The Heart of Harare

The Heart of Darkness Harare

So, we have now been in Harare for 2 weeks, and judging by how today went at the embassy, we will be here for another week. Aghhhhhhhh!!!!

We arrived on the last Thursday in June, time to stop, apply for our Angolan visa, and prepare for the trip ahead. Of course we arrived in the dark of night, but found a suitable backpackers...little did we know it would become like a home for us!

Friday morning, armed with all possible relevant paperwork, we ventured to the Angolan Embassy (Doncaster House, Speke Ave... an address that will be forever etched in my brain)... The lady behind the counter explained to us that we:

a. Needed to be a Zimbabwean resident to apply or a visa

b. We required a letter of invitation to Angola

We were and had neither... So, she suggested that this could be overcome by us writing a letter for ourselves, explaining the trip we wanted to take, and why we needed the visa....Simple!

So, back we trot to the backpackers, so get all sorted. Stopping at the supermarket to restock on the way...This turned out to be the biggest mistake we have made so far on the trip. I had packed my bag with all the vehicle papers, the carnet, maps and books to explain our route, and to justify the need for the visa... I had also packed Glen’s hard drive, as I wanted to print off another blog from a couple that had completed a similar route that we wanted to take.

So, we were in the dairy aisle looking at cheese possibilities, when some guy came up to Glen, and asked him the difference between white and yellow cheese. A simple and stupid distraction, that took our eyes off the trolley for seconds, but that was quick enough for his friend to remove my bag from the trolley. Fu@k!!!!!!! I realised in seconds, but our friends were long gone, as was my bag and all its contents.

Glen hurried out, and began searching all the dodgy areas that one could possibly look, and dump a bags contents. I spoke to the manager, security guard, and went to report it at the police shed that was in the car park. Everyone was hugely sympathetic, and sorry that this had happened to us, and all vowed to keep a look out for my bag and contents. All were under the impression that as there was no money in it, it would get dumped in the nearby area...So, off we went to put the word out that a handsome reward would be given for the return of the bag’s contents. Glen stumbled on some guys selling statues, and smoking some colourful cigarettes, who promised if such a man ran through their area with a bag, he would not leave standing.

The Zimbabweans that we met could not have been nicer, truly. Even when Glen started searching in the darkest corners of downtown Harare, he managed to make friends with the local ‘resellers of dodgily acquired goods’ and they were very impressed with the big white man who wants to repurchase his lost goods. So now, we are both greeted by Taps and his crew, who always assure us that they are working to get our things back to us.

So, this started the nightmare......

Thanks to Callum, we were quickly able to have the carnet replaced. Amazon provided my replacement books...at a hugely inflated price due to shipping...and then customs ....and then clearance. However, the hard drive, and the vehicle registration are proving to be far more difficult to obtain.

Glen has been faxing, emailing, and hounding the Randburg Licensing Department to try and get an original copy of our Registration papers sent out. Even using a specialized service to try and get the process moving.

Taps and co, are still looking for our hard drive... 4 years of Glen’s photos.

So, all this has been going on, whist we are getting the White Rhino serviced, and whilst we are still applying at the Angolan Embassy.

Every day we go there to see the lovely ladies behind the glass counter. We handed in the letter, which promptly got lost. We handed in another letter that after several days got 2 levels of clearance. After 10 days we even managed to get an interview so we could explain our case. However, this interview consisted of few words, other than we have to get a letter from the British embassy to support us and our trip. We were led to believe that this letter would expedite the process, and get us a visa. Yeah! A breakthrough! ( So, we thought)

So, off to search for the British Embassy. I have to say, the smartest building in Harare, and the toughest security. They were more than helpful and faxed and printed a copy of the letter, all whilst being so amazed at the Angolan process.

Handed in the hard copy, made sure they had the fax, and then waited for the phone call to confirm that we could apply for the visa... Yes, that is right; we haven’t actually applied for it yet. We were still waiting to find out if we could apply for it. Ridiculous!

So, today Friday the 9^th July, Glen wakes to bad news, our friend in J’burg that is supposed to be sorting out our vehicle papers has hit a wall and thinks that we will have to travel back to complete the paperwork.

Off to the embassy, and the diplomatic cars are not outside, so that means no one has looked at, signed or approved our letters, that have been sitting on the desk for 3 days....but, maybe, maybe they will be in this afternoon. But flights come in from Angola on a Friday, so maybe their friends have arrived...which would mean no work!

Oh, and if the papers do get signed by Monday, and if we are allowed to apply, then maybe, maybe we can have the visa on Thursday... 3 weeks after we arrived in Harare.

So that’s it, that is the frustration of Harare.