seven grandchildren.
We all have memories of beautiful years which time cannot erase.
Margaret sadly passed away on the 1st April 2006.
We will all miss her terribly.
Man can no longer live his life for himself alone. We realise that
all life is valuable and that we are united to all this life. From
this knowledge comes our spiritual relationship with the universe.
-- Albert Schweitzer
Fact of the Day:
Will there be a bee hive on the cover of the next issue of The
Economist? Likely not. But new research does show that bumble bees
and other insects provide $57 billion in pollination services as well
as other free labor in the U.S. alone. Unfortunately, several bee
species are on the verge of extinction. By putting a dollar value on
the work done by insects, the researchers hope to raise interest in
insect conservation and prevent an economic disaster.
http://charityfocus.org/php-bin/qad.php?n=2309
Be The Change:
Appreciate someone -- with a word or a thank-you note -- whose
contributions you might not have previously thought of as meaningful.
Below is a wonderful poem Audrey Hepburn wrote when asked to share
her "beauty tips." It was read at her funeral years later.
For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a
day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived,
reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the
end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that
you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for
helping others.
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