The Great Zimbabwe Monument

The “Great Zimbabwe Ruins”

We are sitting by the pool in Kelvin's back garden. Glad and Tina are involved in an animated conversation.

I am studying the map.

“How long is the drive from Harare to Masvingo?” I ask Kel.

“Oh, about four and a half to five hours” he replies.

“So, we could leave here at about noon, get there late afternoon, check into a nearby Motel, visit the Great Zimbabwe Ruins the next morning and come back by late afternoon the following day.”

“The way you say it, it seems an easy jaunt” Kel smiled.

“But you're right, it could be done the way you suggest. Just don't have a flat tire. 
There is only one gas station with a mechanic, near Chivu, just about half way between Harare and Masvingo.

“I'd like to see the controversial 'Ruins of Great Zimbabwe' I said to Glad.

“Why are they controversial” she asked.

“It's the age-old argument as to who built them. Was it Egyptian, Arab traders, establishing outposts for their trading Empire, or were the builders native ancestors of the Shona.” Kel explained.

“It doesn't matter who built them” let's go and check them out.” 
Glad was all fired up and I too wanted to visit this place.

And so it happened that, after a long, dusty trip, we got a room in the “Masvingo Motel” and had a spicy, tasty local dinner.

Dusk came quickly as we sat in comfortable deck chairs in front of our ground floor room.

There was a sweet smell in the gentle breeze.

To this day I have never found out for sure the name of the blue to purple blooming tree which provided this scent.

I think it was called a “Jakaranda”.

The room was very small and the bathroom even smaller.

I remarked that “you couldn't swing a cat” in here.

“Why would you want to swing a cat”, Glad murmured before she fell soundly asleep.

Up bright and early. Breakfast was served in a four table dinette. It was good and plentiful even though, beside toast, I could not name a single dish.

The day held a promise of the usual cloudless blue sky.

“It'll be a hot one” Glad said.

We had arrived the afternoon before after a dusty trip and this morning our rental car was cleaned to a glistening shine.

The young boy, whom we had noticed the evening before stood next to it:

“I clean car good?” he asked. “ was very dirty. I clean even under. No can clean inside. Car locked.”

“What should I pay him” I asked Glad.

“Pay him what you would have to pay in Toronto, for such a lovely job.”

I knew I shouldn't have asked. The amount I gave him was like a treasure to him.

He just stared disbelievingly at the money in his hand.

“You go ruins?” he asked.

“Yes” I said we came to visit 'Great Zimbabwe' “

“ I know how get there short cut and I carry cameras.”

His eyes glistened with anticipation.

“My name is 'Akashinga' he told us with pride in his voice.

“Have you had breakfast” Glad asked the boy.

“A little!” He smiled.

“Well,” Glad said, “if you want to carry this heavy camera stuff, you must have a big breakfast.”

And that is why we left half an hour later than planned.

“We go now”? Your car? I carry cameras”

It was impossible to refuse and so the three of us loaded our sparkling clean car and set off on the dustiest, 'potholest' road in all of Zimbabwe, I'm sure.

About 45 minutes later we arrived at a truly astonishing structure.

This then was “The Great Zimbabwe Monument.”

From the distance, the first signs. 

A wall, surrounding the nucleus of the City 

which at a conservative estimate

 housed up to ten thousand people.

a closer look at "downtown"

Maybe housing the palace of the ruling King.

Staircases which probably lead to the King's Palace-

Nowadays they lead to nowhere.

A good indicator of the size of this structure:

Glad and our camera bearer, Akashinga.

Glad at the wall

The interior of this astonishing structure.

Without the use of any kind of binding agent, 

the stones were fitted, one atop the other.

'Akashinga' ( proudly wearing one of my cameras around his neck )

at the foot of this tower.

The purpose of this structure is not known. 

It is not hollow and could, therefore, 

not have been used for storage.

Maybe it simply was a signal 

of the reigning King's might and power.

Glad taking a little rest on one of the many remaining fundaments..

One of the best preserved walls shows the "snake of fertility"

(Since we already had two children, we left quickly.) 

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Tomorrow: 

At the "Independence day Celebration"

come back... for sure!