Harare and it’s colors
We were very fortunate to be in Harare by the time of the year when the Jacarandas are full of it’s purple flowers, they are everywhere around the city and give a special color to the dry scenery (the rain season as not started yet). We had to pack clothes for a wide range of temperatures, from under 10º in the morning and evening to more than 30º during the day.
And I only came to realize on arrival that Zimbabwe, as other former british colonies, have their cars’ driving seat on the right side, which for me is a fun experience of some confusion and the sense we are always about to crash or going on the wrong direction.
Just like Brazil, where I’m from, Harare is a place of contrasts, specially regarding social inequality (there is a huge gap between some areas of the city and the suburbs with big houses/lands with high fenced walls and green grass). There are also infrastructure issues, for a while now the population is facing daily power outages, water cuts and fuel shortage (almost all gas stations have daily 10, 20, 30 cars queues). By all this, resilience is a must and people look for innovative solutions to overcome difficulties, thrive and keep moving. And everywhere you go, you’ll be greeted by a “hi/hello” always followed by a “how are you?”, which for me translates as a sense of caring for each other. Is so nice to be in such a warmth and vibrant place, where you feel energized by the people and it’s culture.
By the way, besides the Jacaranda trees, Harare’s colors also come from it’s people, either by the way they dress or the cool colors of their hair styles, which brings such a good vibe to the city. I hope I can take some of this within me when I go back home.
