LET’S MAKE A PLAN
Traversing the Beautif ul, Turbulent Land of Zimbabwe
TEXT AND IMAGES BY DAN GREC
While exploring Southern Africa over the last few months, I have repeatedly been told of Zimbabwe for a raft of very good reasons and a handful of not-so-good reasons. It’s one of the most beautiful countries on the continent, I have been told, and the locals are extremely friendly. Unfortunately, it’s also extremely corrupt, and recently, I have been glued to the radio to hear news of the military coup, which removed long-standing Dictator Robert Mugabe from power. I’m told, now, everything is more or less stable, though the country is poised on a knife edge, torn between the long-standing ZANU-PF party and the hopeful up-and-coming MDC, with all the possibilities of a bright and prosperous future ahead.
Diving in
Leaving Mozambique, we climb up and up into the mountains of Eastern Zimbabwe, and set up camp on the edge of the beautiful town Chimanimani. The town itself is small enough to walk around in ten minutes, so we set about learning how money works in this country and getting some small supplies.
The Eastern Highlands offer endless moun- tain roads to explore
After a very rocky monetary history, Zimbabwe is currently using what they call “bond notes” which look like money, and are supposed to be of equal value to the U.S. dollar (more on that later). Unfortunately bond notes are in short supply, and almost nobody has actual cash. We see people lining up for many hours at the bank to get a single $20 bill — their allocation for the day.
I see an ATM at a nearby bank, complete with a now-common armed guard. I walk over to use my card, and the guard smiles broadly while explaining it is of no use because the ATM has no money in it. With bond notes so scarce, all the ATMs in the country are empty. I begin to wonder why he is still guarding it, but don’t bother asking.
Because bond notes are in such short supply and are worthless outside the country, everyone wants genuine U.S. dollars. Raiding my emergency supply means we can exchange to bond notes at better than face value. My $100 USD bill buys $125 in bond notes, which can be used to buy absolutely everything in the country. Getting a 25-percent discount across the board is a nice way to make our stay a little cheaper.