We traveled to Zimbabwe for my 50th birthday, the country I have so many fond memories of. I first visited Zimbabwe in 2000, went to Victoria Falls and apart from meeting the kindest and sweetest people on earth, I also met Cathy from the USA while at the Falls. She invited me to visit the States, we became dear friends and there in the US – through an acquaintance of Cathy – I met Gerry, my life companion for 22 years already.

I wanted to return to the Bvumba Mountains – also known as the ‘misty mountains’ because usually, like Table Mountain in South Africa, they sit in the clouds. We visited this area in 2017 and I had so many nice memories of this area, I just wanted to go back.  It is actually just across the border with Mozambique. So from Vilanculos it’s not all that far in terms of distance, but the road is incredibly bad and full of potholes so it takes quite a long time to get there. Because of the high mountain area it has a totally different climate than Mozambique, cool and dry with a very special biodiversity. Birdwatchers come here from all over the world to see rare and beautiful species.  

Right after the border crossing, a sense of melancholy came over me as we arrived into Mutare across the other side. The atmosphere was different than in 2017 – poorer, more restless, and more agitated in terms of atmosphere.Zimbabwe has been struggling with hyperinflation for years, purchasing power has plummeted and you clearly see that locals are visibly struggling to survive, even though there are also a many Zimbabweans with a lot of money – that too is very visible.

The 100-year-old English-style hotel where we stayed, complete with flower curtains, classic style white tablecloths and beautiful flower gardens, suited my melancholic mood. It turns out that a “big” birthday like this is full of moments when you just let life pass you by while also contemplating many moments in your own life. We had a drink in the garden and I saw a beautiful bouquet of flowers on the compost heap. I thought, “there you go”, we humans, as well as our memories, are equally as impermanent.  

I felt both melancholy and grateful at the same time. Does that fit 50? Gerry surprised me in the morning with video messages from dear family and friends from all over the world – and I felt rich with so many people around me, far away and yet so close. We ate a celebratory cake at Tony’s coffee shop – famous throughout Zimbabwe and beyond. I also spoke to the owner of our hotel who had just been back from a visit to celebrate his sister’s 99th birthday party in England. We met nice guests who told me about areas in Zimbabwe I didn’t know yet and I thought how fun would it be to organize a (small-scale) group trip from Mozambique to Zimbabwe with Unique Mozambique! I got (get) extremely excited about it and felt elated and full of energy!

After my birthday, we camped for 2 more nights in the area. The former house where now the shower and toilet breathed a state of decay, with books and posters on the wall from better times. But the place was beautiful and full of flowers, scents and birdsong. We met a nice young Dutch couple there who have been traveling through Africa for 2 years in a Land Rover and working digitally along the way. Their Instagram page has almost 25000 followers and I suddenly felt old. I’m not great with social media and frankly, quite dislike it and the couple looked at me somewhat non-comprehendingly when I said that – which made me feel even older. I thought, here I am with my Facebook page with a handful of photos and a couple of hundred followers on Instagram – I have no idea how to make a decent video and have a Chinese phone with a crappy camera. A despairing thought went through my mind – how can I ever  develop these wonderful ideas I have with Unique Mozambique and how are people ever going to find me?!!!

I was also chatting to the older guests at the campground who were enjoying their well-deserved retirement traveling through southern Africa and thought, how are me and Gerry  supposed to continue? We’re not digital nomads and we don’t have pensions. I decided to make a Gin Tonic. The nice staff in the kitchen gave me a lemon which seemed just as old as I was.

After 2 very cold nights in the tent under overwhelming starry skies, we decided to treat ourselves and stayed one more night back in the same hotel, sitting  by the fireplace and contemplating life.

There is no going back, we can only keep going forward. Everyone has a different path in life – maybe hard, maybe easier, but still unique for everyone. Not better not worse, just different. Make the most of it, if you can. Happy 50!