Hello again
Just returned from 4 days in the bush. Great trip out to Gariya Safari Lodge owned by my Rotary friend Jack Andrews. He is re-doing some of the sleeping lodges out there. Expanding their length, adding a veranda, rethatching the roofs, tiling the floors, new doors and windows. We went out to check on the progress and help.
Thatching almost done, what a beautiful job with special scalloping to enhance the "look" of them. We hung the doors and proceeded to put in the door handles. Our doors come with the holes predrilled. Not here. And solid teak!!. We had Zimbabwean door frames and South African handles.
They do not match up!!! So we had to improvise. I spent hours. Remember, we are 225km into the bush so limited in tools. Had to drill our the holes and then try and clean out the hole so the door locks would fit. Teak is so hard and only had a dull chisel. Then trying to fit them so they matched the door frame. My mechanical skills and somewhat limited and the instructions assumed you knew the names of the parts. But I persevered and finally got the job done.
What I really wanted to tell you was what happened when we arrived. The whole camp, nine men and two young twin women were in an uproar about the evil spirits in the compound where they stay, about 200 metres from the main camp. One girl was sick in bed, others talked about heavy pressure (hundreds of kilos of weight) on their check, strangulation, etc. that happened at night when they slept. Nothing would convince them that it was all in their mind and they wanted to go get the witch doctor.
First, we loaded the sick girl in our truck and sent it back to the nearest health clinic (125km) for medical attention. We felt she had malaria. Then I talked to Jack and said let me try some Canadian witchcraft. So we got all the men together and I told them I had seen North American Indians practice their "medicine" and would they let me try to drive away the spirits.
They agreed. So I got them to get me a 1" pole four feet long. We proceeded to the compound in the dark. I went to all four corners of the compound, threw sand in the air, drew a circle and put an X in it with my staff/pole and then went to each individual hut and chanted words. Used Russian, French, Latin and Indian chants. Banged the door frames and outside of each hut with my staff. The interesting thing is that on the back side of the compound I actually felt something different so told them that was the direction the spirits were coming from and spent more time there.
They said the spirits came every second night and that tonight was the second night.
Next morning I asked them if the spirits came. I hoped my "act" would work on their minds and there would be no problem. Well, the spirits came!!
Even a new guy in camp who knew nothing of the problem experienced it. So my "power" is not strong. Think I must go to Witch Doctor School and get charged up.
We did some hunting but the waterhole has dried up and we are not pumping water into it as returning next Friday and are going to hire locals to dig it out as it has silted in. So game has not come there and we only got a few small antelope called StenBucks. Saw a mating pair of wild cats near camp. They are beautiful and huge for cats. We leave them alone as they are good for control of rodents and snakes.
Jack is a great story teller and I can sit for hours in the evening listening to his stories of life here. He is 58 years old and lived here all his life. Really into wildlife and has great stories about growing up, playing with animals, keeping wild animals on the family farm, finding snakes in the house or outhouse. About 90% of all snakes here are venemous so you have to be careful. Puff Adders, Mambas, Cobras, etc. I have yet to see a single snake this trip and that is just fine with me.
I am home alone at the moment. Sunday morning. Just fed my 3 dogs some biscuits and then gave them a soup bone each so they are in dog heaven.
Yesterday was very cold. Overcast. But the sun is out again today and will be very hot again.
One of you told me 4 RCMP were killed in Alberta. What happened?
Elections are March 31 here. Lots of posters up and roads being graded, potholes being filled. Am I in Canada? There is no doubt Mugabe will be re-elected. A white man named Eric Bloch spoke to our Rotary Club 2 weeks ago. He is an economist and sits on the board of the Reserve Bank. Very well spoken. He says things will get worse here for the next 9 months regardless of election results but then it will slowly turn around. Even the ruling party (Zanu PF) will start to shift to moderation.
Mugabe has built a multi million dollar retirement complex just outside Harare so the
thoughts are he plans to step down. Eric said he has two objectives. One was land reform and he has stated that is accomplished. The second is to secure his party. If he wins the election the feeling is he will have done this. Regardless of who succeeds him, moderation will occur, attempts to win back the confidence of western nations will happens. What this country desperately needs is an influx of foreign currency. Industry is suffering here because they can not access foreign currency to purchase the products/expertise they need to manufacture, etc. 85% unemployment!!
Did I tell you I got my vehicle back after 32 days at the garage. Total engine rebuild. Cost me over 13 million Zim dollars. About 1000US at todays exchange rate. Runs like a top. But I had to rent another vehicle at $18US per day during that time so that really put a hole in my reserve cash.
Got to run
Love to all
Doug