(English below)
Die van julle wat Zimbabwe ken en nog kan onthou hoe dit in Vic Falls lyk, sal miskien die Wimpy onthou. Die Wimpy was op die hoek van die pad wat inkom van Bulawayo en die pad wat uitgaan na die krokodilplaas en ook die ingang na die Zambezi Nasionale Park.
Ons het al baie by daardie Wimpy op die sypaadjie gesit en wafels geëet, terwyl honderde verarmde Zambiërs hulle verflenterde stootwaentjies per voet vanaf Livingstone, oor die brug en dan die lang opdraende op tot in Vic Falls gestoot het. 'n Ruk later is daardie karretjies met buigende en slingerende wiele dieselfde pad terug, volgelaai met die broodnodigste: meel, olie, suiker, sout.
Nou is dit blykbaar omgekeerd. Zambië beleef 'n bloeitydperk en die mense in Vic Falls kry swaar sonder die basiese lewensmiddele.
Dit was lekker dae in Vic Falls: Warm winterdae, die goue kleur van die son, die gedreun van die valle in die verte, en daardie lekker gevoel van op-vakansie-wees-in-Afrika.
Vandag oor vier weke is ek weer in Vic Falls, die eerste keer in sewe jaar. Dit gaan interessant wees om te sien hoe die dorpie nou lyk. As die Wimpy nog daar is, gaan ek weer daar sit en 'n koppie koffie drink. Miskien is daar nog wafels ook. Ek twyfel egter baie sterk.
Toe ek op Naboom gekom het, het ek 'n stukkie bos langs my huis gekoop sodat ek altyd die bospatryse in die oggend kon hoor skreeu. Ek het selfs 'n 3x3 seiltent daar gehad, met twee beddens in. Ek kon in my eie bos kampeer! Tussen Kersfees 2004 en Nuwe Jaar het die tent en een bed oornag verdwyn. Affirmative shopping.
Ek moes nou 'n stuk van die bos verkoop om die werk aan die motorfiets en my reis te kan betaal. Dis 'n verlies. Wat gaan ek terugkry vir die verlies van die bos? Ek weet nie. Ek weet egter dat ek oneindig meer gaan terugkry. Die verlies aan die bos gaan 'n wins wees aan ervarings, belewenisse, lewensindrukke. Ek gaan die LEWE ervaar.
Soos die dae minder word, ervaar ek ook iets anders. Daar het 'n ander kwaliteit, byna 'n intensiteit, in my vriendskappe gekom. Ek het die naweek in die Vrystaat gekuier. Wat 'n voorreg om so intens te kan kuier, musiek te luister, saam met Jacques en Estelle Roos vergange reise te herleef en nuwes te beplan, na Marietjie se foto's van Oos-Afrika te kyk en haar ervarings as gids saam te beleef. Ek en die Rose het baie gedroom en gelag: Miskien is daar eendag 'n voortsetting van Naboom2Germany: Rusland, Siberië, Kanada, Australië. Wie weet.
Ek sal vir julle 'n foto van die Wimpy in Vic Falls op die dagboek sit nadat ek daar was.
Those of you that know Zimbabwe and Vic Falls will remember the Wimpy in Vic Falls. It was at the corner of the road going to Bulawayo and the road going to the croc farm and Zambezi National Park.
We spent many hours at that Wimpy, sitting at the tables outside, eating waffles and watching the poor Zambians streaming over the border with their old carts to come and buy food. They came all the way from Livingstone, over the bridge and then up the hill to the shops in Vic Falls. Some did that trip even twice a day. After their shopping they went back down the hill to Zambia, their carts swerving all over the road. They needed the meal, salt and oil.
The situation has changed. The economy of Zambia is on the up, while Zimbabwe, you know ...
Those days were wonderful: Sunny winter days in the African bush, the thunder of the falls down the road, the streets filled with backpackers and other tourists.
Today in four weeks I will be back in Vic Falls, the first time since 2001. I look forward to seeing the town again. If the Wimpy still exists I will go and have a coffee there. Perhaps there will be waffles. Perhaps.
When I moved to Naboom I bought a piece of bush next to my house. I loved to hear the birds early morning, to go and sit in my own bush with a cup of coffee. I even had a 3 x 3 canvass tent there with two beds in it. I enjoyed camping in my own bush! Between Christmas 2004 and New Year the tent and one bed disappeared overnight. Affirmative shopping.
I had to sell a piece of that bush now to finance the upgrading of my bike and my trip across Africa. That is a huge loss to me. What am I going to get back to compensate for the loss? I don't know. However, I know that what is a loss now will change into a major gain later on. I am going to experience so much, going to see wonderful parts of the world, I am going to meet people that will definitely change my life in many ways.
As the time is running out I experienced a change in my friendship to many of my friends. It is getting more intense. I visited Jacques and Estelle Roos in Welkom, Free State, this weekend. We had so much fun! We listened to music, watched so many photographs and videos of their visit to Canada, we re-lived many trips to Botswana and planned even more. Marietjie is a guide at an overlander company. Her photographs of East Africa touched my soul. We all had our dreams of faraway horizons: Naboom2Germany. Russia? Siberia? Canada? Australia?
After my visit to Vic Falls I will upload a photograph of the present-times Wimpy. It must be a black-white one, or sepia.
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