I woke up with a sore head, and a blocked nose, which caused my throat to dry out. I might as well have swallowed a packet of nails. I picked up some virus along the Indian Ocean. But what’s a boy got to do?

Heading north on the N1 from Vilankulus is a state of mind. And a state of disaster. You might as well lock your in 4WD hubs and hope for the best. You need good tires, a sturdy suspension, and lots of patience. Cars and trucks swerve from left to right and back through the middle to evade potholes. Some of them have more holes than pots. Maximum speed averages around 20 km/h, if you’re on a better stretch of road. I have seen a few road maintenance crews along the way, melting tar in portable coal ovens. But this is a long stretch of road and I still have a long way to go. This will not do.

I reached the town of Casa Nova and Zimba sure played his trump card when I parked at the supermarket for some groceries. He is the hottest thing in town. As soon as turned the engine key off, we were surrounded by vendors, holding baskets of pineapple to my nose. Everyone was desperate to sell their fresh produce. Times are tough. I like a good pineapple with my cereal for breakfast, but how much pineapple can I eat? Or can I?

I stepped out and asked for patience. I tried to explain that I would do my grocery shopping first and attend the pineapple stock market afterward. What can I do, I am just a sucker for these desperate people. A wee murmur admitted my departure to the supermarket for some basic food. It felt like being part of the movie ‘The Life of Brian’. ‘Are there any women here?’ Maybe that’s my theme for my travels next time?

Looking back from the entrance of the supermarket, more and more vendors arrived, attracted by the zebra parked in their front yard. This will be interesting. Along the road, people always asked for water. This land is as dry as a nun’s bun. I ran out of bottles and needed to refill my stack and buy some more water for more desperate people on dusty Trax. Why not buy extra pineapple too, and hand them out with the water. Every little thing helps, right? I made my way back to the gathering crowd around this fabulous-looking car and asked to give me a few moments. I needed to make some space.

Never once did I feel threatened or in danger by an almost suffocating crowd. So I opened the pineapple auction on my account. I explained that I couldn’t buy all pineapples but would buy some from each. And so it went. Two from this woman, three from this man, another two from someone else, and so on. A young boy acted as the auctioneer, handing pineapples into my empty milk crate. It’s always good to have a spare milk crate handy. I paid extra of course, it’s only a little money in the scheme of things.

And just like that, we were loaded with pineapples. And water. The smell of fresh pineapple is something. An old lady sold cashew nuts in a wee plastic wrapper. She was the first to arrive as I remember. I couldn’t forget those pleading eyes. I pleaded guilty and bought her cashews, of course. That relieving smile was something to remember. From Casa Nova, a gravel road led west toward the Chimanimani Mountains, my destination for the day.

We prefer a good gravel road to a bad tartare road. The R520 turned into the Pineapple Express. Little communities are nestled along the way in dry and dusty conditions. Everywhere, people try to sell the little they have, to get a little more. Or different. Well, this time they got more than they expected. Whenever kids were sitting by the road, or women communities gathered, I stopped and handed out pineapple and water. The surprising looks and laughter received were all the payment I needed. Of course, I couldn’t give everyone refreshments, and in hindsight, I should have bought all the pineapples. But…

By the time I got to Dombe, the Pineapple Express run out. It is a perfect concept. Buying from locals, to give to locals. I will do that more often. Let’s see what’s on special next time. Bananas maybe. Gotta keep this monkey happy. And happy I am.

At this point, I would like to remind you, that donations are still very welcome. The money will go to good use.

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