We finally reach the top of the hill and, a little breathless, look out over the valley. It is a spectacular view. Absolutely spectacular. You can see why it was the seat of power. Philip smiles and says, "Nice view, yes? The king was thought of as the mountain, and when the king would die people would say, 'The mountain has fallen! The mountain has fallen!'"
The members of Ingonyama hail from Dete, Zimbabwe, which is near Hwange National Park, and have been friends since childhood, having grown up together in an orphanage. They started out performing at lodges near Hwange and also at Victoria Falls and use their talents and sense of humor to help educate school children about problems in the country such as HIV/AIDS and wildlife conservation, and they work closely with youth camps at Painted Dog Conservation near their hometown.
A country of complex history and politics, whose story is jaw-dropping with its incredulousness, hand-wringing with its pain, and heartbreaking with its hope and spirit, Zimbabwe is a place whose intricacies I would never to claim to know or understand completely, but what I've read fascinates me
I am in love. Only time will tell if it's a case of blissful infatuation where I will inevitably be let down and disappointed once I get to know Africa better and reality sinks in, or if my love will deepen and be taken to a higher level with a new understanding from my first-hand experience.
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