Author: admin

Sitting in the Amsterdam airport reflecting on my Zimbabwe
experience. I feel it in my bones. I think of Bushbaby and the
spiders who are so free to be themselves. We don’t see people running
around stomping on bugs except maybe scorpions..yes they do have
scorpions.. Not fatal but very painful. There are mosquito nets.
Better for the bugs to stay outside the net though on occasion the
bug gets confused.

Living in the village for requires a philosophical approach with
spiders and snakes.

Didn’t sleep well on the overnight from Nairobi.

Sent from my iPhone

Endiby taught us Chigwaya. Love it. His is a very good intense
teacher with a resonant voice very deep in voice and in thought. He
distributed our bootie (blessed) tobacco processed by the mediums at
d. We are to bath and then mix a little with water and splash it over
our bodies without drying after wards. We are to include our own
prayers in the process. I invited my water spirit to come and be with
me. We are to do this for three days. I want to do it here in
Zimbabwe. He said that it was okay to do it back home.

Chigwaya is a song for the water spirits. Calling the mermaids. I will
type in the words and perhaps record a little. The song is lovely and
is played for at least an hour when a new medium is being introduced
by the old medium. Water is poured over the medium until the medium is swimming in the mud and water on the floor. The water spirit medium is usually an herbalist and is very clean. More on this.

I have the water spirit. This is important to me. Patience thinks it
is okay to work with Malidoma who is also a water spirit.

I stayed at the lodge to practice, clear my things and do my prayer.
I burned a little Sao. Paola wood which helped me ground with some
Zimbabwe coffee

How can life ever be the same. Why am I not dreaming here.

Sent from my iPhone

Thanks to Erica, Patience, and Rosalie, I have accumulated the following items for travel to Zimbabwe.

1.  Suitcase weighing less than 50 lbs, filled.  Lock with TSA approved      lock.

2.  Carry on with proper dimensions to carry two mbiras and other             important do not want to lose things.

3. Medications:

• Malarone (for Malaria).  $197 at Costco for 32 day supply
• Doxycycline for African Tick Fever.  $4.99 generic at Costco– 10 day supply
• Cipro for runny runs.  $5.00  generic at Costco–5 day supply.
• Zithromax.  $14.95 for a pack-
• Benadryl creme
• Antibiotic creme
• Tylenol or over counter pain killer.

4.  Summer clothes–long sleeves including hat–flip flops

5.  Camera–batteries–media cards

6. Solio solar charger for cell phone charging with proper tip to fit phone.  Solio is very responsive on the phone and helped me with a last minute purchase with correct connectors and 2 day shipping.  Need to take a pencil to prop it up in the sun.

7.  Recording device with batteries and SD cards for recording self..

8.  Passport and a copy of the passport.

9. Addresses and phone numbers including e-mail addresses for those back home.

10. UV water purifier available through REI.  I got mine at the local travel store in Ashland.

11.  Protein snacks.

12.  Water bottle empty.

13.  PJ’s

14.  Binoculars (50 species of birds on site).

15.  Purell hand sanitizer and hand wipes (for mangoes).

16.  soap for washing hair and clothes.  Dr. Bonner’s Peppermint soap was recommended by Rosalie and sold at the local travel store as well as the Ashland Food Coop.  This worked very well for hair and handwashing.

17.  Ipod or music to travel by..

18.  Coffee and coffee cone-maybe a cup..

19.  notebook and pencil for taking notes and writing down words.

20. Cash in USD dated 2000 or sooner. Lots of one dollar bills. Zimbabwe money was dated and expired so some merchants felt the same was true of USD.  One merchant in the Nairobi airport wouldn’t take a stained $10 bill.

21.  Pencils and treats for the children.