The Sunday Mail
BEYOND THE COVER – Andrew Moyo
THE festive season is upon us, and some individuals have already started making plans for their year-end holidays.
Besides those like me who wait for the festive season in order to travel, thousands of local and foreign tourists visit various destinations countrywide all year round. They even know which places to go to at a particular time of the year — tourism has seasons too.
I have been cracking my head lately trying to pick a place to go and unwind within our borders.
While I was making enquiries as to which holiday destination would be ideal for me, a friend of mine referred me to “Beneath the Zimbabwean Sun”, a book that shows the diverse and rich beauty of Zimbabwe.
The cover of the book on its own speaks volumes about the county’s local beauty, with the intriguing blood-red Zimbabwean sunset illuminating an elephant on a riverbank.
First published in 1987, this book has been revised and reprinted several times and the decision by the publishers to keep the vintage photographs seems to have been a wise one as these placed me in a time capsule and took me on a historical journey of exploration.
With the photographers’ prowess nothing short of amazing, the authorship is also not a let-down as the writer creatively put black on white in poetic fashion.
The introduction intricately captured my imagination as the country is artistically described with finesse.
“Zimbabwe’s enchantment is heightened by magnificent wildlife. It’s concentration of elephant is one of the greatest in the world and many game reserves and national parks abound with a breath-taking variety of animals.
“Kingly lion, glowering rhino, mountainous hippo, comical warthog, graceful giraffe, hyena, buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, leopard — they are all there, and in their natural habitat,” goes part of the introduction.
“This book reveals the splendour, the beauty and the freshness of a country still unspoiled, the true nature of a relatively little-known part of Africa.”
This is not just a mare travel guide, but contains the rich history of the county’s cities, shrines, monuments, heritage and humanity among many other things.
The landscape, scenery, wildlife, infrastructure, flora and fauna are showcased captivatedly both in writing and images.
The rich language used to describe Zimbabwe and its features stimulates imagination and raises curiosity.
“Zimbabwe is a song which, once heard, is never forgotten; a mood to suit the needs of any soul, any time; a spell that binds all those who know her. Her voice brings forth many melodies.
“The exultant shriek of a Fish Eagle high above the opalescent vastness of dawn on Kariba; the sibilant hush of silver gums in a noon day Nyanga forest; the poignant notes of marimba as sunset bleeds the sky over the village.”
The cities are described as having widely divergent faces, with Harare said to be sophisticated, glittering, elegant with a febrile pulse while on the other hand Bulawayo has a warm, maternal air, disdaining too many formal trappings, its capacious streets beckoning like open arms.
The history of Kariba and the Zambezi valley is chronicled in detail, from the period of the BaTonga people and the legend of the Nyaminyami to the modern day town on the heights overlooking the lake.
The Eastern Highlands, also known as the mountain paradise is said to encapsulate the diversity of Zimbabwe’s visual riches, telling a story of peak, valley, waterfall and stream.
From the heartland of the Rozvi dynasty comprising of the Great Zimbabwe ruins, Lake Mutirikwi and the Kyle Game Reserve to the splendour that is the mighty Victoria Falls and Hwange, mesmerising scenery is captured in this book.
Whether you are a keen traveller or just in love with the country that is Zimbabwe, this book is worth browsing as it defines the richness of local beauty.
As for me, my mind is made up and I will share the story of my travels on this platform.
