Her Majesty Victoria Falls

We were up around 7 the following morning, fed breakfast & back on the truck by 8. We were all buzzing with excitement about reaching the Falls, which is the 7th natural wonder of the world! The majority of the trip was smooth, once again with police checks stunting our progress. We eventually reached 'Shoestrings Bacpackers' around mid afternoon & were quick to set up camp. The camp vibe was party, quirky, colourful and dirty, set up around a bar and a pool, markets traced the fence until the 'beauty parlour'. Not long after arriving, we were greeted with a brief presentation on all the activities on offer during our stay.

Following this, we mucked around until the sun set & we were feeling hungry. Taking the rare opportunity we broke away from the group for some well over due alone time. Having spent over a month with the same personalities of course some negative people start to take their toll so it felt like a breath of fresh air to dine with just the two of us. 

We wondered down the streets of the small town of Victoria falls, many men scoping the night trying to sell us old currency which is 'billion' dollar notes and small shops full of touristy goods lined the road, it was a quaint and chilled town. After checking out the menus of a couple of restaurants, we settled on the 'Shearwater Café,' a fancy looking café by day, & a lovely, welcoming restaurant by night. We sat down & ordered a bottle of delicious Shiraz from Stellenbosch. The winery, Graham Beck Wines, has a focus on wildlife conservation with some proceeds going towards research & protection. 

Our meals were just as outstanding. Sean's burger was giant & delicious, they even asked how he'd like the meat cooked. My battered Hake - a type of fish - & chips was oh so tasty. They even provided a selection of sauces including garlic which I piled on, for the benefit of getting rid of the last of my cold. (Much to the discomfort garlic breath can bring, even the next morning!!) We settled up without dessert, but with the promise of returning the next morning to try their coffee. 

After a night's sleep disrupted by loud, pumping music which ceased just after midnight, & also locals banging on the steel locked gate & singing at 4am!! We were up, ready for the massive day ahead. After brekky & a coffee, we set off walking towards the Falls, & the Zambian border. We had to cross over to the other side of the falls to do our two pre planned activities - bathing in the Angel's Pool atop the falls, & a microlight flight to experience their majesty from above. We crossed a bridge - & indeed the border, (through customs and paying for a day pass) into Zambia, & headed to the Royal Livingstone Hotel, a luxury modern hotel where the boat for Livingstone Island & the pool awaited us. 

The boat ride itself was exciting, especially considering the falls were only metres away. (One wrong move & you'd be lucky not to be over!) 5 mins later & we were on Livingstone Island, where the first island explorer David Livingstone set foot on for his first view of the falls/naming it then and there 'Victoria' falls after the queen. We were served a local banana drink on arrival and taken to an area just shy of the water to drop off our bags and strip off into our swimmers. 

As soon as we broke away under the canopy from the trees we were sprayed with cold water, It was literally like stepping into a shower. We cautiously tiptoed across a few trickling streams and splashed into a small pool of water which then trailed off the edge of the falls. It was liberating, magical and.. Cold. We took some photos on the edge, framed by a vibrant rainbow and making sure not too get too close so that we would be swept away. We then headed back to the other side of the island to find 'angels armchair', as we were not able to swim in the 'Devils pool' due to too much water and the dangerous pressure of it. We swam through a pool of fast flowing water and perched on some rocks, literally 1m short of the 400m gushing drop. Water still constantly sprayed our faces, as our hearts raced, feeling a part of this beautiful, blissful waterfall. Small ropes kept us from plunging to our deaths as we climbed back out of the water. 

Back on land we were served a tasty eggs Benedict and a warm coffee, before dressing and heading back to the royal Livingstone hotel. With a two hour window we all jumped in a taxi and headed the 7km into the town centre of 'Livingstone' to spend some time market shopping with plentiful paintings and crafts. We met an artist named Michael who painted on site, all of his works were wonderful, & I couldn't resist buying a few!! Ready to get back to nature and see the epic beauty of the falls from above we were taken to the microlights! 

I was first to jump in the hot seat, sitting behind the driver, they belted me in, the engine started up resembling a wipper snipper and a minute later we were motoring down the road. Like a plane we picked up speed and slowly lifted the wheels off land and then we were flying! The wind in my hair and the sun on my face there was nothing but sunshine between me and the magical vic falls. The size is just unfathomable, stretching between the two countries and splurging off into massive windy canals. On land we were lucky enough to also spot elephants, hippos, crocs, impalas and giraffes. The scenic motorbike ride through the sky was over before I could even wipe the smile off my face, looking back to see Sean landing just after me. 

We then set off back over the border, watching the sun set as the mist of vic falls became heavier. Stopping off for $1 local beers at Invu we decided to spend the rest of our eve here with good company; Mugo,  Chloe, Jess, stew and Louise, and a few games of pool. 

Waking up in need of a good, strong coffee we headed back down to our faithful shearwater cafe! I ordered a cappuccino and was delighted when it arrived accompanied by a shot of amarula (African baileys) and a cold glass of water! Feeling fuelled and satisfied we made our way down to check out some markets before I went back to the hostel for a one hour hot stone massage! Sleeping in a tent for a month on end definitely takes its toll so I was well in need! 

After blissing out we joined Jess, Chloe and Louise for a walk down to the gorge swing to watch them free fall and be swept across the massive rushing river! There we found a beautiful little cafe with a view, watching anxiously as the girls took the plunge. After a quick cold scrub in the shower back at the hostel, the whole group along with three newbys, headed out for one final feast with Chad, Alison (Canadian couple) and stew. 

We decided on 'carnivore' and just as the name would suggest it was just that; all you can eat game meats and a few sides. We tasted crocodile cheeks, buffalo sausage, kudu, senseti & impala steaks. Tender pork &  warthog! At first they were all a little too cooked but eventually got it right and to be honest they all just tasted a like different cuts of beef! Some local entertainers kept us company with a vibrant mix of song and dance whilst Sean sung stew a customised version of Nelly and Kelly. We all retired back at the hostel fire for a few more beers then bed. 

Our last day in Vic Falls came up way too quick, it would be easy to stay a week at this captivating and cute waterfall town. Waking up with another amarula coffee we the headed down to purchase some more incredibly vibrant fabrics... My new addiction, they are so quirky and colourful and about $3 for 2m... I'm already up to 12 and still wanting more! Lunch was then had with a view at the gorge cafe, a tasty salmon salad and beef burger later we set out to find Louise, Chloe, Stew and Robbo to enter into the national park on this (Zimbabwe) side to some more Waterfall gazing! 

Before walking through the gates into the national park, we were offered raincoats by street vendors & were met by 'enjoy your showers,' we were fortunate enough to be carrying a couple of prepacked ponchos courtesy of Mum, feeling very prepared! After paying & walking through, we pulled out our two bright yellow ponchos. The first we discovered was a pair of pants. Thinking it was actually a suit, we were unpleasantly surprised when we pulled out a second pair of pants!! Chewing a hole through the crotch, we wore them upside down, Sean's looked like a midriff! It barely covered us at all, but it was very 'on trend' all the cool kids wanted to be us!

Back to the falls, we walked around to the 16 viewing points, each offering a different perspective of the phenomenal majesty of the crashing cascades of water that rose back up in the form of rain-like mist. Rainbows were scattered everywhere, & the sight was like a fairytale, all it needed were flying unicorns! Reaching the last point, we were beyond underprepared for the onslaught of water that awaited us. It was like walking into a freezing cold shower that you couldn't step out of quick enough, especially due to our laughable attire that kept us giggling! We briefly stopped at the rocky point, taking it all in mentally & physically, & then headed back to the exit, not before stopping at one serene point & having a cold Zambezi Louise had kindly bought us all earlier. Soaked & freezing, we headed off as the sun started to retreat. Thanks Mum! 

Back at Shoestrings, we quickly got changed & the five of us, minus (whipped) Robbo, headed back to Shearwater Café for one last meal with Stuie the Honey Badger. Sticking to what we know, we ordered exactly the same as the last time, plus an addition of ice cream for dessert. Everything was consistently tasty, & we made way home full & joyous. Having one more bottle of delicious organic red before bed, we signed off our time at Vic Falls with a cheers, & bid farewell to Stuie in the morning, blasting songs from the truck & changing the word you to Stu. A fitting send off! We had the most relaxing, inspiring time at Victoria Falls, & would jump at the chance to see them again!! 

Walking lions and chasing rhinos, Zimbabwe.

Reaching the park around lunchtime, we were greeted by an enthusiastic welcome song & dance performed by a few members of staff. The park itself was therapeutically peaceful & vast, with a giant lake in the middle. Over one hundred species of birds resided around the water's edge, a bunch of monkeys played around the trees, a few resident elephants splashed about in the lake, however the main attraction here were the lions. Antelope Park's lion breeding programme aims to increase the population's dwindling numbers across Africa by hand raising & teaching cubs how to hunt by taking them on daily walks with park patrons, then later releasing them as a pride in certain designated areas so they can continue to breed & prosper. There are thousands of volunteers a year & over hundreds of thousands of visitors. 

After deciding between several different options for activities in the park, we settled on a sunrise walk with the lions & interaction with the four rescued elephants. The elephant interaction was a little too brief, but the up close & personal time with Ntombi, the mischievous young female, was unreal. 

The next morning's lion walk in the crisp cold air was one of the most amazing experiences of our lives. Waking up around 6, we headed out to meet our two gorgeous chaperones. Africa, the young lion, & Alika, the young lioness. Both cubs were 11 months old, & naturally eager to play & hunt. We walked alongside them, stroked them, held their tails, & stopped to pose for photos at the perfect opportunities. At one point while Sean was standing with his legs apart stroking Alika, Africa took the chance to dart through his legs, a briefly heart stopping moment. 

The walking is stage 2 of their plan; where they are walked and can run off after wild animals teaching themselves to hunt whilst tourists are the main point of funding the whole thing. It's controversial like a lot of the other problems in Africa; from lion poaching, hunting game parks, rhino and elephant poaching for their tusks and horns.. But it seems that everyone has their own opinion and not one of them is a fully equipped plan nor has any of them seen the perfect results. 

The morning spent with the two Cubs was honestly just incredible however it was important to remain very aware as at the end of the day these are wild animals and are very capable of being just that. An hour and a half passed way too quickly so we walked back up to put the big cats back in their enclosure and all headed back for breakfast by the truck. The day was spent lazing about soaking up the warm winters sun by the lake and sipping a pretty tasty coffee at the cafe. Evening crept up and before we knew it we were sitting around the fire, drinking wine and roasting marshmallows before calling it a night. 

Back on our trusty yellow truck the next morning, we were off again, this time to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second capital. The road there was smooth, however the amount of police checks in this country its crazy! The police are payed a pretty small wage so they have hit the roads to make more money by  picking apart the smallest flaws in cars as fineable offences, & also looking for bribes where possible. After a few hours of driving, we pulled into 'Burke's Paradise,' a cosy little family cottage with a substantial amount of land for campers & self sustainable blocks. We were greeted by the family dogs, the 7 month old puppy Lilly, an adorable black labrador, & Simba, an older terrier cross jack russell. After meeting the pups, & the owner Adam, we settled in, pitching tent by the swimming pool on the lawn. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging around, catching up online with our first proper WiFi since Zanzibar. As the sun descended closer to the horizon, we decided it was beer o'clock & headed to the local pub, 'The Clubhouse,' for a cold one. The bar was fairly new, looking suspiciously a lot like a university bar. A couple of delicious but expensive South African craft beers later, we headed home, (not without getting completely lost first!) After a big home-cooked meal of chicken diane I made for everyone, we were soon in bed, excited for the following adventurous day trekking around Matapos National Park with a guide named Ian & his band of rhinos. 

Rising early the next morning, we threw down breakfast & were soon on the back of Ian's dark green open air Land Rover. After an hour of driving we reached Rhodes Matapos National Park, named after Cecil John Rhodes, an English entrepreneur who still has a massive influence on Zimbabwe & Africa in general, with a very varying opinion on him. Ian was a big advocate of him and tried to convince us all of his respect. 

Entering the park we were soon to find a guard, who lives, eats and sleeps in the park to protect the Rhinos from poaches, with his gun over his shoulder he led us to where a mother and her son were grazing. It was incredible to find them in the wild and see how tame they were in having us approach them. We were able to crawl us as close as a few meters from the incredible and rare rhinos, whilst they're not as rare as the black, they are still rare and protected as the price for their horn increases. (Mainly in the Asian culture it is believed to be an afrodesic and have other sexual powers so they are paying up to one million American dollars for a decent sized one to be imported). After following them through the rough bush for about an hour we headed back to the van to grab a drink and head off to climb sacred rocks and learn about the ancient tribe of the bushmans.

Upon a steep incline we finally came to an incredible open air cave decorated in bushman art dating back to thousands of years ago. Ian went on to tell us about the bushman tribe and how unfortunately settlers have hunted and killed them as they believed them to be like animals. The story much like the decimation of aboriginals in Australia, allowing them no rights nor value of their life. It's crazy to think that people's greed and power have allowed them to think that they are more superior to, in my opinion, a much more incredible and indigenous race in both Australia, Africa and many other countries. 

We then climbed to the very top of the massive rock for an amazing 360 degree view of the landscape which stretched for miles, lit by the blazing sun and shadowed by the other sacred rocks. The decline wasn't near as tough and we found our van at the bottom scattered with a bunch of locals and their pop up market trying to make an honest dollar. Of course a few giraffe serving spoons later we headed back into rhino territory, unsuccessful in finding another before the hot sun crept away and the winter cold darkness fell.

 

Arriving back at Burke's Paradise, we were greeted by several large pizzas Vee had ordered for us all. No one felt much like cooking so it was a welcome gesture. After dinner, we headed back to the Club House for a beer, but the day had taken it's toll, we were soon back, & straight into bed! Drifting into a deep sleep, thoughts of the next day & the beauty that is promised to be Victoria Falls, danced around our minds.