From the publishers of THE HINDU Vol. 24 :: No. 27 :: Jul. 07 - 13, 2001	Home Contents
	ZIMBABWE DIARY The eclipse and after VIJAY LOKAPALLY JUNE 21: "Did you see the eclipse?" The receptionist cannot hide his excitement. But Tony Cozier is cool. "What's new about it? We have it every night, don't we? Total darkness." Cozier was smiling, but not the man at the reception. The solar eclipse was a big event in Zimbabwe. Good business for young men selling special eclipse view glasses and of course hotels which had every room occupied with tourists converging from all over the world. The team hotel is invaded by a large group of Americans, all excited, and all geared up. It is another matter that their presence throws everything out of gear. The restaurants are packed and the room service goes for six, the staff unable to cope with the demand. Andy Flower extends an invitation to us. The Zimbabwean team is gathering at Guy Whittall's house to view the eclipse. It is tempting but we decide to watch it from the hotel's poolside where some of the Indian cricketers have descended. Rahul Dravid is initially apprehensive but gets hooked to enjoy the experience. My colleague V. V. Krishnan has very special company. Brian Lara is keen to peep through his huge lens. Lara has brought his eclipse view glasses and is like a kid, excited. He is also a little apprehensive of the whole thing like Dravid. But the West Indian enjoys every moment of it even as some of his team-mates rush to the rooftop to be in a vantage position. Navjot Singh Sidhu stays indoors, meditating and fasting. The eclipse brings Harare to a standstill. Offices and schools close early, vehicles come to a halt. There is little traffic but the streets are dotted with small groups of people, peeping through glasses and glazed gift-wrap paper. The eclipse is near-total in Harare. The local radio station is flooded with calls, people wanting to share their experience. As a local exclaimed, "It was amazing. I saw stars for three minutes," the time it was dark in one of the spots outside Harare. June 22: The festive atmosphere at the Sunrise Sports Club is in keeping with the contest. Virender Sehwag is belting the bowlers; Sourav Ganguly is enjoying every moment of it. The practice match is over quickly. The Zimbabweans last a mere 33 overs and the Indians knock the runs off in 17 overs. John Wright comes out to greet the Indians, especially Sehwag, who is rated high by the coach. The kids are having fun but there are a few sullen faces in the crowd - the food stall owners. Even as they prepare the menu for the afternoon, the match comes to a conclusion. Many spectators are in the process of leaving and one feels sorry for those who have set up the food stalls. There is an attempt to organise a 25-overs a side match but the home team is not willing. As the teams bite into the delicious lunch, an announcement catches our attention. "The Indians are going to have 'nets'. Please stay on to enjoy their practice." We don't have to stay but later I gather that the food stall owners went home satisfied. June 23: The stands are full, and colourful. After the disappointing turnout for the home team's Test against India, the large audience for the Zimbabwe-West Indies match is a welcome change. Corporate tents dot the boundary even as Castle Corner, the popular section, holds the attention of all. Some lively banners add to the festive atmosphere and the beer stall makes very good business. The cynosure is the group of four girls. We name them pom-pom girls as they form a mobile advertisement for NIIT. Most of the boards around the boundary are of Indian companies. Just as it was at the ICC knockout in Nairobi. It doesn't matter where the money comes from. For the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, this revenue is much-needed to keep the game going. June 24: Remember Craig Ray, the Reuters correspondent who placed his laptop in the boot of a car which did not belong to his friend, Joe Black? The last week, announcements on the radio and local television fail; announcements at the ground yesterday too fail; but Craig is optimistic. "There's a possibility the lady (to whom the car belongs) may not have opened the boot," he says. And there is a possibility she might turn up on Sunday for the India-Zimbabwe match. This is his last day in Harare, for he leaves home next morning to resume his rugby reporting. He begins to lose hope but decides to make a final effort. It is Sunday and the parking lot is full. He looks for the red Toyota. Craig finds the car, parked in a corner. It looks like the red Toyota which has his precious laptop. He rushes back to make a series of announcements for the owner, but the lady does not turn up. Craig is desperate. This is his only chance to retrieve his laptop. He now goes in search of Joe Black and grabs his car keys. A sprint brings him panting to the car. The problem now is the securityman who is aware that Craig is not the owner of the vehicle. Craig waits for his chance and gets it soon. His heart beats fast as he turns the key and opens the boot. The laptop lies precisely where it had been left. Craig collects his property, shuts the boot and flees the parking lot. "It was strange, stealing back my own laptop but I couldn't help it," says Craig. It is amazing he still has not seen the lady who drives the red Toyota. After the game, Craig extends an invitation for a round at the bar. As we gather, and Craig narrates the incident to a few friends, a lady passes by. She throws a glance at this big group. "Could she be the one?" whispers someone. It doesn't matter now really. It has been a great re-possession for Craig, and a great story to share. Only the lady in the red Toyota is blissfully unaware. June 25: It is a day off from cricket and there is enough time to manage a visit to the Lion and Cheetah Park, about 25 kilometres out of Harare. A privately run venture conceived in 1968 by the Bristow family to provide shelter for orphaned wild animals, it is indeed a fascinating place. Most of the animals at the park are off-springs of the orphans. We are a group of 15 - some Indian scribes and some Dutch, who are in Harare essentially to view the eclipse. A giraffe greets us at the gate and a majestic pride of lions makes the day. A few other animals make it a lively park but the star is a Galapagos tortoise, over 200 years old. Amidst these wild animals, we spot a local, standing alone, smoking and with a gun in hand. His name is Wise, a former soldier, and he has a very interesting job. From dawn to dusk, Wise patrols the area, looking for poachers. When he spots one, he lets out a warning, and if the need arises, he can also shoot the intruder in the legs. Wise has got used to the job, standing alone the whole day. And how does he find the job? "It is not bad. Much safer here with the animals than wild humans outside." June 26: One more off day from cricket and this time we are not going to miss the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe, one of the main attractions in Bulawayo. One hundred years old, it is a superb building, which alone is worth the visit. There is the geology and palaeontology section with collections and displays ranked the best in Africa. The geology section has 12000 rock and mineral specimens. In the ornithology section, the specimens are of a rare breed. Among the best is the mammalogy section, the collection ranked eighth largest. The stuffed animals look so real. The collection, according to the museum guide, is partially computerised and the number has been growing significantly. The library has a huge collection of 6000 books, journals and historical material for those interested in research. It is a great storehouse of information. You spend the whole day and yet want to stay on for more. "Please come again," the official reminds us gently that it is time for him to close the museum. It has been a wonderful experience. June 27: Eve Bhibe is the most popular cabbie in town. For the simple reason that he is never short of fuel, which is a great privilege. Long queues remind you of the fuel shortage in Zimbabwe. The 70 per cent hike in fuel prices pinches everyone but things move on. For Bhibe, it hardly matters, for his father-in-law works at a fuel station. A jolly character, Bhibe is the first on the list at the airport, where officials keep his cellphone number for emergency requirement. He is proud of it too. His busy schedule swells his coffers. And everytime Bhibe puts money in the bank, he thanks his father-in-law more than anyone else. Contents • Daily Sports • The Hindu • Business Line • Frontline • Home Copyrights © 2001 The Sportstar. 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