I felt totally rejuvenated, having had a good night’s sleep in a comfortable bed. After a big hotel breakfast we were ready for the day, all except Ga, who is suffering terribly from his dust allergy.
We shopped at the Spar opposite the hotel; it was like shopping at one of the Super Spars in Johannesburg. Harare has a Spar and a Mica store on virtually every block.
We headed out of Harare and drove east for 290km to the area around Nyanga. This was an easy morning’s drive and we arrived around lunch time. The scenery of this Eastern Highlands area is spectacular, with gently rolling hills. The Eastern Highlands are a range of mountains running some 300km from North to South, along the Mozambique border and are striking in their beauty.
Learning our lesson from Chinoyhi, where we headed for the first available accommodation (not that there was much to choose from), we headed for Troutbeck Inn, the furthest and by all accounts the best accommodation in the area. As we got out the car we were hit by a chill in the air, actually it was more than a chill, at 14°c, it was bloody cold. Not great camping weather.
The Troutbeck Hotel overlooks trout dams that are surrounded by a golf course. Opening in 1951, for the affluent set, some 60 years later it is well maintained and remains a popular and expensive holiday destination. To the left of the hotel they have a time share resort and at half the price of the hotel, we booked in there for the next three nights. The area reminds me so much of Dullstroom, in the old days, before it became so populated and commercialised. Our time share unit is typical of those in S.A.; we have 3 bedrooms, a central living area, with a huge fireplace and a nice braai area overlooking a big trout dam and the golf course.
As the day was not getting any warmer, we made a big fire and Ga and I bonded in the kitchen, making a meatball pasta for dinner. The bedrooms are cold and we bundled up in lots of blankets for the night.
Our house at Troutbeck
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