After our visit to Mana Pools in September 2011, instead of returning home with our friends, we stay for a few more days in order to visit the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, 4 and a half hours drive south of Harare. There is little traffic on the road as Clever (sic), our driver, heads south out of the capital. The trees are in bloom with white and yellow blossoms and big trucks from South Africa rumble past on the long straight stretches. As we get closer to Masvingo the landscape gets more hilly with big granite boulders and outcrops. Villages with round, grass topped houses squat amongst the giant rocks.
The most memorable spot on the way south is Mvuma, just over half way. This is a big, open cast goldmine. A huge slag heap on the left of the road alongside a row of gift stalls is the only evidence of activity but apparently the quality of the road is a reflection of the importance of this mining site.
Before visiting the site we drop our stuff at Norma Jean's guesthouse - basic but comfortable bungalows on a steep hill overlooking Lake Kyle and the hills behind. The restaurant at the top of the hill in a fine garden with great views over the lake.
A poor sandwich lunch at Great Zimbabwe Lodge, a fancy place built in stone around great bolders like the ruins that it borders. You can see that it would have been a fine place to stay but now, with no guests and gormless staff, well worth avoiding.
On to the world heritage site where we pick up our guide, Rodwell, at the entrance. We walk into the site then climb the steep "ancient path" to the hill complex - all granite paving between dry stone walling and natural slabs of rock. At 2.30 in the afternoon it is still hot and the steep climb is surprisingly tiring. Eventually we reach a maze of rooms at the top and fine views in all directions. Rodwell points out the purposes of the different chambers and where the seven soapstone eagles were found.
Down the 'water path' then a modern path to the museum where, after some reconstructions of 15th C life we go through steel doors into the room where six of the seven eagles are kept (see left) - all bataleur eagles except one, a fish eagle which features on the Zimbabwe national flag.
The Great Enclosure - home of number one wife - is a huge structure. 17m walls with very fine (HQ) brickwork. One of the parallel passages inside the enclosure has amazing walls towering on either side. It is still hard to imagine the site teeming with the thousands of people who once lived here.
Back to Norma Jean's for dinner. The hotel is surprisingly full of business people discussing water treatment and fishing. A local bigwig lurks on a sofa in the back room with a very dolled up young babe. Norma Jean is the religious type but I guess that she has to live and let live.
In the morning we visit the Lake Kyle dam and walk a little way along the top of the gorge - a spectacular gap between two huge masses of granite. We are later told that there is a project to see if the dam can be converted to produce hydro electricity. a great idea in a country so short of power. In Masvingo there is an improbable parade for International Tourist Day - lots of waving school kids - then a hot drive back to Harare as Clever's air conn has broken down. A short trip but really interesting.
