Chimanimani in the local Shona language means ‘to be in a tight place’. And that’s what I got myself into.

After a long day driving along the Pineapple Express, we knew that we wouldn’t make it to ‘Parque do National Chimanimani’ before darkness. I was traveling along the N264, a gravel road that passes little communities, and needed somewhere to stay, or camp. Accommodation in any form is nonexistent in rural areas.

I would be happy to camp next to a community or so, after asking and paying to stay. But Zimba’s attraction would have caused similar scenes to those in Casa Nova. I found a tight spot, Chimanimani, just off the road and parked Zimba there.

Locals that were passing by were smiling and giving me the thumbs up. Tudo Ben. Giving out so much good karma over the day, I was hoping for an uneventful night, like so many times before.

I had just finished my dinner and whilst sitting out with a cuppa tea, I heard a motorcycle pull up, one of those many around here. I went to investigate, only to find two torches shining in my face. ‘Policia’ the male officer pronounced with a gun over his shoulder. There was no magazine in it, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not loaded. A female officer was standing behind him scorching her torch in my eyes. Tranquillo I said, I come in peace. Both officers were heavily animated, not knowing how to deal with two very strange objects on the side of the road.

To rephrase ‘This is Africa’, means that anything can happen at any time. The locals were scared and called the police. The male officer was still blowing his trumpet, trying to tell me that I couldn’t camp there. At least he didn’t point his gun at me. I replied with ‘nao intendeo’, I don’t understand. And I didn’t understand what he was saying. What is all this fuzz about? I do come in peace. A piece of pineapple perhaps?

He flagged down an oncoming truck and a random person jumped off the trees in the back of the lorry. He spoke some English. Once the police saw my German passport and Australian driver’s license, both officers relaxed very much and even got cheeky with me. Nevertheless, I couldn’t stay here. ‘I want to come with you’ the female officer said. ‘You’re kicking me out, only to come with me?’ I replied cheeky. I don’t think she understood.

While I was packing up the tent, the random translator explained that these tight communities couldn’t understand why a zebra was parked not too far from them. They thought I was out for trouble. ‘I was in a tight spot and wanted to explore Chimanimani. But time ran out and the lights went off before I got there’ I explained.

The random translator happened so to be a park ranger at this national park. He will jump into Zimba and show me the way to get in. The police were happy, or not, for me to move on.

Sure enough, we reached the gates to Parque do National Chimanimani. It took about 10 minutes to illustrate to the gate warden, why he was sitting in this zebra and was trying to get me into the Chimanimani National Park after office hours. The same explanation happened at the headquarters.

It is an unusual story, but that’s what Kuifie does.