The Boma

I guess I'll start by explaining the picture in the previous post. It was taken the night before New Year's eve in Zimbabwe and the back story is as follows. We were staying at an African influenced American style hotel which clearly catered to western travelers. Since cholera is pandemic in the country at the moment it is assumed that people will want to eat in the hotel restaurants rather than venturing out into the small town of Victoria Falls for nourishment. However, the choices are not so adventurous - pizza, TexMex or a very expensive buffet. For me, one of the reasons to travel is to experience the culture including the food. After a couple of lousy burgers I asked the server to recommend a local place where we could get some authentic African faire. She thought we might enjoy The Boma so our group leader arranged for us to dine there. We arrived to be greeted with colorful African printed cloth that was draped over each of us like a toga and ushered in to a large hut (effectively) - partially thatched-roof, partially open to the starry sky. Refreshments of locally brewed tangy beer made with "maize", a staple in the local diet, was served. Then came the appetizers: smoked crocodile and a ostrich & guineafowl pate. The band fired up after the first course and every diner was given a drum. As you might imagine we made a horrific noise and had the best time doing it. It's much harder than it looks but it cleanses the soul. A local man was coming around with face paint and we all made like good sports. I told him I wanted to look like a fierce warrior. We chatted it up and laughed a lot during the 5 minutes it took him to transform me and I asked if he was making me into a target. With true Ndebele humor he quizzically replied, "I thought you were fierce". So fierce I was that I marched up to the BBQ pit and loaded my plate with wort hog, kudu steak and buffalo stew and devoured it like a native. I didn't try the mopani worms but would have had deep fried caterpillar if I'd seen it. Though it was reminiscent of a Hawaiian Luau our African experience was on the upswing. What a great night.