The day the zebra ate my homework!

Welcome to the 200th blog-post from Zimbabwe. For those who are new to the site, older posts can be found at the top right of this page. And if you enjoy reading the blog - there is a button at the top of the page marked "Follow". Click on that and you will be notified every time I post.

Those who have been here before will know Shungu the baby zebra - and this is the story of the time he ate my homework!

Shungu (whose name means 'guts', or 'heart' or 'spirit' in the local Shona language) had the misfortune to be born on the same day that 2 stallions were taking over a herd, and because he was not their genetic material, and further because he would be future competition for mares - they tried to kill him. He was viciously kicked and bitten and would  definitely have died had we not rescued him. He suffered horrendous wounds, and can never re-join the herd.

About 4 months old now, he is fully healed, he stays in our stables with our horses. He spends some of his day at Pamuzinda, occasionally visiting the Reception Office:

My desk in Reception is located at the back, behind the counter, and he has learned that I am to be found there, so he visits me whenever he passes by. Like one of my kids popping in to see me!

He tends to nibble at stuff as he goes - checking to see what is edible or not. I guess this role would normally be filled by his mother, but as he doesn't have one, he is on his own. I certainly don't want to crawl around eating grass and showing him the best leaves and shoots to snack on!

Here he is testing a chair for edibility . . . .

He eased closer to the desk, and nuzzled me before he started to sniff at everything on my desk. Like a horse, grabbing and squeezing his upper lip releases an endorphin, and he also loves having his head scratched. Like all children he loves having an occasional 'snuggle'. However I was busy getting shopping orders ready, so I ignored him and went back to fighting with my Outlook Express - a battle I wage daily with not much success.

This was the opportunity the crafty little zebra had been waiting for . . . .

The next thing I knew he was chewing contentedly on my paperwork! I was so shocked that I only managed a quick snap - (which came out slightly blurred with my little point-and-click camera), before rescuing the bulk of the paper before he really started chewing:

So what did he eat? Well, I had been preparing to go to Harare for a couple of days break, and had been trying to leave instructions for the shopping trip the following Thursday. Most of my orders go to companies we deal with weekly - so I draw up emails and send them off for quotations. But this week I had needed some stuff on a one-off basis, and had scribbled notes (and a seriously good diagram) explaining what the guys would have to search for in Harare.

So that was the day the zebra ate my homework. Seriously.

As I didn't have time to write it out again, I left instructions for the staff to keep an eye out for the missing bit to re-appear the following morning, and I placed a roll of scotch tape in a prominent position on my desk, so they could re-attach it as and when it surfaced. Or rather - dropped into view.

Just another day at Pamuzinda.

Have a great day!

Spit on the roast! Another wedding at Pamuzinda.

So - another wedding at Pamuzinda, and this time on a Tuesday. How cool is that for an idea?

Here is our wedding chapel - with the Lodge in the background. Among other things.

Located on the island in front of the Pamuzinda, it is certainly one of the most scenic venues for a wedding. . . .in the whurld! (With apologies to Jeremy Clarkson). The aisle is made entirely of rose petals, and there is a serene beauty to the whole set-up.

No?

The morning was a busy one for the waiters, but by mid-day we had everything laid up and ready for the Reception. The heat is kicking in now in Zimbabwe, and we just got away with the flowers - the decorator spraying them with a mister until the heat of the day had passed.

Snappy?

The deck overlooking the river - featured in an earlier Blog titled "Views from a deck", was the setting for the Wedding Dinner. This photo is a little blurred, but gives an idea of the space we used looks like at night:

So just before the guests arrived, the candles were lit and everything took on a warm glow.

And now a little on the food.

As I do!

For the canape session after the ceremony, we spent an inordinately large amount of time prepping, but I think it turned out OK. We did vol au vent pastry cups filled with mushrooms in a brandied cream, rare roast beef on herbed bruschetta topped with English mustard and cream cheese, beef samoosas, and herbed crepes rolled with smoked salmon mousse.

And it turned out ok, if I say so myself! Whaddya think?

That's them nibbly bits.

The cake was once again surrounded by smaller cupcakes - this time topped with fresh strawberry, lemon, or macadamia nuts. I always love seeing the cakes (and had absolutely nothing to do with their production) - so much thought and attention goes into them:

For the main course, we did chicken in a tomato, olive and feta cheese sauce. And . . .  a spit-roast impala.

While the chicken took a while to prepare and cook - the impala was a week-long process. It started about 8 days before the wedding, when we shot the impala, and hung it in our cold-room. (Here I think I should mention that we didn't use a crossbow or and American dentist in the process. And we selected an old male ram with no name).

The day before the wedding, I first of all made holes in the legs and shoulders of the impala, and pushed in cloves of garlic. I then started basting the carcass every hour with a mixture of oil (sunflower), mixed herbs, white wine and Aromat. On the morning of the wedding, actually around noon, I seared the meat over really hot coals for about 10 minutes, and then let the fire die down. In the meantime I skewered the carcass, and wrapped it tightly in silver foil . . .

Once I had wrapped the impala in foil, it was suspended over hot coals for 6 hours, and turned constantly. The baste stayed in the foil, and because we kept it turning the whole time, it came out beautifully moist, but cooked through perfectly.We had lots of very positive comments on the spit-roast impala at dinner that night - something I don't think is served at too many weddings. As an accompaniment I had Rosella Jelly - which I found hiding among the jellies and sauces at TM Borrowdale. Really yummy accompaniment to Game meat.

Yup - we nailed it!

And as the foil kept the meat moist, I kept my spit turner moist with copious glasses of Mazoe and water. Regular readers of this Blog will recognize my 'manual-spit-turning-system'. It is actually Akim - who last featured in this blog walking along the top of our restaurant roof clutching a fire extinguisher to put out the blazing roof thatch. (Past blogs can be found at the top right of this page - all 200 of them). If we have stuff to do with fires, he is my go-to guy!

Obviously our usual band of suspects attended the wedding - without an invite. As is their custom. I guess they come for the snacks and the party, but their dress sense often leaves a lot to be desired. Mixing stripes and spots is something that is not normally recommended. But at an "African-themed" wedding - I guess it is allowed.

Did you see the ellies in the background? Cool beans.

The music for the canape session while the Bride and Groom went for photos - in keeping with the African theme, was provided by a Marimba band:

Finally - the question of how the bride arrived at the island? Well I was in the kitchen at the time and missed the actual delivery, but here are her delivery vehicles returning to base after a successful (and dry!) drop-off . . .

Once again our Team sorted a wedding out with aplomb. If you know anyone looking for a wedding venue with a difference - give Kylie a call at Pamuzinda.

I will try and post another blog or two on weddings we have done in the past couple of months.

Have a great day!

Limited surgical skills, but an excellent midwife!

I have just returned from a night in Harare after a hard day of shopping for the hotel. As most of you are aware, I am an amateur, but extremely enthusiastic, surgeon, and will try my hand at most medical procedures. One area of particular expertise, though, is midwifery, and I am fast becoming highly accomplished at ushering new life into this world.

Though my efforts in delivery wards are largely limited to shouting encouragement, and handing out clean towels and hot water to anyone who needs them, I generally am successful at this birthing game. My advice, based on quite a lot of experience, tends to consist of exhortations to "push" and to "breathe" (both essential to the birthing process), and I have even been known to cheer.

So this is the tale of my latest efforts as a midwife . . . .

A couple of months ago, I posted a photo to close friends, and there was just one symbol:

?

The verdict amongst friends and family was unanimous. My beloved little Caramel had somehow got herself in the family way.

How did that happen???!!?

I still wasn't sure, but she became progressively rounder and rounder and in the end it was undeniable. Caramel was pregnant.

Not only did she get really uncomfortable (though only when she was standing, sitting, lying, running or walking), she also got a really thoughtful expression. Very contemplative.

The "I've-got-stuff-going-on-in-my-stomach" kind of expression. See if you spot it?

So Caramel was obviously pregnant, and when I arrived home yesterday evening, she was 'nesting', and had settled herself into our delivery ward. I spent a lot of time lying on the carpet with my head stuck into the cupboard next to her, calming her down. She was whimpering and in slight distress, and this became progressively worse, until at around 11pm the first puppy made its appearance - breech. I had to help pull it into the world, and the miracle of birth once again left me feeling slightly inadequate. After the first one, things were a lot easier, and she spat them out like watermelon pips.

This is the delivery and maternity ward, otherwise known as our linen cupboard, early the next morning:

And how did the procedure go? Well, I have been present at the birth of my own 3 children, and have attended both of our dogs in their time of delivery - and, as usual, I found childbirth totally painless.

Piece of cake.

Here is Caramel cleaning and feeding her new family at 05.00 in the morning:

So after a night of delivery ward duty (though I must admit a slight dereliction of duty - I was fast asleep when the last 2 arrived! Oh well . . . .), we are now the proud grandparents to 5 new puppies!

Just look at how beautiful the new additions are. Two of the new puppies are dappled - while the other three are pale brown, like their mum. Here are the 2 dappled ones:

Beautiful, aren't they?

The puppies are obviously dachshunds - and while Caramel is the mother, we have 2 other 'daxies' living in our home. So which of the 2 do you think is the father? Blue - at the top, or Honey, at the bottom?

Well it soon became apparent which of the 2 was the guilty party, because while Honey was frantic - trying to get to the pups, whimpering, and barking endlessly - Blue heard the news of the additions to the family with great stoicism. He nodded his head . . . . .  and went back to bed.

Just like new dads the world over.

Job done!

Mind you, the fact that Honey is female probably excludes her from the possibility of her being father to the puppies, and again the fact that 2 are dappled probably points the finger of blame straight at Blue.

But we had been genuinely surprised to find Caramel pregnant. As an old friend - Jannie Martin, had observed, fat heifers never come into season. Caramel is of what I like to call 'traditional build', and had not been in season for a couple of years. At least that is what we thought.

So it is official. Blue is ready for stud duties (actually quite keen) and quite capable of hitting the 'copy' button.

Have a great day!

Oh - and don't forget you can read all other 200 posts by clicking the icons at the top right of this page. Please also 'share' on Facebook. Thanks.

Big . . . . like a giant!

I begin with a photograph taken of Jasmine the giraffe. She was orphaned when she was 2 weeks old and her mother died. One of the guides at Pamuzinda bottle-fed her for the first few months of her life, and she was then weaned off milk, and introduced to horse cubes. She comes to the Pamuzinda reception pretty much every day at around 2.00pm for her daily ration of cubes.

This was Jasmine (and me) some 8 months ago . . . .

Oh - we both looked so young in those days!

And another picture of a dainty Jasmine wandering down the road. She really was all legs and eyelashes.

In the time I have been at Pamuzinda - Jasmine has grown. In fact, because of the nutrients she gets in the horse cubes (or horse nuts, depending on where you live) she is about a foot and a half taller than her siblings - the calves born at the same time as her.

She really is getting quite tall. This photograph was taken this afternoon . . .

As I was watching, Jasmine moved off into the bush, and then I noticed another giraffe quietly browsing in the bush beside the horse pen by our entrance gate - a huge, dark bull. She went straight up to him (possibly her father), and rubbed her head on his haunch. In this photo she is actually touching him - and you get some idea of the size of him. That's Jasmine on the right . . .

Finally they came out into a clearing, with the big bull in the foreground - and Jasmine behind. She was about 5 paces the other side of him . . .

So here - in all his glory, is the bull giraffe. And, believe or not, Jasmine only just can see over his back. The top of her horns do not reach the top of the bulge at the base of his neck.

What a magnificent sight - and something that I was fortunate to see. I spent about half an hour roughly 20 paces from him as he fed, and I think the fact that Jasmine was not afraid of me somehow calmed him.

Truly magnificent . . . . .

One of those days that makes me feel great to live in Africa.

Again.

Have a great day, y'awl!

Today Pamuzinda was almost toast. Literally!

When I first arrived at Pamuzinda, we had a fire in the vlei (dried-up water-course) in front of the hotel, and the wind was blowing it towards the building, so everyone at work that day grabbed a branch and started beating the fire out.

The thing is the hotel is entirely roofed with thatch, so a spark could have sent the whole place up in smoke. Enthusiasm was pretty much the word for it that day . . .

It was such a close thing that we even hauled the cooks out of the kitchen and gave them branches to beat the fire with . . . . . . . .

Combining our thatch roof with fire is something we try to avoid.

In fact, in 2010 the central section of the Lodge had a fire which destroyed the bar, restaurant and kitchen. These were re-built at considerable cost, and much improved the look of the hotel.  But we are very aware of fire.

This morning there was a frantic knock at my door at about 06.30, and a very panicked kitchen porter standing outside informed me "Sir, the hotel is on fire" - my heart stopped beating for a moment or two.

I even said a rude word.

Rushing to the hotel, I found smoke hanging in the air, and Cosmos the waiter and Akim the gardener on top of the roof with a fire extinguisher, the last tendrils of smoke wafting into the cold winter sky. Apparently flames had started pouring from the chimney, and a couple of embers had landed on the thatch - setting it on fire. Akim had tried to connect a hosepipe, but no-one told him that our borehole had burned out the motor the previous day. There was no water.

He then ran to the back of the hotel and grabbed a ladder, and with Cosmos he climbed to the top of the roof in 2 stages. They hauled a fire extinguisher with them, and when I arrived they had managed to put out the fire.

By the time they had managed to set up the ladder, haul it up to the next level, all the while carrying extinguishers, and walk along to the chimney, the fire had been going for about 5 minutes. The flames were about a foot and a half high, and growing.

From the time that the flames had first been noticed to my arrival had been just 5 minutes, and the guys had it under control.

Really impressive.

I called the Parks Manager who arranged for our Fire Bowser to come down to the Lodge - this is a huge water tank with a pump on it. We then  ran a hosepipe to the top of the roof, and thoroughly wetted down the area that had burned.

Unfortunately I didn't take any photos until everything was pretty much under control - but here is my morning, as it happened today . . . .

Framed against the morning sky with smoke still hanging in the air, the 2 gardeners, Akim and Square, hose down the area next to the chimney where the flames had been burning 10 minutes earlier:

The roof is quite high, but Akim and Square didn't seem too bothered,  chatting to their mates on the ground as they were offered advice and encouragment ...

Our Pamuzinda Fire brigade arrived about 6 minutes after being called. This comprises a water tank on a trailer pulled by a tractor, and though it may not be as smart as the Fire Services in London, Paris and Rome, once we start the water pump - it works just perfectly.

In the picture you can see the ladder, which was first used to get onto the lower roof, then hauled up and set up against the apex of the restaurant roof, so the guys could get up to the top.

So here is our Fire Engine . . . . .

The tricky thing is that the pump is not strong enough for us to spray water that high from ground level, so we had to haul the hosepipe up on top of the roof, before we could use it.

This is fire-fighting Pamuzinda-style!

Which sure puts Gangum-style to shame, no?

Square almost knocked Akim off the roof with the hosepipe.

Once the hosepipe was up on top of the roof, it was a simple matter to stroll along the apex of the roof to the chimney where the fire had started.

Then it was a matter of spraying water until there was absolutely no smoke coming from the thatch.

As I observed in my book, any tragedy in Africa - car crash or whatever, is sure to pull a crowd, and a fire on the roof is no exception!

The kitchen and dining room staff happily abandoned breakfast preparations, and they watched Square (one of the gardeners) climb back up the ladder to the top of the roof - half expecting him to come crashing back to earth. At this stage the ladder was balancing on the thatch of the lower level roof. (Thank goodness we don't have Health and Safety Regulations in Zimbabwe, or we would have burned to a crisp!)

Of course, as always, lots of advice and encouragement was offered by the various onlookers.

Everyone in Africa is an expert!

Getting down again was a little more tricky - and to my amazement Square and Akim decided the ladder was too dangerous (which I guess it was as no-one was supporting the base) and they just clambered down the thatch roof.

I am glad they were there - I would have pooped myself if I had had to do that.

Truly.

At least we saved the hotel. Though another 10 minutes later it would have been toast. But we saved it.

Which means we have to come to work tomorrow!

Luckily!

Have a great day!

(And don't forget you can see all my old posts at the top right of this page - there are almost 200 to date, and we have passed the 40,000 page-view mark.)

Views from the Deck. At Pamuzinda

Following my last blog posting, a regular reader contacted me and said how home-sick she felt after seeing the view from our Deck featured a week ago. She is now living in England, and said my last post brought back memories of wide open spaces, wild animals, and Africa. She and her husband have special memories of the Deck at Pamuzinda - she spent her honeymoon here several years ago.

Sooooo - here is a collection of photos taken from our deck at different times of the day.

Just to help those of you no longer living here remember the times that were . . . . .

Starting with an elephant swimming in the river just below the dining room at Pamuzinda, as seen from the Deck:

This is another photo of the river taken from the Deck - featuring a couple of canoes heading out for a leisurely paddle. We didn't tell them that there was a rather large elephant swimming just around the corner, and much to our surprise, 5 previously uncoordinated crews discovered they had the ability to paddle backwards in perfect unison!

I have somewhere another photo taken from the Deck of an old buffalo on the island, but I cannot, for the life of me, find it. Sorry for that.

Here follows a selection of photos taken from the Deck at Pamuzinda at various times of day. . . . .

This is again from the Deck . . . . .

The following picture is one of several I have taken of sunset from the Deck at Pamuzinda. My little point-and-click does its best, but I never seem to capture the true colours perfectly. Still - this is just another view from the deck!

And now a photo that has featured before - in another posting, but as it shows the Deck laid up for a breakfast, and as this blog is about the Deck, I figured I might as well add it in. On the floor, you can see Shungu in his new role . . .

Just kidding! Shungu is alive and well, and that rug has been in the bar at the hotel for a long time.

(For those who don't know who Shungu is - please scroll back to the top of the page and click on past blogs to catch up. He will feature again. There are almost 200 previous blogs - just look for the ones with "Shungu" in the title).

And now a photo not taken from the deck.

As most of my friends will know, I have a pathological dislike of driving motor vehicles, and far prefer my motorbike as a means of getting around. In fact I don't drive, and only ride.

The following picture was taken early one morning as I was starting a ride to Harare to take a couple of days off. I normally try to leave Pamuzinda late afternoon, and thus have an extra night at home, but sometimes I have to work the night before, and so I then leave as soon as it is starting to get light. I see some pretty stunning sunrises, for sure!

This, to me, is the quintessential African picture, and I stopped my bike just on the tar road off the dirt track to Pamuzinda at about 05.30 one morning just to take this photo. The colours are glorious, and the silhouettes of African huts framed against the sky should bring back memories for those of you now living in more cloudy climes than you were brought up in!

Remember - this is sunrise, not sunset. . . .

Just not the view you get from the Tube, Metro or Subway, I think? And snapped with my itsy-bitsy little camera. Not bad!

I hope that Tom and Betsy have enjoyed seeing Pamuzinda as it is today, and that some of the photos have brought back memories of their honeymoon all those years ago. And I hope the rest of you have enjoyed seeing a little of my world. Next blog will be on weddings. Or snakes. Or cakes. Or something.

Have a great day!

Wedding snapshots. From Zimbabwe.

Time for another posting from Zimbabwe - and apologies for the silence, but work has been quite hectic and things have been happening. I am now on 14 days' break, for which I am extremely grateful, so hopefully another posting before I head back.

So today will not be on individual weddings, but is a collection of photos from weddings we have done, with a little twist at the end.

The first photo is of a Bride arriving for her ceremony - in a downpour! This was a group of Australians and Zimbabweans who had one of the most 'lively' weddings we have had the honor of hosting.

Of course while it may not be so great for the bride, the rain is good for the plants, and after a gentle shower the flowerbeds are looking spic and span ready for the next wedding group to arrive . . . .

This is the cake for a wedding held at Pamuzinda. The amazing thing is that at every wedding we have hosted, the cakes are different. As those of you who have bought my book (for those that haven't go to http://www.amazon.com/Simon-Herring/e/B009FD0MIS/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1 and page down) can attest, cakes at Zimbabwean weddings take center-stage. You might think that some cakes would be similar to others, but I have never seen a cake looking suspiciously like one from another wedding.

This was the table for a small wedding we hosted for 34 people. The ceremony and reception were both held at Pamuzinda, as opposed to Chengeta, where we normally host our weddings. The balcony overlooks the river, and we managed to fit all the guests at one table.

Finally - our welcoming party generally comprises of one constant -  Leo, the hotel cat. He blends into the background, but is almost always present when the Bridal Party check-in at the hotel

And what a fine cat he is!

So that is a brief zip-though of weddings at Pamuzinda, as opposed to Chengeta. The next posting will be of weddings at Chengeta, and we generally use that as a venue because we have a custom-built marquee which can accommodate fairly large numbers quite comfortably.

The question, though, is this . . . .

Did you see the animals hiding in every photo? And I don't mean just the cat, either!

If you missed them all - go back and have a look. (And I admit that in one photo the rhino and elephant are not real!)

Have a great day!