Great Zimbabwe: the ruins of Black Africa
Stones that mean pride, revolution, last. Loaded one by one to bring the earth and sky, to defend, to show that black Africa also had its glorious past. We arrived at Great Zimbabwe, or stone houses is its significance in the local language. We are facing the most important archeological sub-Saharan Africa, a powerful symbol of civilization, The Monomotapa, covering to Mozambique. Today is dripping tourist destination and icon of a country that found in these remains an identity that hold pre-colonial pride. Whenever the mythical to build and destroy, history of man. In fact, the national emblem has a tower of palaces and sacred eagle down, carved a sculpture found in these lands. "The Eagle men communicated with the gods", I explained a guide as we look from the complex of the hill across the valley.
More curious is the pedigree of the royal house which is exposed in the museum. Connect the last great king with the revolutionary little dictator rules the country, the great liberator who has left so many dead machete as will leave them with hunger, he decided to invent a royal line that jumps several centuries in time. Robert Mugabe, senses of Zimbabwe, name has become a direct descendant of the great African pride. From creator to creator, must have thought. Did not he know that Mugabe was a descendant of the last king? “Sí, his family is here ", I replied the smiling guide. And where they live?, the Replico. "Do not know, I have never seen ", he replies, smiling mischievously and more.
For South Africa this is an important, demonstrate that they too were not up cities and a group of wild until they reached the West can not lift a city that was not wood. The first European to get here was the Portuguese Vicente Paste, in 1531. Then, late nineteenth century, the ruins were rediscovered, dating from the eleventh century and XV and became the subject of discussion. The first European intellectuals asserted without temblarles the pulse that great city was the work of Arabs or Phoenicians, discarding the primitive blacks could raise such a complex. Soon, Archaeologists and, said they were of African origin. Opinion against certain.
At times you walk through a maze of narrow streets and walls of small stones placed one to one. Tired just looking at
The complex is visited from top to bottom. I do it only with Fernando, a Sevillian love to travel I did a quick map-based connection, some beers and respect for each space. We miss the ruins of the valley, ending in a kind of large enclosure in which stands the tower is a symbol of the country. At times you walk through a maze of narrow streets and walls of small stones placed one to one. Tired just looking at.
We passed a village where souvenirs are sold and the dollar dance to any song that suits the tourist eager to prove he was with other local. We do not stop and start the walk to the palace of the hill. The staircase is the narrowness of the Mayan pyramids. Steep, short pitch, you reach the great palace of the king who was made to touch the sky. From there it dominates the valley many miles around, There is also a great natural stone bench was a kind of senate. The walls are dotted with stone fireplaces built to teach the enemy that had more ammunition for the walls. We also see the king's house, a hut from which each day was to call one of their 25 women. They lived and had to climb down the steep terrain to sleep with her husband. I guess I did not go so exhausted because the system was maintained.
Great Zimbabwe has a magical aura, historical, overwhelming. In the evening I get lost with Fernando in the only hotel near where we shared a few beers. Begins to cool and today it's night tent. Not cooled, chilled, and practically none of the group were able to sleep that night in which only entertained us the stones of the great city that gave us shade. Well, already know this from the cold and feel is a personal. While I was shivering sheet tucked in my bag and throwing her over to the shaving cream, I see Fernando up in shorts and no shirt, leave the store, urinate without haste and come back like nothing back to sleep. I watched the scene and listened in silence, amazed. She left me as cold as before and with the feeling that everything is relative. You may Mugabe is legitimate heir of Great Zimbabwe and maybe it out Fernando. Everything is possible in the realm of rock where eagles whisper to the gods.
This trip is part of the route of the agency Katanga Zimbabwe.
Route Kananga: http://www.pasaporte3.com/kananga.php
