Day 21: Mutoko (Zimbabwe) via Harare to Beit Bridge (Zimbabwe side)

The border officials were kind yesterday. The visa was free but I paid 6$ + 10$ for something to the Zim Revenue Official. Luckily I had my comesa insurance from Tanzania, so saved some dollars.

Harare, Zimbabwe

80km on I found Nyamakwere Lodge and got a camp site. The receptionist offered me a bath or shower option, I chose bath. The restaurant / bar was nice and I spent the evening watching the Euro Womens semi-final match between Norway and Denmark, sorry Denmark, the penalty shootout got you in the end.

I left early, heading for Harare. Wow. Its well developed. I managed to draw some dollars from the ATM. Here they use US$ but give you change in SA Rands (strange).

It was 5 days before the national elections and I did not want to see too much. By now, I'm ready to see my family. This trip has been awesome, but unfortunately it was winding down now.

I'm headed for a famous border post, Beit Bridge.


On my way to Beit Bridge a biker and his pillion pass me at about 140km/h. I was doing about 110km/h, which was high for this trip. Later, about 2km down the road I pass a guy waving at me. Its the biker. I think, is he ok? An stop a bit further down the road (50m). He comes running. 'Hey, where am I going he asks', I say 'Beit Bridge', because I'm trying to get home to my family after a marathon trip crossing Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, back to Tanzania, Malawi, Mozmbique, and now Zimbabwe. He says 'wow', that's awesome, and tells me about the Giraffe Biker Rally happening this weekend, as an annual event. I say, I've never been to a rally, and he says wow. I'd never felt it necessary to go to one? So he goes back and says, he just wanted to tell me and thought I might want to go along, but it meant turning right, off this route, on another road that went past Bulawayo but also to Beit Bridge.

I politely declined because I was set on crossing the border today, tonight, whatever.

So I drove on to Beit Bridge.

Truck loads of voters singing for the election in Zimbabwe on 31 july, 2013

When I got to Beit Bridge, it was 18:00, and dark already. The guy, Steve, had mentioned that you could also turn 'back' from here, and kind of double back on the other road to get to the Giraffe Rally......... I was thinking that he was so kind to invite me, and I turned it down? So. ....... I turn right, away from Beit Bridge (which was left), and I decide, ok. Let's go to the rally and see what its about, since I anyway need a place to sleep tonight, so, off I go, to the rally.

Now. I've driven 305km on this (17 liter capacity) tank already

I thought it would only be 50km down the road so I should make it. Without filling up, or getting more cash, I drive on. To honormy invitation. Now, the 50km came and went and on I went in the dark. On, and on, and on..... 97km later I got there. Sweating from the fact that I had barely any fuel in my tank, the donkeys were grazing by the roadside and scaring th living daylights out of me, and I don't even know of I will like the rally..... But I juuuust make it.