Mosi Oa Tunya

Day 35-40

8/8/09-8/13/09

We arrived into Zambia and the topography is starting to change as we move south. It’s winter here and the weather is quite cool at night but warm during the day. Cool enough that it looks like fall as the leaves are beginning to change color. Zambia appears far more advanced than any of the other African countries I’ve thus far visited. The roads are good and as we pull into Lusaka I wouldn’t know I wasn’t in a westernized country as it’s very new and modern. It’s quite fun going to an ATM and typing in 1,000,000 to withdraw the equivalent of a couple hundred bucks. Better yet is seeing one’s balance in Kwacha, their currency. How many millions do I have???? I wish!

We’ve spent the past 4 days in Livingston on the boarder of Zimbabwe. Splitting the boarder is Victoria Falls, one of the seven wonders of the world. Vic Falls is the largest waterfalls in the world. Mosi Oa Tunya “The smoke that thunders” describes perfectly what these falls are called in local tongue. As we enter the park a thunderous sound is heard from hundreds of millions of gallons a second pouring into a narrow gorge. Vic falls is created from the Zambezi river pouring over a gorge wall that stretches almost two miles long between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Down a path and the first of many majestic views is unveiled. Standing on the gorge wall edge from 100 to 200 feet away on the other side of the gorge millions of gallons rushes over the rocks dumping 300 feet down. Mist plumes up in a smoke like fashion. Approaching closer to the gorge edge the rocks are slippery and we get wet. The astonishing beauty of nature is difficult to describe. Rainbows form from all the mist arching upwards toward the sky. It’s an awe inspiring site.

This area of Africa is a major tourist destination and there are mobs of tourist along with loads of activities. White water rafting, elephant riding, lion encounters, bungee jumping, gorge swing. Micro-flights, and helicopter rides. I choose the adventure route and go white water rafting the first day. The Zambezi is rated class 5 and is reputed to be one of the best in the world. There are 25 rapids today and they are violently turbulent. However the group of us from our truck is unfortunate and only gets flipped once. I love getting dumped amongst the frothing water clinging to the raft as it gets swept past rocks and gasping for a breath before the next wave created by the rapids pounds you under for a few seconds. The Zambezi earns is reputation and is certainly one of the best I’ve done.

Day 2 we set out for bungee jumping and a gorge swing. The bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe crosses the the Zambezi river 330 feet below and is the third highest bungee jump in the world. The view is spectacular. I gorge swing first. The gorge swing is a cable stretched across the gorge a couple hundred feet away parallel to the bridge. Lines are attached to the cable and standing on the middle span of the bridge in a harness attached to the lines I take a step, stomach drops, and plunge straight down for 4 seconds before the line goes tight and the momentum swings me back and forth. While crazy it’s exhilarating and I’d do this over and over again if I could. I can only think it has got to be the closest thing to simulated suicide attempt.

Next up the bungee jump. From the same spot they attach a big rubber band to my ankles with towels wrapped around them. The setup is so simplistic yet effective. One, two, three, count and with as big a push as I can make dive out off the bridge dropping until the bungee pulls tight under my weight then recoils and throws me vertical at least half the distance of the free fall to repeat the fall and recoil a dozen times each a little shorter than the last. Whew, what fun for an adrenaline junkie. Yeah haww what a thrill. Several others in our group also jump and I have to admire those who do it when scared to death. Beth stood at the edge of the bridge in tears shaking while the rest of us cheering her on. To my surprise when finished she wanted to do it again.

In the afternoon I head for a grass air strip and take a microlight flight over the falls. Heavenly is all I can say! The flight is very similar to riding in a small aircraft other than it being in an open cockpit exposed to wind blowing over my body. It’s peaceful and serene experience overlooking such a stunning site. Further up the river we spot, elephants, buffalo, hippos, and crocodiles. Upon landing mid runway two elephants stroll out of the trees and stop just short of the strip. We scramble for our cameras to get up close pics of the massive creature.

Zimbabwe

My last day here I cross the bridge on foot for a day of exploration in Zimbabwe. A quick visit to the falls on this side of the boarder and I discover what I’d seen on the other side is minor in comparison. Seventy percent of the falls are in Zimbabwe. The amount of water coming over the falls is hard to take in. The water clouds billow hundreds of feet high and this isn’t even high season.

Further, I stroll into the town of Victoria Falls and discover a small village only a block or two long. I’m immediately hassled by multiple locals selling carvings and Zimbabwean dollars. Their dollar has went through hyper inflation and is virtually worthless. While they have an official currency no one accepts it and the US dollar has become the standard. They have a 10 trillion, 50 trillion, and even a 100 trillion dollar bill.

I find the local scene sad. Everyone is friendly yet they hassle you for a sale of the smallest scale. Most of them making me aware that the dollar or two they where after was for them to eat for the next few days. It’s sad the scene only a bridge crossing away is drastically different teaming with free spending tourist. Robert Mugabe the leader here has run the country into the ground. Only a few years ago most of the tour companies came to this side of the border and now only a handful in comparison make the crossing due to the political instability. The people seem beautiful yet are stuck through no fault of their own.

Michelle, the tour leader, lived here for a couple years and has numerous friends. She was kind enough to put me in touch with them and I spent the afternoon hanging out in her old stomping grounds having good conversation with some locals to get a better perspective on their views and can only wish for a political change for the betterment of a genuine people.

Back in Zambia for our last night it’s time for another group change. 11 folks on the truck are moving on and we gain 10 new folks to remain with us to the end of the trip. There are now only two other people left from the starting the trip with me. Hugs are shared by all and tears by some as close bonding has happened amongst the group. Another page is turned in my year long journey and I’m grateful for the folks I’ve met and have new folks to get to know. I’m still the token American amongst a now even more diverse group.

We departed this morning and crossed the border into Botswana and will be setting out on new adventures soon.

Bus or Truck

The vehicle we are all calling home is a truck with a big box put on the bed where seats have been installed. Several in the group think that since it carries passengers it’s a bus. Calling it a bus infuriates our driver Letaloi and he instituted a policy that if one calls the truck a bus they must do ten push ups. After almost everybody has said the B word two or three times he says anyone using the B word has to run around the truck 5 times screaming truck, truck truck truck the entire time. I can’t help but laugh as there are some folks that have had to do it ten or more times in a day. Fortunately I haven’t slipped up as I’ve always viewed it as a truck. All in all, it’s become a game trying to trick people into saying it.