Tourists eat crocodile at Vic Falls!

Continuing my visit last week to the amazing Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe — the largest curtain of falling water in the world...

Meat is abundantly offered to tourists — especially wild meat of crocodile, impala buck (locally called MacDonald’s as they are everywhere and fast food for lions to boot), buffalo, zebra, warthog and giraffe.

A group of British tourists were remarking on how strange it was to be offered minced beef at breakfast — how I would have loved to see their amazement on the morning Crocodile stew was offered!

Animals are abundant in Zimbabwe. I did see one small plantation of tropical fruit on the road to Kasane, Botswana — bananas, citrus and papaya trees loaded with a dozen or more fruit waiting to ripen.

I saw no informal vendors selling fruit or veg along the roads, nor even buckets of mushrooms from the woodlands as I recall from my childhood.

Informal curio sellers, on the other hand, are abundant in Zimbabwe. To be fair, we were in a tourist trap.

Even in the supermarket, food prices were equivalent to USA$ prices, including the locally grown tea from the Eastern Highlands. And not just in the touristy areas!

Those who can afford to, make runs to South Africa for daily supplies. Those who cannot, leave their families to work all year long in South Africa, saving to take goods back home at Christmas.

Permaculture for Subsistence Farmers

Victoria Falls is in a Conservancy. I hope that further south the very fertile soils of my birthland – once known as the "Breadbasket of Africa" — will be used to grow plants for food security.

In the early independence years of Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) the productive agricultural farms were divided up for subsistence farming. Currently, commercial farmlands are mostly leasehold from the government.

Young men, like my gardener friend Goodwell, are bringing hope with their efforts to go home to Zim and teach permaculture skills to fellow farmers. All power to you Goodwell Kufakunesu!

Live well and find the happy!

Merryl @ GreenSmoothie.com

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