October 30, 2015
Bulawayo to Plumtree: Nice tailwind
"Very nice people" Patrick says as we cycle away from Jake and Nancy. We've had three lovely days with them, the beauty of cycle touring is making new friends. "I didn't give Nancy a hug" Rachel regrets. They truly exemplify the life of service.
We make our way out of Bulawayo and onto a very nice road with wide shoulders and the destination of Plumtree. Outside the town there are two lodges, one expensive, one cheap. We stayed at the cheap one, then had dinner at the expensive one, a very nice dinner of fish and chips. From here we are 8kms to the border of Botswana. We figure in Botswana as anywhere, the wind will be the biggest factor. Today the wind swirled between a cross and headwind.
After our first rest break, Rachel feels a little nauseous. Much later Patrick also feels a little queasy and we think maybe it is the peanut butter, so we toss it at the next rest stop. By evening, Patrick is feeling better, Rachel still has an upset stomach.
Tomorrow a new country!
Impressions of (one week) in Zimbabwe:
1) US dollar is the currency. The $1 bills are pretty nasty and dirty, because they are the most used. A coke cost $1
2) Prices for goods and services are similiar to prices at home in US making it expensive
3) In 1994 we took the NRZ (National Railways of Zimbabwe) train from Bulawayo to Victoria falls. In 2015, we did the reverse. The carriages are rundown, sheets are no longer provided for the 1st class cabins
4) Zimbabweans go to Botswana to buy goods.
5) President Robert Mugabe has taken the country when first gained independence from being a strong country to now a very poor economy. First in the office, said would not kick the white farmers out, and recently has done just that. Zambia has benefited by accepting the white farmers and doing quite well.
Today's ride: 104 km (65 miles)
Total: 8,538 km (5,302 miles)
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