Starting with the British Airways VIP lounge in Boston on Wednesday morning while awaiting my flight.
I took a quick liking to flying business class on intercontinental flights, as well. First leg was Boston to London.
Second leg was London to Johannesburg.
British Airways Lounge in Jo'burg.
Finally arriving at Harare International Airport on Thursday afternoon. Where's my suitcase?
The view of Harare from my room at the Rainbow Towers Hotel. The tall building to right (about 300 m away) is the headquarters of the ruling party, Zanu PF.
Dinner on Thursday night at Victoria 22 with Yumiko, Tom, Francoise, and Luiz.
Victoria 22
My suitcase was lost, but at least I had a handy travel pack from British Airways.
Friday morning sunrise over Harare.
Breakfast Buffet at the Rainbow Towers Hotel.
The Zimbabwe Consumer Price Index, as reported in Friday's Herald. This extraordinary inflation is charted over just one year.
More economic news: my first morning in Harare brings the news that the official exchange riate is immediately changed from US$250 to US$30,000 per Zim dollar. Fortunately, I did not exchange any money at the airport upon my arrival yeterday. Only in Zimbabwe.
The Rainbow Towers Hotel (formerly, the Sheraton--before they pulled out).
Notwithstanding the broken economy, the tree-lined streets in Zimbabwe are perfect and beautiful--far better than those in and around Boston.
We begin Friday morning with a visit to the Scientific & Industrial Research & Development Center in Harare. From I what I saw today, the government can be credited with strong support for science and progressive technological innovation, including alternative energy (wind, solar, biogas, etc.)
After presentations from the various R&D groups, we visited another building on the campus to see prototypes and tour a laboratory.
Outside is a prototype of a solar powered streetlight. In Harare, solar-powered traffic lights developed by SIRDC are already in use.
An SIRDC researcher explains his work in developing new strains of drought-resistant maize. The lab equipment was very sophisticated. But why so dark? While we were visiting, the lab suffered from one of the frequent power outages in Harare. Accordingly, the most critical piece of equipment in this lab may have been the backup uninterruptable power supply, which was used to maintain controls on the biological samples. It was stunning to see that they appeared to be essentially unphased by challenges such as an absence of a dependable power supply.
Zimbabweans, like many other Africans, tend to carry things on their head.
The women, in particular, are good at carrying bags, boxes, etc., on their heads without using their hands.
Me (Bob) outside of the African Regional Intellectual Property Office (ARIPO) after returning from SIRDC. Unfortunately, my ties were in my missing suitcase.
Another view of ARIPO. The dark statue is the African unity symbol.
The training sessions were conducted in a very nice (and advanced) conference room at ARIPO.
The group of participants, instructors and WIPO and ARIPO officials.
group photo at ARIPO
A visit to the supermarket in Harare on Friday evening. Some of the aisles were reasonably well stocked . . .
The shelves in other aisles were quite bare. In light of missing suitcase, I was looking for basic staples such as a razor and shaving cream--no luck whatsoever.
On Friday night, the ARIPO Director General hosted us at a fantastic restaurant, Imba Motombo.
Inside Imba Motombo.
Tom, Yumiko, the DG, Christopher, Francoise, Luiz, Naveen and Bob
Tom and Naveen in the foreground, with the Director General beyond Tom.
Imba Motombo from the outside.
The lobby of the Rainbow Towers.
On Saturday morning, we meet at ARIPO for a trip to the stone ruins at Great Zimbabwe.
With the participants in the bus heading out of Harare.
At a rest stop, I am captivated by this funny looking red-headed lizard.
Time for a few photos at the Golden Spiderweb Country Village rest stop.
After about four hours on the bus, we arrive at Great Zimbabwe.
We took a long bus ride from Harare to Great Zimbabwe in Masvingo.
A Vervet monkey provides some entertainment.
Great Zimbabwe includes a number of dry-stone (i.e., stacked mortar-less stones) walled enclosures.
Here, I enter the Great Enclosure.
Inside the Great Enclosure.
This giant cone-shaped structure (again, without mortar) is one of the most impressive engineering feats at Great Zimbabwe.
The Great Enclosure from the other side.
These are aloe plants amid the ruins.
A closer view of the stone walls.
Here, we begin a climb up to the Hilltop Enclosure.
A view of the Great Enclosure from the hill.
Enoch (Nigeria) and Anu (South Afrca) at the Hilltop Enclosure.
Bennett (Nigeria) with Naveen (DC) and Yumiko (Geneva).
Group photo: me, Jonas, Naveen, Anu, Yumiko, Enoch, Bennett (front).
Naveen provies a sense of scale for this wall on the path leading to the Hilltop Enclosure.
Although blurred, the woman at center demonstrates the standard mid-section wrap to strap a baby to her back in combination with a large load on her head--very impressive. Also typical, the man is not holding anything.
Borrowdale is a beautiful shopping area. Unfortunately, stores were recently subjected to a government-mandated 50% price reduction. The stores that refused (many) had their goods confiscated and auctioned off--leaving more empty stores. I have some success in finally (on my fourth day of searching) finding a razor and shaving cream. Fortunately, I also finally received my suitcase that evening. Not being able to find basic commodities (at any price) in an urban setting is an entirely new experience for me.
This flea market beyond the shops at Borrowdale is where I finally found a razor.
Naveen was quite skilled at negotiating with the vendors at the open air markets, this one in Borrowdale.
On Sunday, we visit the Lion Park.
In the first section, a chain-link fence separates the lion habitat from your car.
In the next section, there is no divide.
Here, the lions are quite close.
Live action footage of the lions outside our car.
Now they're heading this way (screams from inside the car).
An ostrich as we enter the next expanse.
More lion video footage.
They allow me into the caged area to play with the lion cubs.
cute lion cub footage
Here one of the lion cubs goes after my leg.
Don't worry--I'm not getting in the cage with the big lions.
Baboons
cheetah
Baboon video footage.
Hyena
Video footage of the lions during feeding.
Antelope
Zebras
Ostrich
As it starts to get dark, our car breaks down here. At least it didn't break down when we were in with the lions.
This stack of $100k Zim notes will buy a few dinners. It's crazy, you can't easily fit the money you need for a night out in your pocket. I'd have to buy some sort of man-purse. And when they bring the bill at a nice restaurant, they bring a basket rather than a sleave.
It seemed like we were always counting out ZimS100,000 notes--usually out of the trunk of the car.
The streets in Zimbabwe really are beautiful.
Clarin helped to finally find a tie for me at ARIPO.
Francoise partakes in the pre-dinner hand-washing at Arabian Nights in Harare.
Just a few million Zim dollars for dinner.
Bob trying to gracefully climb up and pull down the projection screen.
Dinner with the Director General, Yumiko, Naveen and Emmanuel at Victoria 22 in Harare.
Director-Technical of ARIPO Christopher Kiige with Head of Search and Examination Emmanuel Sackey.
Participants debate the inclusion of elements and characterizations when drafting claims to a bicycle design in one of the early group exercises.
Naveen addressing the participants on the final day.
Bob addressing the participants.
Yumiko at the lecturn.
As a member of a winning group, Willie finally wins the “future patent holder” baby bib that he had been coveting from amongst the exercise prizes.
The only place to get petrol was from the private importer, Caltex.
Downtown Harare
Naveen and Bob at a hilltop park offering a view of Harare on the final Friday.
Another interesting African tree.
Here's Patrick and me at the “egg rock” in the Chiremba Balancing Rocks Park.
Another view of the egg rock. Balancing rocks can be found all around Harare.
As far as I could ascertain, it is no longer possible to obtain fuel in Zimbabwe, except from the private offshore importer, Caltex. For non-members, the only options are walk, bike or hitch a ride.
The Caltex fuel facilities are closely guarded.
Naveen negotiating a good deal on a stone sculpture from a market near Avondale.
A bicycle makes for a good transport vehicle when you can get your hands on commodities.
All Zimbabweans seem to dress very well in public. You'd never know of economic difficulties from their appearance.
A view of a beautifully colored tree from inside the ARIPO building.
I catch an Air Zimbabwe flight to Victoria Falls on Saturday, my final full day in Zimbabwe.
We saw baboons en route to the Falls.
A statue to explorer, David Livingstone, the first European to discover the Falls.
The left side of the base identifies Livingstone as a “liberator.”
The Falls from the far edge in Zimbabwe. During the wet season, the water flow may be quadruple what I saw.
And, of course, all that water mist produces rainbows.
More video footage
A Vervet monkey in the shade
Actually, two monkeys.
A monkey in the trees
More video footage of the Falls
More video footage of the Falls.
Along the edge of the Falls (just left of center here), you can see quite a few people fishing, bathing and swimming--it appers dangerous as they are so close to the edge.
A couple of warthogs in the shade of a tree.
More warthogs; here, they are digging for water.
Here, we are at the edge of the Falls on the Zimbabwean side. Across to the right is Zambia. The Zambezi river flows downstream to the right.
The Victoria Falls Bridge, which spans the Zambezi River and provides passage between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The Big Tree: a nearly 1500-year-old baobab tree.
Me at the Crocodile Farm.
I also visited the Victoria Falls Aquarium, featuring the fish found in the Zambezi River; here we see redbreast tilapia.
Here wee see the threespot tilapia.
Finally departing Harare from the city's clean and modern airport.
A glass of bubbly to celebrate my survival as British Airways prepares for liftoff.
