I had a great day today. Up at 7, breakfast, to the hospital for problem rounds. Took the bike to get the tires filled by Mr. Jeketera. Saw the post op patients on the womens ward. Then found Margaret. Followed her outside. She was going to have sadza with her ambuya. I got out the camera and started taking pictures of her and her ambuya. Then, more of the pregnant mothers in the cooking house. If I only had a camera to take pictures of the women looking at their own images on the camera’s LCD screen. They get sooo excited. . . clapping hands, big smiles, and lots of noise and laughter.
Then, I ran into Mr. Jeketera who fixed the bike. I took it for a trial run around the hospital grounds, stopping to take some pics of people selling fruit and vegetables. Somehow, with the bike, people seem to be more friendly. Or, I was exuding my pleasure at finally being on wheels again.
This afternoon, I had an excellent bike ride. I headed down into the valley, down a smaller dirt road (not the main one that goes from Chaka to Mashingo). It is a road I was curious about but afraid to just walk down by myself since there are a lot of indigenous huts and I wasn’t sure if I was welcome. I figured with the bike, its easier to ride past without intruding. I met a woman there who was picking materials for making baskets.
Then, continued on for a couple of km and 2 gully crossings. The maize plots were in various stages of growth. Some looked really good, some looked brown and dead. In one field there was a scarecrow looking object with feathers on top and another string of feathers across the middle of the field. I wonder if one also goes to the nyanga (traditional healer) to find out how to get your maize to grow?
Later I stopped to take another picture of some scarecrows and heard funny noises coming from the rows of corn. Turns out there were 3 kids sitting under some of the scarecrow clothes, eating maize and playing. They saw me and instantly asked for candy and giggled.
I then went into town and headed to the dam on the bike. Stopped at the market to take pictures of the produce ladies and got the same response I get from the pregnant ladies when I showed them their pics. . . pure excitement and joy.
On the way back from the dam, I got a flat. I hope that it hasn’t put an end to my biking days. . . not sure if I am going to need a new intertube. Couldn’t find the hole after inspecting the tyre (yep, that’s how they spell it).
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