A Postcard from Vic Falls, Zambia

We travel for 3 long days of travel before we finally get to Livingstone, Zambia.  We have broken journey at 2 campsites in Zambia along the way including Lusaka, the capital city.  We are glad to finally reach our campsite in Livingstone which turns out to be a lovely spacious place with a sprawling old house, green lawns, a bar and pool.  We have 3 nights here so I’m glad it is a place we can truly relax in!  It is also walking distance to town, which is convenient.   

This is my second time in Zambia, so I plan to do some activities which are different to my first visit.  While here in 2007, I viewed the falls in a helicopter so I am delighted to hear you can also view the falls in a micro light!  I do a bit of research and am told that if the engine fails in a micro light, you don’t crash!  The pilot can safely glide the craft down which makes me feel a lot better.  They also have a 100% safety record here…so after giving it a bit of thought, I sign up! 

I go along with Julie, who tells me that even though she has done this before she is still rather nervous.  After watching it take off and land a few times, it is finally my turn.  The helmet is strapped on and my seatbelt fastened.  The belt is the only thing holding me and I try not to panic.  You sit astride the pilot and hold on to the sides! 

  I have never before been up in the air in a contraption that is completely open to the elements.  I grip the sides and try to relax. 

As we take off over the surrounding national park, we spot a herd of elephants in the Zambezi River.  It is absolutely beautiful.  A bull elephant has strolled across to the nearby highway and is holding up the traffic.  There are more animals below us and I relax a little and try to look over the sides without leaning out too much!  This is perhaps one of my most terrifying experiences but it is also one of the most incredible things I have done.  Unfortunately, we are not allowed to take our own cameras.  Photos are taken by a camera fixed onto a wing of the craft.  While I have purchased these photos (which are incredible) I am unable to share them with you, ‘cos they are on a CD and I don’t have a CD reader!  (later perhaps).

There are hippos in the water as well as crocs.  My pilot is almost leaning right out of micro light as he points out various things to me and I wonder what it must be like to do this for a living everyday.  Then we reach Victoria Falls. 

I am flying over one of the world’s greatest waterfalls in a micro light.  During the wet season 545 million litres of water goes over the edge each minute and sends a misty spray 500 m into the air.  Hence, it is often referred to as ‘The Smoke that Thunders!"’ The falls are 1.7km wide and it drops about 107m into the Zambezi Gorge.  The gorge is the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, Livingstone being the town in Zambia and Vic Falls the town in Zimbabwe.  It is also the adventure capital for both these countries and one can do everything from bungy jumping, swinging across the gorge and white water rafting grade 5 rapids to walking with lions and cheetahs!  I intend to get my adrenalin fix here although it won’t be as high on the adrenalin scale as what some of my fellow younger travellers have planned.

All too soon my 15 minutes of time in the air comes to an end.  The pilot asks if I am OK and why I have been so quiet.  Perhaps, this experience just took my breath away... 

The entire group including the Kumuka crew have signed up for the sunset cruise, also referred to as the ‘booze cruise’ due to the fact there is unlimited alcohol available.  It is a great chance to see a bit more game as many animals come down to the Zambezi for a drink a chance for all of us to cool down (Zambia is quite hot at this time of year) and a chance to start start the farewell process.  We only have a few days more together as a group before we go our separate ways.

We have a wonderful time on the water.  It is incredibly relaxing way to unwind and watch the wildlife.  The weather is gorgeous and the sky incredible.  Duncan their resident croc swims over for scraps and we spot elephants on the bank.  Duncan must have smelled the BBQ!  We tuck into barbecued sausages and chicken.  The sausages here are so spicy and yummy and we are having a great evening.  

We are all on a high as the boat pulls to shore.  The party continues long into the night and moves into the little bar on the banks of the Zambezi.  Someone puts the music on and we dance barefoot on the sand.  The African guys serving at the bar join us.  The same 5 songs are played over and over but we don’t care.  Ali, one of my girlfriends looks at me and says, she couldn’t be happier.  What a wonderful night amongst a great bunch of people.  I will be sad to leave my new friends behind but many of them are Aussies and we are already planning a few reunions in Sydney! I can’t wait.  

The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience.  The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him.  He goes "sight-seeing."  ~Daniel J. Boorstin