In true soccer mum fashion I went to the shops early and made myself a packed lunch for the trip to the falls. The minibus left at 10am and from half 9 I looked around trying to suss out who was going on the trip.
The minibus was a first come, first serve basis and could only seat 10. There were an American couple, Norwegian couple, German couple, two girls from Norway called Helena and Stina and a guy from Northern Ireland called Michael. When we arrived, Helena and Stina met 5 people they had met before, 3 from Spain and 2 girls, Emma and Julia from England. Before we knew it, we had a tribe of 9 of us that gradually introduced ourselves as we walked around the falls. The usual questions of where you from? What you doing here? were intertwined with walking through thick forest and up and down river to different viewpoints of the falls.
After walking upstream a little and seeing the huge spray clouds that I saw on my ride in yesterday, it was fair to say we were going to get absolutely soaked. Luckily I had prepared for this event and the walk that took us across the bridge right in front of the falls was more like a super deluxe car wash. We would've been dryer if we had just jumped in the Zambezi. The ability to actually see a few feet in front of us came and went depending on which way the wind blew the spray. Water was coming from all angles but during the odd breaks in severe downpour we did manage to see the beauty of the Victoria Falls. I've been told to see the falls twice in a lifetime, once at this time of year when the falls are fall and getting soaked is the joy of the experience and again at the end of dry season when you can actually see some of the falls without getting soaked through to your underpants.
After narrowly escaping death or at least a broken toe when I slipped down the algae covered bridge in my freebee flip flops we walked down to the river level to see what that call the "boiling pot." After that, Stina and Michael were going to Bungy off the bridge which is slightly downstream of the falls so we all walked around to give them some moral support. I tried to give them some pointers having had a wee bit of experience in Bungy jumping myself but honestly its best if you don't think at all and just jump. (I was dying to do it but just couldn't afford it)
The Bungy bridge joins Zambia to Zimbabwe so I had an added bonus to an already great morning by stepping foot or jumping two footed back and forth as the case was, into an extra country! Even though some have rules on whether they can count having properly "entered" countries, I'm taking Zimbabwe as a yes even despite my visa for entering the country being a torn piece of paper with a number scribbled on it.
My look-a-likeliness for wrestler Daniel Bryan is increasing everyday and so I had to pose for a photo (whilst I was briefly in Zimbabwe) for a guy and later had a few more "Daniel Bryan" shouts which are always quite funny given my skinny non wrestler arms!
When we returned back from the falls we all planned to continue our great day by meeting up again in the evening. I returned back to Jollyboy's to find an already very rowdy stag do pretty much blocking the way through unless you took part in downing a beer (this blog does not condone alcohol abuse but when it comes to fighting Africa or adapting to it, I now know there's no point fighting it) so I impressed with my beer bonging ability and had to put myself out there early doors to embrace the taunts of Castaway, Forrest Gump, Captain Philips or any other movie that Tom Hanks wants to grow a beard in for that matter.
The stag do left me to enjoy my football and rugby and then I enjoyed the company of Dan and Camii, a couple from Wales. As the day continued, Team Victoria Falls arrived and again I found myself in a large group of fascinating people with great conversation and great laughs. Team Norway #2 only added to the good times and we ended the night beer ponging it from bar to bar along Livingstone's high street.
Victoria falls really did not disappoint today and I'm asked alot of the time whether I get lonely or not on this ride. Today was proof that I'm only lonely when I want to be and today really was a special day spent with alot of different and really good people.
No comments:
Post a Comment