Day 317 / 82

Date: 23 February 2023
Sleeping location: Backpackers Rest, Masvingo, Zimbabwe
Distance (km today/total/total Part 2): 38 / 19428 / 4591
Estimated climb (m today/total/total Part 2): 300 / 169900 / 51900
Pizzas: 2, large 

Day in three words: Great Great Zimbabwe

It was cold, actually cold, in the early morning and I had to get my quilt out for a snuggle. Once suitably warmed up with some coffee I packed up and went back into the Agatha Christie lounge for another big fried breakfast, which this time came with minced beef instead of chicken. I’d arranged to meet Oliver and Pauline, who were attempting to hitch from near Clevers, at Great Zimbabwe at 10, but of course as the only one with my arrival time in my own hands I managed to leave late and had to rush. I was worried they’d be waiting but as I arrived at the gates Pauline was jogging down the road. They had managed to find a car with space only for one person and two rucksacks, so Pauline had run 10km and Oliver had been dropped off over 1km away and walked with two rucksacks. Fair play to both of them.

We paid up, including extra for a guide called Myriam who was good fun, and first walked up to the citadel area perched on a hill overlooking the main site. Walls and stairs meandered up and down through huge granite rock faces which they had used as part of the structure. Everything was made with rectangular granite bricks, stacked neatly without the use of any mortar. These were created by building a big fire on top of granite rocks then suddenly pouring water on to cool it, shattering the rock into pieces. These pieces formed with flat sides because granite is layered, and were then shaped with metal tools before being used like Lego (as in, you’d hunt through your pile of pieces to find one that fitted each space). There also lots of rock hyraxes (a sort of big, mean-looking rodent) and colourful lizards everywhere* and beautiful views back down to the plain below.

 

We then walked down to the Great Enclosure, which was very impressive, a huge circular wall up to 11m high and metres thick, containing a number of other structures, all made with these dry granite bricks. It’s the largest pre-colonial structure in sub Saharan Africa. The bricks in this area were more uniform and the stacking neater than at the citadel, so the theory goes that they improved their techniques over time, but the truth is nobody really knows as there is no recorded history of the site before the 16th century, by which time it had already been abandoned. I put forward my own theory that they actually got worse at building as time went on, due to laziness and/or drunkenness, and Myriam said it is entirely possible.

Finally we went to a little museum which provided a bit more context, and displayed some carved stone eagles which were found on the site, one of which is now featured on the flag of Zimbabwe. One of these was described as "plump and elaborate" and one seemed to have a big muscular arm, so Oliver and I did not necessarily give them the respect they deserved. This site has made a big contribution to the Zimbabwean national psyche: as well as the eagle it sort of gave its name to the country** and the ruling political party uses part of the Great Enclosure as its logo.

 

O&P and I agreed to meet in Masvingo and stay at the same place, so we began a sort of race as I cycled and they walked then hitched. The road was good with a light tailwind and I made good time, but they got lucky with a pickup and zoomed past me in a car about 2/3 of the way into town. We met at a slightly weird and dingy, but cheap, backpacker lodge and the three of us took a “triple” room which actually had two double beds pushed together to make some kind of megabed. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening eating, drinking a few beers and doing some admin around town, including a big money exchange to swap their excess Rand for my excess USD. There were absolutely no decent restaurants so for dinner we went to a fast food pizza place, where I ordered two large pizzas and somehow ate both. 

Freddy Watch - it looks like he will cross my route the day after tomorrow, bringing medium/strong winds and heavy rain for about 24hrs, so camping overnight is going to be out of the question. I may have to hide out somewhere while he passes. 

*As well as loads of mysterious blue woodlice all around the site, gathered in huge groups, but nobody seemed to have any idea why. Perhaps a flashmob or simply the place to be? The Blue Woodlouse does sound like a trendy cocktail bar. 

**Zimbabwe (probably) means “large houses of stone”, and there are hundreds of “Zimbabwe”s across Southern Africa, but all less great than this one.