COUNTDOWN TO 2021

And just like that, another year has come and gone. And this one couldn’t go fast enough. While the months of teleworking and social distancing continue on, we were happy to be able to take a break and head to Victoria Falls in November. This was our first trip to Victoria Falls, and since Zimbabwe’s land borders had not yet opened, we had the national park and the resort where we stayed practically to ourselves. 

Why did the elephant cross the road?  These huge animals would disappear into the bushes within 10 feet of the road.

Much easier to spot when they're out in the open.  

Or when there are 50 of them.

After years of ongoing drought, the past couple of months have brought some much-welcomed rain. We stayed at a lodge on the Zambezi River, and during our game drives and other outings, it was remarkable how the rain had turned the landscape so lush and green. It made for some beautiful scenery… and gave the wildlife lots of cover, making them less easy to spot than on our previous safaris.

Just look for the giraffe heads sticking up out of the bushes.

We watched these two playing around for like 20 minutes.

Definitely lots of good birdwatching on this trip.  Here's a ground hornbill... which we inexplicably never saw on the ground - only in the trees.

We wrapped up a couple of days with a sunset float on the Zambezi.

You can see why we liked this sunset spot.

Some local Zambian fishermen on the river.

...And an Australian fisherman too.

Goggles are a fashionable choice to spare your eyes from the flying bugs in the open-air safari trucks after night falls.

This trip also brought us to Victoria Falls on the border of Zambia, so we had a chance to finally see what is arguably Zimbabwe’s biggest tourism draw. Being from Oregon with its bevvy of waterfall offerings, before setting eyes on Victoria Falls, I was thinking waterfall schmaterfall. But Victoria Falls is definitely something to behold. It goes on and on. There was a half-mile-ish long trail that offered about 15 different viewpoints of the falls along the way. Each one was different and all were spectacular. We easily spent a couple hours or more there, and we saw only a handful of other tourists the entire time. Our guide said during The Before Times, there would be busloads of tourists walking the trails and waiting in line for photo ops at various lookouts. But on our visit, we had the park almost to ourselves. We took a little drive through Victoria Falls town on our way back to the lodge, and while it is clearly set up for – and eagerly awaiting the return of tourists – it was very sleepy and quiet. Another sad reminder of the toll this virus is taking around the world.

At the first of 15 viewpoints along Victoria Falls.

We visited right at the beginning of the rainy season, so this was pretty much low flow.  At its peak, you can't even see the falls because of all the mist.  I think we timed our visit perfectly.

You can see some of that mist that Victoria Falls is known for here.  In the bantu language the falls are called “mosi-oa-tunya” – the smoke that thunders.

A post-hike visit to the landmark Victoria Falls Hotel built in 1904.

The hotel's veranda was an excellent spot to cool off with a refreshing beverage.  Our waiter shared with us that former Zimbabwe president (slash authoritarian dictator) Robert Mugabe and David Hasselhoff had sat at our table... though not at the same time, I was disappointed to learn.

Our holidays this year similarly reminded us that these are not normal times. For the first time in probably 30 years, I did not cook or bake anything for Thanksgiving. Instead, we joined a few friends at a local restaurant where we sat outside and enjoyed Zimbabwe’s take on a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner – complete with turkey and all the fixings. We joined mostly the same group of folks for a Christmas potluck. I’m thankful for the small group of friends in our “pandemic pod” with whom we can gather to mark these occasions, and for the mild, pleasant weather that Zim has given us all year that make our outdoor gatherings possible year round. 

Our front porch where we've spent a lot of time during lockdown.

Our outdoor Thanksgiving celebration with our pandemic pod.

Of course, all that said, I will eagerly welcome the return of some kind of normalcy where we can greet each other with a hug, reduce our dependency on hand sanitizer, and have parties and gatherings where we can invite as many folks as we want. As the holidays came and went this year in a very unconventional way, our countdown to 2021 now begins in full. Here’s hoping the new year gives us all a fresh start and renewed hope for better times to come. Wishing you all a safe and healthy 2021!

GIVING THANKS

Guinea fowl - aka Zimbabwean turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  In this age of COVID, this Thanksgiving will be like none other.  And I’ve definitely grumbled and had no shortage of anxiety and stress over the past 6+ months over the effects this virus has had on our lives and well-being.  But, despite all the mayhem and distress that 2020 has caused, I wanted to take a moment on this Thanksgiving to note all that I do have to be thankful for this year.  In no particular order, and in varying degrees of gravitas, they are:

1. Health

I can’t be thankful enough for the fact that despite COVID’s omnipresence, none of my family or friends have been seriously affected by it.  Only a handful of my friends have gotten it, and their symptoms were mild.  My biggest hope for the rest of this year and next is that this trend continues, and so I ask all of you – PLEASE – be safe, wear a mask, and get a vaccine when it’s available!  Aside from COVID, I’m also thankful that we’ve managed to avoid most other afflictions common here in Africa – malaria, cholera, all manner of food illnesses.  Andrew will say I’m jinxing us, but aside from a couple attacks from a stomach bug, we’ve fared pretty well here (knock wood).  Andrew felt such confidence in our resilience, he even braved the Zimbabwe medical system to have a surgery done to clear up a chronic problem he’s had with his shoulder.  So our health – and the health of our friends and family – tops the list of things to be thankful for this year.

The patient.  Royal blue is his color.

2. Carbs

Can I be thankful for both health and carbs?  If that’s not oxymoronic, then I am.  I’ve put our oven to its paces this year to keep a supply of bread and bagels on hand.  Nothing lifts the spirits more than a slice of warm, crusty bread with a schmear of butter.  There were many a day throughout this pandemic when that was just the thing I needed to bring me out of a funk.  Thank you, wheat and yeast, for being a trusty companion through some dark days.

A crusty masterpiece.

Is it possible to have a bagel addiction?

With an egg and home-grown avocado? Don't mind if I do.

3. Technology

COVID has tested my technological limits.  The embassy went on a rotational telework schedule in March, and I’ve only been going in to the office 2-3 times every other week since then.  Most of my workdays are now spent in what had been our dining room that now serves as my office, with my laptop propped up on a case of tonic water and extension cords spanning the floor to the one outlet in the room.  It’s not the most ergonomically correct set up, but it works.  I’m thankful for the internet (that works at least 90% of the time here), the electricity (and our generator that kicks in when the electricity goes off), and the technology that somehow lets me be almost as productive at home as I am at the office.  I’m thankful that COVID hasn’t affected my job, unlike so many others who’ve lost theirs during this pandemic.  I’m also thankful that technology helps me keep in touch with friends and family around the globe.  Facebook, WhatsApp, Zoom, this blog… It makes being in a time zone 10 hours ahead of the west coast that much easier and keeps us all that much closer.  As much as technology can make me want to pull my hair out sometimes (why can’t I get our f^#*ing VPN to work????), I’m so thankful that it has let me continue to do my work and keep in touch with you all during these tough times.

Andrew and I sharing office space (i.e., our dining room table).

Happy hour/brunch skyping with my parents.

4. Dogs

While we made the decision not to get another dog while we’re on the foreign service treadmill (it is stressful – and EXPENSIVE – to move pets around the world!), we have made ourselves available to friends and colleagues to dogsit theirs.  Lots of folks here have household staff that watch their pets when they go out of town, so we haven’t been able to do as much dogsitting here in Zim.  But whenever we do, I am thankful to have a furry 4-legged companion around the house for a few days.

Meet Kenickie.  Other frequent guests include Nory and Oreo.

5. The Great Outdoors… and friends to enjoy it with

Even though Zimbabwe’s borders have been closed and we’ve basically been on lockdown since March, I’m thankful that we’ve still been able to get out and see some of this beautiful country.  We got to see Hwange National Park with some friends and colleagues in July, and Andrew and I spent 5 days in Victoria Falls and visited its national park last week.  (Still sorting through my photos from that trip… I’ll post some from that adventure soon.)  We’ve enjoyed the outdoors closer to home too.  I’m thankful we’ve been able to get outside to enjoy the fresh air and see some spectacular sights in the midst of a pandemic… and that we’ve gotten to enjoy it with friends (and with face masks… and at a reasonable social distance…)

Sundowners (happy hour) on top of Domboshava.

Sundowners around the fire pit.

Sundowners on a game drive in Hwange National Park.  Perhaps I should have added "sundowners" as a stand-alone item on my list of things to be thankful for.

You can see why we like watching the sun go down when the sky looks like this.

6. Our Neighborhood

In between those long-haul trips, I’m thankful we’ve been able to enjoy the outdoors right here in Harare.  Almost every morning, Andrew and I walk a loop around our neighborhood that takes us past the botanic gardens with its resident zebras, impalas, and sables.  Paying a visit to the neighborhood game park has become our daily ritual.  Harare also has a number of really nice (and cheap!) golf courses, so we’ve been hitting the links at least a couple times a month.  (Not that my game has improved any.  But Andrew’s killing it.)  I’m thankful that we can get some outdoor exercise and have a bit of a respite from the monotony that living through a lockdown brings.

A purple carpet appears under the jacaranda trees in our neighborhood when they bloom in October.

Checking in on the resident zebras during our neighborhood loop.

Pretty sure that didn't end up where I wanted it to.

7. Our Yard

And on those days when we don’t feel like braving the traffic to go to a golf course, or it’s too hot to do our usual walking routine, I’m thankful that we have a house with a beautiful yard to give us a little tranquility.  Enjoying a cocktail on our patio while we listen to the evening birdsongs, or picking some fresh veggies from our garden for that evening’s dinner, or floating in our pool to cool off… I try to take a minute or two every day to recognize how incredibly lucky and fortunate we are to have these amenities at our disposal.  I’m so very thankful for all of them.

Our vegetable garden pays off big time.

Come on in!  The water's great!

We celebrated Andrew's birthday with friends by setting up our TV on our outdoor patio and streaming a concert (See #3 Technology, above).

8. 2021

I’ll end my list by being thankful that 2021 will not be 2020.  I’m thankful that we’ll have a fresh start next year and am eagerly awaiting all it will bring – a COVID vaccine, a new administration, a chance to right many wrongs.  For us, it will also bring an end to our time in Africa and more time with friends and family back in the states.  While I’m not thankful our time here will be ending, per se, I am looking forward to the next chapter and the new friends, opportunities, and adventures it will bring.

This counts under #3 Technology too.

So to all of you, I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.  I hope you’re able to find a few things – large or small – to give thanks for this year.

MILESTONES

2020 has been a tough year all around – COVID, wildfires, a nasty election… murder hornets!  But the last 30 days have given me hope that we might turn this around yet.

First up, I got tenured.  That means the Foreign Service is stuck with me.  It’s a nice box to have checked and not have to think about any more.  And along those same lines, the election results should make my job a bit easier.  Hard to try to call out another country on governance issues and human rights violations when we’ve had such disastrous and distressing events going on in the U.S.  I have hope that we may start to turn a corner under a new administration.

And more exciting news to report.  We found out my next assignment will take us to …drumroll… Jakarta, Indonesia!  With tenure under my belt, I’m now considered a “mid-level” officer, which allows me to apply for jobs I want to do rather than being directed to jobs as an “entry-level” officer.  So my job in Indonesia will be a “Science and Technology Officer” and I’ll get to work on issues like air pollution and marine debris (i.e., plastics and discarded fishing gear clogging up and harming wildlife in the oceans).  I’ve been playing the long-game here waiting for the opportunity to finally get to work on issues that I’m really interested in (and feel like I know at least a little bit about), so I’m looking forward to this.  Of course, the job will entail learning Indonesian (HAHAHAHA!), so once I finish up my job in Zimbabwe in May/June next year, we’ll be back in the states for a year of training in Washington DC before heading to Jakarta in summer 2022.  Hopefully by then COVID will be a distant memory, and we’ll get to take full advantage of our location to fully explore SE Asia.  We’ll be there for three years, so plenty of time to plan your visits!

The Jakarta skyline.  From Belmopan (population: 18,000), to Harare (population: 1.5 million), to Jakarta (population: over 10 million).  This will be a new experience.

Looking forward to exploring the the inland areas...

... and the martime islands too!

In the midst of it all, I hit another milestone.  I turned 50.  COVID tamped down Andrew’s original plans to gather friends for a safari, but he still pulled off a fantastic series of celebrations:  a hike up Domboshava – a big granite outcrop on the outskirts of Harare – to watch the sun go down on my birthday eve, and a super fun 80s-rock-band themed lunch with several friends that evolved into a dance party on my actual birthday.  He also doted on me with flowers, balloons, and some local arts and crafts to remind us of our time in Zim.  Definitely a 50^th birthday to remember.

Enjoying "sundowners" (a gin and tonic, or two) on top of Domboshava.

Watching the sun set on my first half century.

All smiles on my birthday eve.

My 50th birthday lunch.  Rock on!

Let the dancing begin!

Andrew the rock star.  He pulled off an awesome birthday celebration!

We gathered with those same friends to watch the election finally get called for Biden last night and see the dawning of a new era that will include our first female VP.  Finally.  Another moment to remember, and definitely a long time in coming.  It’s a milestone that I’m hoping will help usher out 2020, which I think all can agree has been heartbreaking and devastating the world over.  Looking forward to a new year with renewed hope, optimism, and kindness. 

SPRING COLORS IN THE EASTERN HIGHLANDS

September in Zimbabwe has ushered in the start of spring.  The jacarandas and other flowering trees have started to put on their show.  Everything is leafing out.  And in Zimbabwe’s eastern highlands, the fresh spring colors look a lot like fall back home.

We headed to Nyanga near the border of Mozambique for a long weekend getaway a few weeks ago.  We’ve visited the area a couple of times now, but spring is by far the best time to go.  In spring, the newly leafed-out msasa trees put on quite a show of reds and oranges that can’t help but remind you that it is fall back home.  Nyanga is about a 5-hour drive from Harare – a pretty reasonable distance by Zim standards – so a small group of friends and colleagues headed out to hike and enjoy the color show.

Msasa trees in their full splendor.

First stop, a spot called World’s View that afforded 180-degree-plus views of the flatlands we had driven through to get there.  As with almost all days in Zim, we enjoyed a lovely sunny day (if not a bit hazy from the smoke from burning fields that seems to always be hanging around) to take in the vista.

Looking west over Zimbabwe from World's View.

Proof of life!

We also went to Nyanga National Park and hiked out to a viewpoint to see Mutarazi Falls, the highest falls in Zim and second highest in Africa.  Andrew and I had actually done this hike back in July last year, but it was overcast and a bit drizzly.  This time was a different story and the falls were in their full glory.

Not actually Mutarazi Falls, but one of several falls coming off the escarpment.

THAT is (a pretty average photo of) Mutarazi Falls.

The keystone event of the weekend was a hike up Mount Nyangani, the highest peak in Zim at just over 8,500 feet.  We hired a national park guide to show us the way, as that is now required after several hikers lost the trail and went missing.  The local lore is that the mountain’s spirits are responsible for their disappearances.  At any rate, we were quite happy to have our guide Tendai show us the way and offer words of encouragement along the decidedly steep trail.  Good news!  We made it to the top – and back down! – in one piece.  The views at the top were pretty incredible with a big bank of clouds pushed up along the Mozambique side of the mountain ridge, and views over the Zimbabwe plains in the other direction.  We also got to see lots of msasa trees in their full red and orange glory.  And after a full day of hiking, we definitely earned our gin and tonics that evening.

We drove to the trailhead on that road you see in the distance... and this wasn't even the top yet.

Made it to the summit of Mt. Nyangani!

Looking east into Mozambique... and a cloud bank pushed up against the mountain ridge.

Back on the trail.

At over 8,000 feet, definitely had to stop to catch our breath... and take in the views.

Thar she is!  The highest point on that ridgeline is Mt. Nyangani.

A stop at Nyangombe Falls on the way out of the park to rest our tired feet.

We got back to Harare mid-week, but I rounded out the week with a couple extra days off to enjoy some golf and much-needed downtime.  Zim has some really lovely – and cheap! – golf courses, so we’ve been taking full advantage of those.

The 18th fairway and clubhouse at the Royal Harare Golf Club.  This photo may or may not have been taken from where my ball actually landed.  

As much as the days… and weeks… and months this year have seemed to just bleed into each other, the changing colors and warmer days are definitely a signal that time is passing.  Glad we got to see the spring foliage display to have that reminder.