Prepare appropriately for the journey

THE distance between Harare and Bulawayo is approximately 436 km.

There are so many ways get to Bulawayo. One can drive or be driven to Bulawayo. It is possible to cycle to Bulawayo. I remember many years ago there were groups that used to do sponsored cycling and even sponsored walks.

One can fly to Bulawayo. One gets to Bulawayo early when they fly to Bulawayo. Before the one driving gets to Kadoma, the one flying could be landing in Bulawayo.

One of the most used mode of transport between Harare and Bulawayo is by bus. There are different types of buses that can take you to Bulawayo.

There are the “chicken” buses; these are the old models that have stood the test of time and are still on the road competing against the latest versions of buses.

There are “coaches” that have designated stations and stop points. For these, the stop points can be hotels and service stations where the passengers go to the ablution facilities should there be need. Some coaches provide refreshments while other coaches do not.

In between the “chicken” and the coaches are the ordinary buses. Most of these are boarded at Harare Showground.

Those who have been to the showground know what one can be subjected to at this place. There are touts, the polite ones and some who are very rude and shout at would be passengers for no apparent reason and in some instances use vulgar and obscene words.

There are many vendors who sell anything from fruits, USB cables, sweets, chocolates to toiletries. Some purporting to be travellers are actually not, they can be thieves ready to pounce on travellers or simply place holders aboard buses.

I had one nasty experience at this place when I was travelling to Kadoma with my three daughters and two nephews when they were still young.

One man approached us and began to walk close to us claiming that he knew me from Glen View. Naïve, I tried explaining to him that I had never stayed in Glen View while at the same time tried to control the children who were curious about the conversation and were wondering when I had been to that place.

I only realised later that answering this man would do me no good and was actually hindering our movement.

All I can say it was a relief to be finally in a bus and only see the touts from a distance, which remains unsafe until one is seated and settled.

Then it was time to answer the questions from the kids:

“Mama, you never told us that you used to stay in Glen View. Aunt when did you stay in Glen View? Who did you stay with in Glen View? “

As an answer to ensure that I could just rest in the bus I remember saying, “I never stayed in Glen View. That man could have mistaken me for someone else.”

It took me a lot of self-control not to add that he could be a thief who wanted to shift my focus so that he could steal from us. I am sure that there was going to be chaos in the bus as people will be afraid of being robbed.

There was a movie about robbers we watched… There would have been a lot of drama on that bus…One always draws attention when travelling with children.

For many years I would travel with these five children. In some way they reminded me of the “Famous Five” books that I read as a teenager that they also read. \Now that they are all grown, our trips together are now a lot less. They can now travel on their own too.

When one boards the bus to Bulawayo, it does not mean that everyone will get off in Bulawayo. Others get off in the towns before Bulawayo. As others get on the bus, others disembark. At some point the in between buses can be loaded and have standing passengers who then get to sit at some point of the journey.

I was thinking of the many journeys that I have travelled, especially the ones by bus. These were eventful. I remember that some people fell asleep only to wake up and realise that they were past their destination…. Others had too much fluids and needed to ask the bus driver and conductor for a recess in some forest.

I am sure that each one of us have traveller’s tales that we can share.

Come to think of it the reproductive health cycle is like a journey.

Travellers are different and are in several places using different modes of transport to take them from Harare to Bulawayo.

Those who have received enough information about the processes that take place within their bodies are equipped and are in charge of the whole process, knowing the distances travelled and how much time they may need to get to Bulawayo; estimated time because there are issues that delay the journey.

What can affect the journey are bad weather conditions. In the case of the reproductive health cycle, stress can affect menstruation, leading one to miss a period or actually have an unexpected period.

When one has no information about menstruation, they are like a confused traveller at Harare Showground, vulnerable to the tactics of the touts and vendors. Not having information that the journey is long can cause one not to be prepared psychologically and keep asking the one next how far they are from the destination.

But when one has studied the map, it is easy to tell that after Selous, there is the big roundabout, Chegutu is next then shortly one is in Kadoma.

When the individual gets to the massive tollgate, they will know that Bulawayo is close. Do not allow yourself to be swayed by the touts who just tell you what they want, get full information about the journey and prepare appropriately.