Going from the grit of Glasgow to the sprawling metropolis of London the one thing I believed I would be ready for and relish was the energy and buzz of a busy African city but nothing prepared me for the chaos of Harare!

I walked into town and entered what can only be described as a human equivalent of bumper cars with everyone going in different directions with no order or system in place to control traffic yet somehow it works.

The main method of public transportation is a Kombi bus which are small minibus’ that scuttle around the town.

How many people fit on a 12 seater minibus? In Harare the answer will surprise you. I’ve been in a Kombi with over 30 people crammed in with people on the roof, on top of others and hanging out of the door and windows clinging on to whatever they can for dear life!

Even when I went on a 10km nature walk around a large public park, the stunning scenery is punctuated by the shouts of locals trying to organise correct paths and joggers, walkers and rangers desperately trying to avoid one another.

The most remarkable thing about Zimbabwe by far is the inimitable generosity of their people. I have had so many experiences that have left me awe-struck in admiration for the people and intrinsically guilty about how selfish I am by comparison.

There was one time when I was completely lost and asked someone for directions. Rather than point me in their general direction they walked 45 minutes out of their way to show me exactly where my destination was and refused to accept a penny for this.

Another time I was looking for the famous balancing rocks landmark and got talking to some villagers nearby who were going into the centre of Harare to ‘vend’ as they call it.

As the economy has collapsed the most common source of employment is these entrepreneurs who go into town and buy stock from a local wholesaler and sell them individually on the streets.

Just like an episode of the Apprentice they assess what profit margin they get for each item and depending on their amount of capital. I was captivated by the process and a woman I was talking to walked me round the wholesalers and explained the entire process with me and I spent the day helping her sell!

I’ve had countless people just come up to be unprompted to initiate a conversation -the warmth of humanity really does enlighten the soul!

The spectre of Mugabe is everywhere in Zimbabwe. Some people are celebrating his demise yet there are also plenty of people who see him as a liberation hero and a father of the nation.

I met a white Zimbabwean who had his family’s farm forcibly stolen from him and talked through the injustice he has been through and the economic ruin that has followed.

You now have to exchange your US Dollars on the black market to get currency. It has the feel of 1920’s Germany. As the Zimbabwean currency collapsed the government issued bonds equivalent to a dollar. The supply of US dollars are heavily restricted and so you exchange for US Dollars for bonds at a premium – literally getting free money!

Many years from now when so many of these memories have passed the buzz of Harare and the kindness of their people will remain with me forever.