Matt and I arrived in Johannesburg and then transferred to Livingston where we were collected and driven to our hostel (called a "backpackers" in Africa). A couple observations from that drive are; the world is bright and colorful (there was not a layer of filth and smog like some places in India) and the ceiling of the sky was so HIGH! I finally know what Paul Simon has been singing about all this time. These "African skies" are of a different nature than what we have at home.
The first few hours were spent between showering (the last shower was two days previous in Goa) and organizing our possessions. I don't know if you've ever stayed at a hostel before, but it's an intelligent decision to lock up everything but a few articles of clothing and some toiletries. We didn't do much else that day besides procure some kwacha (Zambia's currency) and pick up some snacks at the grocery store.
The following morning, we were up early and on the road to Victoria Falls with our friends Christina and Richard who we had met at the backpackers the previous evening. Matt and I brought nothing with us to the Falls besides the entrance fees. Why? Because standing anywhere within about a quarter mile from the Falls during the wet season is comparable to standing under your shower, and standing nearer than that is more similar to swimming.
The Falls were gorgeous and the area around them was an adventure to explore. We walked down a steep trail and through a river, then over some boulders to see the "boiling pot" where the water crashes and churns at the base of the waterfall. But to really get a good taste of the Falls, we had to walk down a few wooded paths and over a bridge to see.... nothing. We could see each other, but anything farther than a few yards was just gray. It must feel like that to stand inside a rain cloud, and not a shred of my clothes were dry, my hair was wet through and I had removed my glasses since they were useless in the deluge.
After our soaking, we headed upriver on a sunny walkway to see the top of the falls and give our clothes a chance to dry. When we were drier, we found a minibus and hopped a ride back into town and got a taste of some local lunch. We spent the evening socializing with all sorts of new friends from all over the world who were either travelling through or living in African countries. We even met a guy from Delaware who works as a bush pilot for Medecins Sans Frontieres.
The following morning I decided, at the last minute, to join some friends on a canoe trip. It proved to be a beneficial decision. There were about a dozen of us canoeing and two guides alongside in kayaks. Our canoes were a strange combination of a kayak, a canoe and an inflatable, seating two people who use kayak paddles. The river was a blast though; there were plenty of simple rapids and the weather was amazing. The guides briefed us in the morning on how to react if a hippo bumps you out of your boat, and on the importance of avoiding crocodiles. And it was no joke because we saw about ten hippos and a couple crocodiles. And joining us along the shoreline during different points were a monitor lizard, two giraffes, and scores of birds whose names I have forgotten.
When I returned to the hostel, I had time to handwash some laundry and grab a shower before the electricity went out. Matt and I ended the evening having a candlelight dinner out with some friends from the hostel before bed. The 10th of March was an interesting day as most of the morning and early afternoon were spent watching my brother hurl himself off a bridge twice, and then a cliff.
The bridge spanning the Zambezi River just past Victoria Falls is a steel lifeline between Zimbabwe and Zambia (a.k.a. Zim/Zam) and it stands 111 meters high above the raging current. Some people (not those of sound mind) choose to bungee jump off the bridge. Matt and our friend Justin not only bungee jumped, but also used the gorge swing (if you've never been introduced to a gorge swing or if you enjoy watching other people torture themselves, please have a look at the video I took of Matt) AND took a zipline across the river. This madness took up most of the day and I spent the evening reading our southern Africa book and having a cocktail in the backpackers' pool (it was a stressful morning).
The following day, Matt and I repacked all of our gear and headed to the airport where we met Victor and Simon. Victor was one of our guides and Simon was part of the group with Matt and I. We headed straight to Victoria Falls, and this time we brought our cameras (so those two previous pics are purposely out of chronological sequence). After our lovely wander around the waterfall, we took a drive to the middle of nowhere to find a shockingly luxurious inn (Shackelton's) where we were greeted with cheeses and snacks the likes of which we'd rarely seen in months. The sunset over the oxbow lake bordering the property was stunning as were the magnificent spread at dinner and the wood-fired hot water showers. I went to bed with safari dreams in my head; excited to fully begin my adventure the following day.
The pictures in this post are: The Zambezi River and the tall plumes of spray from the Falls viewed from the airplane, the tip top of the waterfall, a day of fun on the river with foreboding waterfall-spray downriver, Victoria Falls from the Zambia side, and the Shackelton's sunset.
3 comments:
Hey Ells, I you haven't moved on to your next stop, I would recomend going on a raft trip down the Zambezi. It's supose to be one of the best big water class V runs in the World!
Ellie - As much as we look forward to your safe return, your travelogue is so much fun that we also want you and Matt to keep on traveling and traveling. Peeking over your shoulder is not quite as good as being there, but it's close. Thanks for writing all of these posts up - we read them all.
Thank you Ran!! I'm glad to know you appreciate them. And don't worry, Matt and I will still have plenty to catch up on writing after we arrive home. Then there's all the pictures I'll post on Kodak Gallery, and surely some concluding thoughts. Let's see how long we can stretch this out :)
Anon, unfortunately kayaking and rafting on the river are unsafe during the wet season. Otherwise, SURELY I could've handled a V in a kayak. Afterall, I do have one III under my belt.
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