Great Zimbabwe – Masvingo, Zimbabwe. Visiting Great Zimbabwe was a dream come true. It helped that we were the first to arrive at the site, so early that the morning fog still hung low over the ruins. As we scampered about like children, and the fog dissolved in sunlight, it was as though the ancient city were being revealed.
Great Zimbabwe, or Great “Stone House,” is the ruined capital of the the 13th century Kingdom of Zimbabwe. It is aUNESCO World Heritage Site located near the present town of Masvingo. With tightly constructed stone walls, meandering valley paths, a hilltop complex, and a towering central enclosure, Great Zimbabwe is the largest of nearly 200 stone cities across southern Africa.
Our travel to Great Zimbabwe coincided with the early days of what would become a massive recession and petrol crisis. We would not see the true extent of its impact until several years later when we returned to visit family, but you will notice Njabulo funneling fuel into our trusty rental. We’d stored jugs of the amber magic in our trunk to avoid the impossible lines at the gas stations.
Check out some of the other stops along our road trip through South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe: