Thursday 28 April 2011

Makaranga Garden Lodge 2

I have been off-line for about 36 hours. I don't have a landline or ADSL internet connection, I use a 3 G card to connect to the internet, via the cell phone service. Day before yesterday I got a message on my BlackBerry every time I tried to go online that I was in an area with no data service, same with my computer. Yesterday it was still the same and I phoned the service provider to report the problem. I was helped by two very knowledgeable young ladies and this morning the service is working again.

Went to town this morning  to do a bit of shopping and other chores, on my way out I was stopped by a traffic officer, who asked to see my drivers licence and checked the licence disc on the car. He studied my licence for a long while before handing it back saying, "your licence has expired, you still have a week or two's grace, so renew it." I think I made his day when I said it was my lucky day that he stopped me, I never look at my licence (it has what looks like it  has SA's most wanted criminal photo on it), so tomorrow 1st thing I'll be at the traffic dept. to renew my licence. I don't think anyone has ever said to him it's their lucky day that he stopped them.

Now back to Makaranga. As I said in the previous blog there were Shona sculptures scattered every where throughout the grounds. (Shona or MaShona the largest Bantu tribe in Zimbabwe). Most so called ethnic art does not appeal to me. But some of these were very good.
Click on photos to enlarge.

 The group above called the choir.

Reubenesque beauty.

Leap frog.

Mother and child.

The Wizard.

There are dozens more scattered through the grounds, claims to be the largest collection of Shona sculpture in one place.

5 comments:

Desiree said...

Well, your traffic officer has done me a good turn too, because by reminding you, I've now also been reminded to check the expiry date on mine!

I really like a lot of the ethnis art I've seen. There are some fine pieces at Kirstenbosch and Boschedal has a collection on display, too.

I wonder how large the gardening staff is at Makaranga. It all looks immaculately maintained!

Mark Kautz said...

Hi Phillip. In California they send you a reminder or I'd forget to renew mine too. Beautiful sculptures done by very talented artists.

Mark

Phillip said...

Hi Mark,

Don't you sleep it must be the middle of the night there.

Phillip

Jo said...

Hi Phil, your conversation with the traffic officer made me take my card out and check the date. Ah, I have until July 2012 to renew. I've added a reminder on my computer calender. If I'm here in Kenya at that time, I'd better have it renewed before. My neighbour down the street in Marquard has The Wizard in her garden. I never knew what it was. Now I do! Blessings from Jo

Kay L. Davies said...

I love the choir, and I especially love "leapfrog"!
In Canada, or at least in the two provinces in which I've resided, British Columbia and Alberta, our licenses expire on our birthdays, which is very handy as to the date, but I checked, and mine expires this year. Will I still remember that in the weeks before December 1? Probably not!
— K

Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel