Why are they so nice? I've enumerated some of the causes and effects of the current situation in Zimbabwe. In short, it's grim.

But they're all so nice. Or at least 99% of them. Far nicer than Namibia or South Africa. Crime against tourists is said to be minimal and most people smile at you on the street. Why, when the wheels are coming off their country?

Matt and I wrestled with this for days while walking around the town of Victoria Falls, where street kids hassle you endlessly to buy crappy trinkets... but never threaten.

"Gentler and more easy-going."
Finally I asked and our suspicions were confirmed by some locals who've lived in Victoria Falls for years. It's a different kind of people who live in Zimbabwe. They're gentler and more easy-going than many of the countries that surround them. And ironically, this is both a reason for the current situation here... and the reason it's not worse.

We were told their gentle nature allows someone like D.W. to come to power and hang onto it so ruthlessly without much fierce opposition, while at the same time keeping smiles on their faces while waiting in line for gasoline or the US equivalent of 80 cents that they're allowed to withdraw from the bank each day... about enough for a loaf of bread.

"People sleep in their cars to fill up."
And speaking of that... we've noticed that Zimbabwe has become a nation of waiters. It's like Russia or Cuba before them, I suppose... only for different reasons. Every bank has lines that stretch around the block.

A Gas Station with No Gas

On the rare occasion that the gas stations have fuel, people sleep in their cars to fill up. The bread shortage means waiting in line outside the supermarket for your loaf.

While they generally do it all with a smile or at least calm resignation, it's hard not to see it as a vicious cycle. People miss work to wait in line, therefore earning less money to buy stuff the next time they're standing in line. It can't go on forever.

"We're here and the ride was free."
We're now in Bulawayo, about five hours south of Victoria Falls. A guy who runs the backpackers in Vic Falls gave us a ride in the back of his pickup... or bakkie, as they say. The only problem was that departure time was 3:30am. We had our sleeping bags, but it was still a little cold. It was also a very small truck bed we had to share with quite a bit of luggage and a big gasoline can. But we're here and the ride was free.

Bulawayo is supposedly the Zimbabwe city that retains the most of its old colonial charm... as charming as that can be here. And it is nice, said to be a good place to hear local music. Matt keeps saying it makes him think of Havana.

"We were the only white faces."
We went out with Richard last night to hear some African jazz. We were the only white faces in the rather upscale crowd, but were warmly welcomed by the folks who sat near

Waking Up During our "Bakkie" Ride

us. One of the more interesting points of the evening was a stirring, upbeat rendition of Frank Sinatra's standard "My Way." I almost didn't recognize it. Matt had to point it out.

And who knew there were ruins of ancient civilizations in Zimbabwe? I didn't. We rented bikes yesterday and rode out of the Khami ruins... remnants of a society that was here around the 1500's. It was very cool and we were two of the six people who visited that day. Security guard Caleb gave us a personal tour and showed us how to play a traditional game similar to something called "draughts." He and Matt played for at least an hour.

"It hasn't been generally well maintained."
Khami was small, but no less impressive than many of the smaller ruins in Latin America. There are international students who visit once per year to help restore the site, but it hasn't been generally well maintained. There's a spot where a plaque says something like "This thatch hut was constructed to protect the fragile remains of the stone house underneath." The plaque's in pretty good shape, but the hut and most of the stone house are long gone.

We'll spend another night here before heading off either to Harare or Masvingo. Harare has the Zimbabwe International Film Festival going on. Masvingo is near Great Zimbabwe, the biggest ancient ruin in sub-Saharan Africa.