As it’s been so hot, hot, hot usually sleep with just a sheet over me. Wake at 0500hrs nearly dying of hypothermia. It’s FREEZING! A gale is blowing through window. In a “Heritage” cabin. It’s the original 1951 windows. You know. The sort that were designed before U-values. Can hear wind buffeting the carriage. Wind is so strong it’s actually swaying the carriage. Stationary in Bulawayo station. Realise just how cold it is when walking down the corridor to breakfast. The windows are open and it’s like being in a blast chiller. Flipping ‘eck. Not been this cold since the North Cape in mid-July. Definitely need a ganzy and coat today. Grey sky as well. Not used to this. For the record. It. Is. Absolutely. Flipping. Freezing. Must be 10C. Which after weeks of high 30s is a shock to the system. Believe me.
Drive through Bulawayo.
The architecture reminds me of parts of Sneinton market area in Nottingham. Which for those that haven’t been to Sneinton – looks like parts of Bulawayo. Hope that helps.
Meet up with the local tour operator. They’re all whites. Which surprises. Even they’re balking at the cold. Most unseasonal we’re told. Was really hot yesterday. Which is why they’ve bought open top safari jeeps. Ho. Ho. Ho.
Can see where this is going. There’ll be some frozen bodies by the end of the day. Spot a Land Rover with a closed cab. That passenger seat in that nice warm cab has my name on it. Bowl a few old ladies over in pursuit of said passenger seat in nice warm cab. There’s a ruthless streak in me today. I can do evil when I want. You snooze. You lose. Elderly gentleman approaches and says, “I was rather hoping my wife could sit there.” He’s pointed to another jeep the other side of the car park.
Three rows of three in the back. It’s obvious they weren’t in the Scouts and aren’t prepared for what’s about to happen. Little old ladies wearing flimsy dresses and shorts. One bloke is just wearing shorts and t-shirt. It’s freezing cold in the car park. They’re shivering now. And then we drive off to Matopos National Park. Along a main road. At 50mph. For half an hour. In an open top safari jeep. Have no idea how cold it is on that open top jeep at 50mph as I’m nice and toastie in this closed cab. They’re all huddling together. Like penguins in an Antarctic gale. And then. A twinge of guilt. It starts raining. Think of driving across Dartmoor in winter with low, grey cloud. That’s the scene. There’ll be a few dying of hypothermia by the time we reach our destination. Driver is the local Scoutmaster and the Scout camp we pass is near where Baden-Powell and Kipling fought at the end of the 19th Century. Quite a historical region by all accounts.
Matopos is where Cecil John Rhodes is buried.
Grave sits atop a hill called World’s View. Surrounded by large 3-4m diameter stone spheres. Actually created by erosion but they look as though they’ve been carefully placed in-situ by a crane as they encircle Rhodes’ grave perfectly. Incredibly windy and cold at the top. Much like being on the back of an open top jeep. I imagine. Quick stop at the White Rhino rock paintings.Painted by indigenous bushmen between 10,000 – 40,000 years ago. In immaculate condition. So much so they could’ve been painted yesterday such is the richness and condition of the red paint.
It’s another half hour drive at 50mph back to Bulawayo. But it’s warmed up slightly and they’ve found a tarpaulin to drape over the roof. It makes no difference though. Takes about an hour to thaw out apparently.
Lunch at the Churchill Hotel. Mock Tudor. It could be in any town in England. Waiter has won the Zimbabwean “Service Personality of the Year 2013”. Look at the photo and you’ll see his name.
Natural History Museum is a museum of a museum. Looks like it was built in the 60s and not been updated or dusted since. Has an excellent display on Rhodes, however.
Final stop is the Railway Museum. Not as good as expected but has the original Rhodesian Railway carriages from the 1950s. Which is what we’re actually travelling on. Sure that the guide said meet at bus at 1635hrs. At 1630hrs the curator shouts out to me, “They’re waiting”. On the Swiss bus today. Apparently it was 1625hrs. 5 minutes late. One Swiss gent taps his watch and says in German (which I understand) “You’re late. It was 25 past back at the bus!”. They’re not laughing. Crikey. Someone’s being keeping tabs on his cuckoo clock.
Sitting in cabin and see the curtains being blown in by about six inches caused by the icey cold draught. It’s fixed with a load of tissues shoved in all the cracks. Notwithstanding that, it’s clear the cabin is leaking like a sieve. Like sleeping in a wind tunnel.
At least they’re not moaning about the AC not working now. No. They’re moaning how cold it is now.
