Read on Twitter
Dramatic Day in Matobo
Father and l went to rural Matobo yesterday to check on goats and cattle. Blissful trip laced with social and political chatter. Rains had pounded the area the night before. Dirt road is slippery making driving an unpleasant experience.
Father and l went to rural Matobo yesterday to check on goats and cattle. Blissful trip laced with social and political chatter. Rains had pounded the area the night before. Dirt road is slippery making driving an unpleasant experience.
Enter return trip.
We get stuck in a puddle. No help in sight as there are no homesteads nearby. We clear sand in front of the tyres and place pebbles and small boulders but car just won't move. It rains and car tyres get further partially submerged in water. Stress.
We get stuck in a puddle. No help in sight as there are no homesteads nearby. We clear sand in front of the tyres and place pebbles and small boulders but car just won't move. It rains and car tyres get further partially submerged in water. Stress.
Two hours later a Toyota Landcruiser emerges behind us. Inside the Cruiser is a 6 men team of Agric and Vet officers. They give us a push and in a minute we are rescued. The relief was palpable.
5km later we get to an overflowing bridge; a bridge we had crossed with no incident in the morning. The afternoon rains caused the overflow. Surely the gods want us to sleep in the bush today. Stress again.
An impatient local man and his two dogs (black and brown) dare us and make the effort to cross the flooded bridge. The black dog is not successful and gets swept away by the raging water.
Good news however is the black dog made it out of the river and made a successful second attempt at crossing. Dogs apparently are great swimmers.
But the drama was not done with us. Another damaged bridge we had crossed cautiously in the morning was now in an even more precarious state following afternoon rains. The Agric & Vet team, father & l and some local people had to 'construct' an alternative road. Took 20minutes.
Having left rural home at 2pm, we got to Bulawayo at 8pm, violating the curfew! Was nonetheless elated to make it home safely albeit the drama.
The diaries of buffaloes in anguish!
The diaries of buffaloes in anguish!
