The next leg of my trip – intended to be from Victoria Falls to Mozambique – encountered several unexpected problems and quickly became a haphazard string of bus routes that left me in Namibia, on the opposite coast of Africa.
From Bulawayo I caught a series of busses and combis (minibuses) to Great Zimbabwe, the nation’s most significant cultural attraction. The impressive stone ruins of a medieval town still remain, and I reached them in the beautiful light of sunset.
First I climbed to the top of the hill fort (with my backpack!), which offered a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside.
The fort, like everything else at the site, is built of stacked stones without mortar and adapts to the existing terrain (large boulders in this case).
In the valley below, I could see the Great Enclosure, the most impressive area of the ruins
The accuracy and squareness of the walls was impressive, and the masonry shows a high level of expertise.
The most famous and sophisticated structure at the site is the conical tower. It’s function is hotly debated, with theories ranging from a granary to a phallic fertility symbol.
And then the sun finally set.
After a nice dinner at the most expensive hotel in the area, I took a taxi to a filling station that served as a bus stop for my southbound transport to Johannesburg, South Africa. Naturally the coach was late, but the seats were comfortable and I only woke up once for the border crossing.
On my way, I discovered that it was no longer possible for me to get a visa for Mozambique at the border. This proved to be a serious hitch in my plans, as I didn’t have time to get one on the way. When I reached Jo’burg, I was able to chafe my ticket to go to Botswana the next afternoon, arriving around 7pm. The bus stopped right outside the office of the second bus company that ran a twice-weekly service to Namibia – the only bus across that border. They had a departure the next day. I was on it. I crossed the Kalahari Desert and reached Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, yesterday evening.
Both here and in Jo’burg, I’ve been surprised by the level of development in the cities. Though poverty is still a problem in the townships and rural areas, the business districts are booming. The streets are new, lit, and clean. Restaurant quality is improving. This is the first place I’ve been in Africa where the power stays on and it’s also home to the fastest internet I’ve encountered. Windhoek’s facilities are broadly comparable to a similarly sized Amercan city. Inwas similarly impressed by my brief time in Jo’burg, which could easily be mistaken for Europe.
I’m reminded of a segment of The Daily Show that featured South African comedian Trevor Noah. Parts of Africa are more developed than most Americans realise. I found much of what I expected, but these luxuries are especially appreciated after the last two months of travel.
