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Yoliswa Dube, Showbiz Reporter
SOMETIMES all you need to help you relax is to hear cows mooing; a couple of sheep “baah” and clucking chickens back at your village of origin.
It may seem a little overwhelming at first but there’s nothing more therapeutic than experiencing the unpolluted air in the rural areas and engaging in captivating conversations with rural folk.
A trip to a nearby well or getting dirty and smelly from feeding pigs could be the break you need from your hectic schedule.
Far from the madding crowd, the bustling pavements in the city and the pressures of city life – visiting your rural home could be worth more than a full body massage at a beauty spa.
I didn’t realise going back to basics would have such a refreshing effect on both my mind and body.
About an hour’s drive from Bulawayo, I set out on a trip to an acquaintance’s farm in Matobo District, Matabeleland South province. But before we left, we passed through a grocery store to get a couple of drinks and the butchery to buy meat we would have for lunch.
We filled up the cooler box with ice and off we went. As we left Four Winds Shopping Centre along Matopos Road, it was time to buckle up for what would be an exciting adventure.
With some Tocky Vibes music playing in a rather comfortable car with a surround system — the journey to the rustic began.
Because this was an unfamiliar road, it was lovely to see the places I don’t usually see on any other day or for years on end.
We made a brief stop at Mthwakazi, famed for its butchery, bottle store and braai facility.
A small crowd had already gathered around 12 noon with most there to buy a plate of sadza, stewed beef and vegetables. The big black speakers at the leisure spot belted out some Splash music so loud one would have been forgiven for thinking there was a live band performing at the joint.
We drove away from Mthwakazi and continued with the journey towards the Matobo Hills. Such a freak of nature, it’s an amazing spectacle how these rocks balance in what seems as precarious positions.
The drive turned out to be a scenic one as we drove past the Rhodes Estate Preparatory School, the Matobo Research Station and the Matopos Sailing Club.
It wasn’t long before we took a turn into the dust road leading to the farm. Along the way, we drove past people that waved at us and were happy to yell a greeting as we drove past them.
One such person was a local teacher who advised that it was time to plant maize in order to maximise on the little rainfall being experienced in the area.
Other villagers let us drive past as they pushed their wheelbarrows with containers filled with water while others gathered some firewood from bushes lining the road. A couple of cows looking for pastures to graze strayed onto the road and we had to continuously hoot them out of the way.
We eventually got to the homestead where upon arrival were greeted by some chickens which were roaming the yard.
It was out of the car and straight to the pig sty to feed the pigs. From there, we embarked on a “tour” of the fields before setting up for a braai.
The people working on the farm had slaughtered a goat and we were more than happy to have it for lunch.
I poured myself a glass of some natural sweet red wine which had chilled nicely in the cooler box filled with ice and sat under the shade of a tree.
With the fire set up for the braai, it was time to put my barbequing skills to the test.
Because the “braai stand” was rather low, the chickens kept creeping up to the meat, looking for something to peck on. One daring chicken actually got away with a chunk of meat! We laughed about it but were even more shocked that chickens were capable of such behaviour.
Before long, the meat was ready to eat. It was served on a good old Kango plate with an onion and tomato salsa and some sadza. The gentlemen working the fields joined in and had opaque beer to wash down the meal.
A good conversation was going, in native vernacular undiluted by western mannerisms.
Of course every now and then, I kept checking my cellphone for mobile reception but before long, I didn’t care anymore.
I was really enthralled by the walk to the cattle pen where the cows would soon be coming home to. The piercing smell of dung filled the area around the cattle pen as we walked further down to a nearby dam.
Here, the locals go to fish but because there wasn’t enough time for us to fish, we trekked back to the homestead.
Now with my hair reeking of smoke and my shoes covered with dust, it was time to head back home. All the meat and wine was finished and I’d been updated about all the local gossip – I was a happy trooper. At dusk, we said our goodbyes and it was back to the City of Kings and Queens.
It was refreshing to spend the day in a different environment. An almost obsessive attachment to information communication technologies has caused many to starve themselves of other rewarding aspects of life -undiluted nature and friendly people.
I got home a mess but was happy I’d gotten dirty and let loose a little bit.
This was a relatively cheap trip to make – diesel worth $30, $10 for meat plus a free goat and drinks which didn’t cost more than $20.
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