The Sunday News
Yoliswa Dube, Sunday Life Reporter
DOWN Coronation Drive in the coal mining town of Hwange are supermarkets, departmental stores and banks but that’s pretty much it.
Although it is heaven for bush lovers because of the Hwange National Park, an animal sanctuary housing over 20 000 elephants and the big five among other animal species located a few kilometres out of town, prospects of having a decent sit down dinner in the metropolis are slim.
It wasn’t until a friend brought up The Baobab Hotel, a short ride from Coronation Drive that things started looking up. The uphill drive into the hotel gates stirred my curiosity.
More than the peaking curiosity though was the rising hope for a decent meal after spending a few days in the bush and surviving on quick and easy meals prepared over an open fire at the Hwange National Park main camp.
Parking space was readily available but it was the loud speakers churning out R&B tracks from the late 90s that caught my attention. I wondered if there was a birthday party or private function of some sort happening at the hotel. I soon discovered there wasn’t — it was the hotel’s way of spicing things up a little bit.
At the front of the hotel was an island where white garden chairs and tables were set under green umbrellas placed over lush green lawns.
The first thought that crossed my mind was, “Where’s the privacy here when everyone who drives through the hotel gates can see me?”
But I wasn’t about to let the set up spoil the mood. We walked towards the hotel’s reception area where a waiter stood to greet diners.
It all happened so fast. The waiter, soon after greeting and learning of our desire to eat started reciting the meal menu. He insisted they didn’t have menu cards so we had to trust him to tell us what was available. On the menu were both Western and traditional meals including chicken, rump steak, fish, rice, chips, baked potatoes, and sadza as well as light meals such as burgers, toasted sandwiches and meat platters.
I was confused and really couldn’t remember everything the waiter had recited so I asked for the chef’s special instead. It was southern fried wings, chips and a Caesar salad.
The wings came highly recommended, with the waiter insisting I’d enjoy them thoroughly. They were the house favourite, he said.
My friend ordered the same, together with a Coke and Stoney Ginger Beer for $1 each. There were alcoholic beverages available but we weren’t about that life.
With the meal order placed, it was time to find the perfect spot to chill. We decided to perch at a table at the edge of what felt like a cliff.
The hotel is located on a hilltop which offers an aerial view of the town’s western suburbs. Wasn’t the air just perfectly fresh! A cool breeze blew over the area, lifting an alluring scent of vegetation and coal.
Right next to our table was a humungous baobab tree named Mr Baobab. He was such a spectacle. I could barely put my arms halfway through the circumference of his trunk. He had grown so thick and tall; his branches hung over our table and before I could feel his bark I was greeted by a placard which read, “HELLO I AM MR BAOBAB. I AM AT LEAST 600 YEARS OLD. AS A SIGN OF RESPECT FOR MY ANCIENT CONDITION MAY I ASK YOU NOT TO CARVE YOUR INITIALS ON MY BODY. I FIND THIS HABIT RATHER IRRITATING. THANK YOU.”
I wasn’t about to carve in “Yoliswa was here!” after reading this so I just admired the tree and enjoyed the view.
It wasn’t too long before our waiter started showing up with the condiments and cutlery. At this point, it was American singer Usher’s You Remind Me that was blaring from the loudspeakers.
The order came through and wasn’t I just astonished by the size of the portion! A generous helping of chips and four buffalo wings with an equally handsome portion of salad was placed in front of me, for — wait for it — $4 only!
The aroma was absolutely delectable, the chips and wings were steaming hot — I couldn’t wait to dig in!
It sounded like an ordinary and safe meal when the waiter was reciting the menu but the chef outdid himself with the wings.
They had a beautiful fuse of fresh garlic complemented by a kick of sweet chilli sauce. The chips were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a light sprinkle of black pepper — just the way I like them.
The wings, good old French fries and a Coke were a rather perfect combination.
It was dusk and the bright lights from the township looked absolutely beautiful from the hilltop. I was stuffed two wings into the meal so I decided to sit back and enjoy the view, while sipping on the Coke.
They say it’s rude to leave food on the plate, so before long, I got into the second half of things to finish off the rest of the meal.
I must say I was quite chuffed by the portions, I got value for my money and most importantly, the wings were so damn good!
By this time, I’d gone through Tupac, Aaliyah, Ja Rule, Destiny’s Child and B.I.G.
There really wasn’t any room for desert so we decided to take a stroll to the back of the hotel where a breathtakingly beautiful view of the bright lights of the mining town awaited me. The stillness was refreshing, the cool breeze calming and the darkness of the night sedative.
@Yolisswa
