Harare Interlude 2: Domboshawa

I'll be honest. For the first time since I started writing, I wondered whether I really needed to add words to this post. I feel like the photographs speak for themselves. But because I can't really resist, I'm going to add background commentary.

The day began with brunch. Which became a bit awkward for everyone once I found the muffins. Julia, bless her God-gifted culinary hands, made two versions:

1. Spinach, Butternut and Feta (I'm sure that was the kind of cheese). I had four. Most people had none.
2. Chocolate chip and cherry. Really, I should have been left alone for that first mouthful. Zerene has not been afraid to comment on this point. 

Apart from the muffins, there were flapjacks, bacon, strawberries (some whole, some sliced), scrambled eggs with chives and pseudo-marscapone cheese (it was cream cheese). And syrup that had crystallised in the bottle (#CondimentFail). And the bucksfizz (#Winning).

I drove home for a much needed afternoon nap, and then drove back to Zed's, where the party had grown. After much packing of drinks, confusion over cars, shotgunning of leftover muffins ("they're MINE Jayson"), and general miscommunication of ETDs - I drove off to Helensvale to buy fuel and Willards Tomato Sauce chips. 

I then continued on to Domboshawa. Where typically, the group congregated to wait for Zerene; who arrived in the back of a Mazda sporting a pair of vintage sunglasses and a pashmina she'd "borrowed" from her mother's wardrobe. And promptly went in search of a bathroom.

After a series of negotiations with the gatekeeper (always complicated - when you charge $4 per person and have no change smaller than a $10 note - agility is required), we began walking up the rock/mountain/gomo/doo-ala(being the english teacher pronunciation of "dwala").

I recall from high school geography that Zimbabwe is famous for coining the phrase "dwala" - the official name for these large smooth outcrops of rock. Sadly, wikipedia proved that geography teacher wrong - as it's known officially as a "Bornhardt". But dwala sounds a lot more exciting.

As we climbed up, the sun lit up the lichen that covers the rock, turning it a bright fiery yellow-dappled orange.

The lichen

After a photo pause, we had fallen behind. When we eventually caught up with the rest of the group, they had stopped here:

Domboshawa

And in the other direction:

The peak point

Breathtaking.

And time for sundowners. So out came the wine, the crisps, the muffins, the orange juice, the beer and a bottle of JC Le Roux sparkling wine that Zerene had discovered on top of her fridge. Interestingly, the addition of fresh orange juice only lightened the colour of the sparkling wine.

I stopped drinking it.

Zerene did not.

Then the sun set:

The Sunset

Enough said.