Vic Falls - Days 16-18

Sorry I've been inactive for the past couple of days but internet hasn't been the most accessible. My hosts' home is a couple of miles from town and I've been too lazy to walk that in the African sun.

But to recap the last couple of days.

I went to Victoria Falls on Thursday morning and it was nothing short of extraordinary. The locals call it Mosi-oa-Tunya which means "the smoke that thunders," and I must say that's a much more appropriate name. My host suggested I take a rain coat and in my mind I was expecting certain parts to be misty. On the contrary, it was more like a downpour - from the water/mist erupting from the falls. The national park was really well organized, albeit a bit expensive ($30), and had a well laid out path with designated viewpoints. It starts with a statue of Dr. David Livingstone, who discovered the falls, and guides you along the Zimbabwean side all the way to the famous bridge that connects Zimbabwe and Zambia. I suppose it's more infamous these days since the bungee accident a couple of weeks ago, but it opened again a couple of days ago with brand new equipment from the US.

I decided to forgo the bungee experience but did get my share of adrenaline by whitewater rafting on the Zambezi river yesterday and my muscles are still feeling the burn today. The rating guide picked us up around 7am and we went through a safety debriefing and signed a indemnity waiver. Did I mention my travel insurance doesn't cover adventure sports?

The huge overland truck drove the guides and 7 rafters down river a few kilometers to the launching site where we geared up and made our descent into the gorge via a steep and slightly muddy trail. Coming back up was even more fun -_- Once in the water, we practiced a few maneuvers and took off for the first rapid. Foolishly, I thought I would be able to keep my glasses on since the helmet was so tight but it came flying off (and luckily landing in my lap) during the first rapid. Off they came and I went the rest of the trip sans glasses and in a slightly dreamlike haze. Perhaps it was a good thing I couldn't see the waves coming clearly :) We made it through the first few rapids intact and rapid 16 or "The Terminator" was where it all ended. Since there were 7 people, one person had to take turns sitting in the front of the raft and I was lucky enough to be that person during "The Terminator." I really wish I could see video footage of this because I only recall being pummeled by rapids and then launching into the air all the whist holding on to the raft for dear life. Awesome experience although mighty scary at the time. Is that what it feels like to be in a washing machine?

My internet session is running low so I'll cut this short. But altogether, we went through 14 rapids and the trip took about half day. The climb up the gorge was grueling and I almost considered swallowing my shame and generously tipping a porter to carry me up. Not really but the thought did cross my mind.

Anyway, tomorrow I head for Zanzibar via Lusaka but I've yet to find a host. So maybe it'll be a hostel or I'll just go all the way through to Dar es Salaam. Expect another update in 2-3 days :)

Vic Falls - Day 15

Made it to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, but yet to see the actual waterfall itself. That's on the agenda for tomorrow.

Last I posted was in Bulawayo waiting for the train. I have a confession to make...I stumbled upon a movie theater and watched "The Change Up" in order to pass the time. Not exactly Oscar worthy but entertaining enough and completely made me forget I was in Africa for 2 hours.

One thing that seems to accompany traveling in a third world country is attention from locals - and often times unwanted attention. I spent the majority of the afternoon talking to random people who wanted to strike up conversation. Some were just being friendly, others were shopping for a wife, and I'm sure there was a con man or two. But I was just waiting for the train and didn't plan on going anywhere so I just went along with it and closely guarded my stuff. As I was waiting, the station security manager called me into his office. I thought I was in trouble...but no, he just wanted to talk.

The train ride itself passed by really quickly. Took off around 7:30pm as scheduled and got in around 10am. I bought a first class ticket ($12) and had the compartment to myself. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the lights on the train weren't operating so I just made the fold down bed and crashed. I think I was so tired from lack of sleep and entertaining Zimbabweans that I slept nearly the whole way.

Found my hosts' home but they were out and the housekeeper let me in. It's a large yet very simple home located on the edge of town. I had no idea how anything is laid out so I just stayed put and cleaned up a bit. They came home briefly and I hitched a ride into town. I can't really get a sense of their vibe, but I feel a bit out of place in their home. So maybe I'll make this shorter than anticipated. They own a hair/wig shop in town and also run a travel agency out back. Maybe I'll book a white water rafting trip with them?