Zimbabwe

I had reservations, and not the hotel kind, about spending time in Zimbabwe, what with the horrendous political situation, and the resulting impact on people, farms and wildlife. That our plane nearly stalled on takeoff from Victoria only added to my misgivings. Sometimes you get a sense that things are just not meant to be. When I heard the shrill warning beep from the plane’s engine as we took off, I would have deplaned then and there if I could have. But we were crammed in a tiny plane that shivered and rattled, and I would have had to clamber over someone’s lap to reach the door. Plus, Bernard, who’s a pilot, was not urging me to evacuate, and I figured I should do whatever he was doing. So I stayed put and thought light and airy thoughts, and although the plane gave an alarming dip on takeoff it did recover sufficiently to resume its upward trajectory, which is why I’m sitting here typing this today.

Things did not improve, plane-wise, when we tried to land.

My dispatches from the road are full of interesting details. To sign up for my Dispatches Newsletter click HERE. If you have questions about where we went and where we stayed, post below and I will reply.