To Gecko Gardens, Harare…

After refueling in Masvingo, I took the A4 and headed north… It was a little after 1.00pm, and I had enough time to make the ride to Harare and arrive there before dark…  The road was a little bumpy, with the occasional pothole, and for the first hour we made good time. We passed through the small settlements of Chirumanzu and Chaka and reached Mvuma an hour later. While riding on this stretch, a truck a hundred metres in front of me had a massive blowout, the noise was like a gunshot ! A cloud of dust appeared as if by magic in front of me, and I got my visor closed just in time, before I rode through the centre of it… Then the retread from the burst tyre came off, and came flying towards me… Two metres of solid rubber, 9 inches wide, flew through the air and landed a few metres in front and to the right of me, narrowly missing the bike as I swerved to avoid it ! A narrow escape… If I had been any closer to the truck, I might have ended up with a rubber scarf, and a wrecked bike… The truck did not even slow down, but continued bombing along, the driver tooting his horn in greeting as I passed…

The passengers on this bus were lucky to get out alive... I shook my finger at the Big Fella and said, "Don't YOU try any of that electrical fire crap with me..."

Further along the road, just before the town of Chivhu, I came across one of those luxury buses, which had minutes before been engulfed in flames. The tyres were still burning, flames shooting off them… A fire tender was parked just behind it, and the firemen were rolling up their hoses… The passengers stood shocked and forlorn on the opposite side of the road, hands over their mouths, their belongings gathered in the dust at their feet. I pulled over and took a few photographs, shaking my head in sympathy with firemen and the crowd around me… Luckily everybody had managed to get off the bus before the fire got out of control… Judging by all the abandoned wrecks along the roadsides in Zimbabwe, this one will still be there for years to come…

I was halfway to Harare, and looked for a lay-by in which to take

I take in some water while contemplating the storm clouds ahead of me...

a break in… I eventually found a deserted one about 30 kms north of Chivhu, and parked the Big Fella under a tree while I drank a bottle of water and chomped on an energy bar. A massive bank of clouds had gathering to the north of where I stood, and I debated whether or not to put on my rain gear… A strong easterly wind was blowing, and I hoped that the front would have moved on before I reached it… I decided to chance it…!! Bad mistake…!! Half an hour later, I was wincing in pain as large raindrops stung my face and eyes… The storm had split into two, and I thought I could make it through the centre of the two fronts, now massing on either side of the road… As I came around a long, gentle bend, throttle wide open in a race to get out from under the dark clouds above me, I saw that the road in front had changed colour…. It was wet…

Looking at the clouds ahead, you'd think I was gonna get wet, huh..? You'd be dead right, folks...!!

I rode into what felt like a wall of water, and was sopping wet in minutes… I hoped that this was either the tail end, or the very start of the storm and put my head down in an attempt to minimize the target , and get to the other side as quickly as possible… I had to open the visor to see properly, and the stinging raindrops felt like small hailstones on my cheeks and nose… I rode like this for about 15 minutes, and then broke though on the far side of the storm, experiencing only intermittent showers for the next 50 kms…. By the time I got to the outskirts of Harare, the light wind and mild temperatures had dried my riding gear, and all was well, although the skin on my face still tingled from the beating it had taken….

Guess I better move over... He seems a little bigger than me...

I stopped at the first major service station I came across, and while filling up, asked around for a good place to spend the night… I wanted something on the eastern side of the capital, so that I could get an early start the next day… I did not want to have to spend the first hour of the day battling through traffic… I rode up the main entry road, Rotten Row, all the way into the capital until I reached the flyover I had been directed to, then  turned right on Samora Machel Avenue

Samora Machel Avenue, Harare... Taxis, jaywalkers...and rain ! A wonderful mix, if danger blows your hair back...!!

and forced my way between lines of peak hour traffic… And then it started raining again… Riding in Johannesburg’s traffic will prepare you for dealing with taxis and cars that all believe they are the only vehicle on that stretch or road !! I jinked in and out of the long lines of cars between the traffic lights, bantering with any folk perched on the back of pick-ups. I had my visor up and answered as many of the comments that came my way as was possible…  I had set my GPS for the Mozambique border, to ensure that I would get into the right area before looking for accommodation. I turned left onto Enterprise road, which later becomes the A2 to Nyamapanda Border Post…

There had been a bumper bashing incident at a large traffic circle up ahead of me, and I saw that it involved a few folk of a lighter hue… I parked the bike, and dodged a few cars as I crossed the road and walked up to the crowd gathered around the accident. There were three or four traffic officers,  shouting at each other, the passing traffic, and the three Europeans who were assessing the damage to their vehicle… I walked up the nearest guy and said,

“Hi Mate !! I know this is not a good time, but I’m looking for a place to spend the night… Can you recommend one close to where we are..?”

He gave me the once over, looked back to his girlfriend, then to his car, and finally back to me, and with a deep sigh, began telling me about the various place along the road that I would encounter… His mate than came up and put his ten cents worth as well… Then his girlfriend chipped in from the other side of the much dented bonnet of the car, with a few choices of her own… With a half dozen choices to hand, I thanked them and wished them well, before hopping on the bike and continuing down the A2, until I reached the turnoff into the Glen Lorne residential area, and looked for the sign directing me to Gecko Gardens…

Trisha Mubenda and her assistant Steve, consider whether or not to allow the Gypsy Biker access to the Gecko Gardens...

The road leading off the A2 was badly potholed, and it was

The barman had heard rumours of a biker in the house, and decided to stock up...

almost dark, when I pulled into the parking lot of this very up-market looking lodge… I had a feeling that this place would be well beyond what I had been hoping to pay for a night in a bed, but the thought of having to continue riding to find a more suitable (cheaper!) establishment had my shoulders drooping in despair… It had already been a long haul up here, and I was keen to call it quits for the day… I walked into the beautiful reception area and introduced myself in as casual a manner as possible, hoping that my bedraggled appearance would not make me look as desperate as I felt !!

The first price that Trisha Mudenda (the General Manger) quoted, had my eyes widening, and my knees buckling…

“US$ 140.00 !! You have to be kidding me !!” was my immediate reply…. “All I need is a bed to sleep in and a place to wash up in… I’ll be gone first thing tomorrow morning, and will not even trouble your kitchen..!!”

She gave me a long look and then we got down to bargaining in earnest…  We eventually settled on a price that was still much higher than I had hoped for, but half of what was originally quoted… I looked back over my shoulder, out over the dining room and beyond into the beautiful gardens, with their fountains and pathways…

“Does that include breakfast ?” I asked hopefully….

Another long look from Trisha….. before she said,

“Would you like it in your room?”…

“Hell no, I’ll be in the dining room at 6.00am if that’s OK with you…”

Her right eyebrow lifted an inch, but she agreed that this could be arranged… I was showed to my room, which was much larger than I had expected, with a separate lounge area, a small kitchenette, a large bathroom with shower, and a bedroom that I could scatter all my stuff in… It was as comfortable and as well appointed a stopover as you could wish for, and if you find yourself in Harare, and wanting a great place to stay, this is it !!

They also have a Portuguese restaurant, “Arnaldo’s” , where I had an excellent Peri-Peri chicken and Chips, before heading back to my chalet, for a hot shower and  to do some work on my blog…

My chalet at Gecko Gardens, Harare...

I had been given the password to their Wi-Fi set-up which was an unexpected bonus, and I decided to take full advantage of this, as I was not sure when I would have access to the internet again… I spent the remainder of the evening sorting through the photos I had taken at the ruins and on the way up to Harare, and uploading a posting on my web… A Nightjar serenaded me as I worked, and the high pitched squeaking of bats added to the night sounds of Africa… I glanced at my watch and to my horror, saw that it was 1.30am !! Arghhhhhh !!

I set my cell-phone alarm for 4.30am, admonishing myself as I did so, for not keeping an eye on the time… I had a long day ahead of me, with two border crossings to handle, and about 750 kms to cover…. Not good on three hours of sleep !!

I consoled myself with the fact that for the next four days, I would be sitting on my backside on the shores of Lake Malawi,taking in amazing sunsets and sunrises,  surrounded by friends, eating great food, and perhaps even having a drink or nine…..

Roll on, Senga Bay….. Roll on !!

© GBWT 2010