Zambia and Zimbabwe: Victoria Falls

Our journey to Vic Falls began with a minibus to the Zambia/Malawi border out of Lilongwe. This took about 2 hours. Once at the border, we had to go through customs to get into Zambia. Across the border we traded some money (and discovered later that we got ripped off). We stuffed 6 people in a cab and headed towards Chipata (about a 30 min ride from the border). The idea was to catch a bus in Chipata that afternoon towards Lusaka. However, once we got to the bus depot in Chipata, we were told that the next bus didn't leave until 5 am. It was 1 pm. We haggled with some different bus companies and found the cheapest rate and bought our tickets for the 5 am bus. The bus company told us we could sleep on the bus (as we would discover, this is what Zambians do). So we had about 16 hours to kill before our bus left. What to do? Drink? Check. Go out with locals to shady neighborhood bars? Check. Get so drunk that we puke all over the bus? Ummm, check.... for one person in our group (not me). To protect her identity and help her keep one last shred of dignity, I won't tell the rest of that story. Let's just say it was an awful night and an awful bus ride to Lusaka. It was so bumpy I couldn't stay in my seat. I think we were on the bus for about 15 hours total. Once in Lusaka, we avoided a few scuffles at the uber-sketchy bus station and caught another bus to Livingstone (which is 10 km from Vic Falls). This bus ride was a breeze in comparison to the bus from Chipata to Lusaka. It was still a long ride but we had better seats and were able to sleep some (plus we weren't sitting in puke anymore).

My traveling companions Jackie and Christine on a mini-bus to the border

hitching to Lilongwe

hitching to Lilongwe

On the bus in Chipata

This will not end well....

Once in Livingstone, the traveling drama continued as we were turned away from not one, not two, but three hostels. Everything is town was full! Finally we discovered one place that had exactly three spots left. We weren't able to all sleep in the same dorm but we had a vertical place to lie down so we were happy. The next morning we got evicted because Jollyboys Camp was full for the next night. After much worrying over where to stay that night, we were able to strike a deal with them to stay in one of their cabanas. This was a private room that cost a lot more but we were happy. Time to hit up Vic Falls! The hostel offered a free shuttle to the falls so we took advantage of that. Walking into the park we could hear the water crashing down on the rocks at the bottom of the falls. We walked into the park, over a ridge and this is what we saw:

The most amazing thing ever!!!! All the hassle of traveling was worth it.

Apart from the falls, the first thing I noticed were the baboons! As we would find out later, these things can be quite nasty (more on that later).

Don't be fooled, these things are vicious!

After seeing the initial amazing view of Vic Falls, we headed down a steep, wet staircase. We saw people coming back up the staircase wearing ponchos and drenched clothes. It was time to put on the raincoat I brought. We continued down the stairs and across a bridge that spans the falls. I'm glad I brought my raincoat because you get absolutely drenched! I felt like it was raining upwards. I couldn't get any pictures of the bridge because I couldn't take my camera out due to the mist. We were able to look down over the falls but there was so much mist you couldn't see the bottom. I just stood there with my arms outstretched and tried to take in the enormity of it all. It was truly an amazing experience. If you ever get a chance, please go see Victoria Falls. Most. Amazing. Place. Ever.

Little did I know, I would jump off the bridge in the background the following day.

This is literally the edge of the falls. This is how close you can get.

We walked around the falls for a few hours and decided to go watch the sunset from a ridge across the river.

We kept seeing large groups of baboons everywhere and wondered why there were no other humans around. Suddenly, we came across a huge male baboon on the path. I had a bag of souvenirs in my hand. He walked up to me and grabbed the bag out of my hand. When he didn't find food inside, he threw it on the ground and moved on to Christine. He grabbed her purse and bag of items. She started kicking and screaming at him. Then the baboon walked up to Jackie and tried to take her stuff. He got up on his hind legs and was about to attack Jackie. We tried to get the baboon on the other side of us so we could run the other direction. Christine really took charge and starting grunting at the baboon to get him to back off. Jackie and I started running the other way but were worried that the baboons would chase us. Eventually we got the three of us out of there but needless to say we were really shaken up. We found a safe, baboon-less spot to wait for the lunar rainbow.

What's a lunar rainbow you ask? The day before, the day of, and the day after a full moon, there is so much light from the moon that it reflects on the mist coming off the falls and creates a rainbow over the falls. We just happened to be there on the day after the full moon. The park stays open late on these days for night viewing of the lunar rainbow. Another amazing thing we got to see at Victoria Falls. I couldn't get a picture of the rainbow so you'll just have to go and see for yourself!

Day 2: Bunji jumping

Somehow, Christine talked Jackie and me into bunji jumping, even though we were terrified.

What have you gotten me into Christine??

The bunji spot is located on the bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe spanning the Zambezi river. The jump is 111m, which is the 3rd largest in the world. We headed to the bridge and paid to bunji, and then walked out to the center of the bridge to await our doom.

The bunji site

View from the bridge

We had to wait for probably an hour before it was our turn. We sat around in harnesses watching people bunji and listening to their blood-curdling screams. I was super anxious and couldn't talk to anyone for fear of puking. Finally, it was my turn. They made me take my shoes off so they wouldn't go flying when I jumped. They strapped my legs together and I hopped to the edge of the bridge. They told me to put my arms out and jump. So I did. I can't believe I actually jumped. The free fall went by really fast. I don't remember much other than feeling like I was flipping sideways. The rope caught and I started spinning. I just kept spinning and spinning. I remember being super dizzy and wishing they would come and rescue me. Finally a man rappelled down and turned me upright. They pulled me up to the bridge and I walked across to the Zimbabwe side and back to the middle where Christine and Jackie were waiting for me. I am glad I was able to have this experience but it's not something I would ever do again!

Awaiting my turn

5-4-3-2-1-Bunji!

Next post: Safari in Botswana, the most ridiculous bus ride ever, and getting stuck in Malawi due to civil unrest

Malawi: Chikwawa

We left Cape McClear at 9 am in order to head back down to Brittni’s village. Brittni said it would take all day to get there, so we tried to leave early. Our first leg of the journey involved riding in the back of a pick-up truck (Motola, as the Malawians call them). The bed of the truck was already completely full of people and luggage, but this was our only option for transportation. Brittni climbed in the middle of a bunch of people and had to sit cross-legged in a tiny space. I sat on the edge of the pick-up bed with my legs hanging over the side, gripping on for dear life on a bungee cord that was attached to the truck. On my left was a giant, stinky, dead catfish. The fish was rubbing against my leg for the whole 45 minute journey on the motola. Gross. By the time we reached the main road, I was so covered with dust you could barely tell what color my shirt was supposed to be (or my hair, for that matter). After disembarking from the motola, we waited on the side of the road for a hitch for about an hour, with no luck. Eventually we hopped on ANOTHER motola. This one was less crowded but it took us almost 3 hours to reach Mangochi, the next town where we could hitch from. By the time we reached Mangochi it was 1:00 and Brittni was freaking out that we wouldn’t make it down to her village in time. We had to be there before 5:00 in order to catch a bike taxi. The bike taxis no longer run once it gets dark. At this point, we were still a good 4-5 hours away from Brittni’s village. And we still had to stop in Liwonde and pick up a bunch of stuff we left at Tim’s house.

By some stroke of luck, we were able to get a hitch in Mangochi which brought us to Liwonde, and then got another hitch to Blantyre. Brittni figured out that a friend of hers was in Blantyre and was leaving to go down to Chikwawa that night. We absolutely had to be in Blantyre by 5:00. We ended up getting there about 5:30, but luckily her friend, Simon, was still waiting for us. He wasn’t able to drive us to Brittni’s village, but he brought us to a wildlife reserve down in her district, Majete. Simon works as a guide in Majete, so we were able to stay for free at the lodge where he stays. Since the lodge was still under construction, we got to stay there for free in a 5-star room. The lodge was the most amazing place I’ve ever seen. They served us a 3 course meal when we got there, and then we retired to our room to take a shower in the outdoor rain shower. In the morning, we were awoken in our king-size bed to the grunts of hippos in the river just outside the lodge. We were truly lucky to have been able to stay in such an amazing lodge.

Robin Pope Lodge - Majete Wildlife Reserve

The next morning, we got a ride into Nchalo, which is the trading center closest to Brittni’s village. From there, we took a mini-bus to the turn-off where Brittni lives. Her village is about 10 kilometers from this turn-off. And the only way to get there is by bike taxi. Reluctantly, I climbed on the back of a bike taxi (sans helmet). Brittni got on another bike and our luggage got its own taxi. I suffered in extreme pain for 45 minutes as I felt every rock and bump in the road all the way up through my spine. By the time we got to Brittni’s house, my butt and legs were so fast asleep that I could barely walk.

Bike taxi

Finally I got to see Brittni’s house. She lives in a two-bedroom house, which is fairly nice by Malawian standards. The floor and walls are cement and cracked. There are exposed beams in the ceiling with lots of termite damage. The rooms are very small but Brittni has done a lot to make the place seem homey. She hung up a few maps and some photos from home. In the second bedroom, she had a bed built for me to sleep on. Brittni’s house has no electricity or plumbing. To get water, we had to bring buckets to a well that’s about 500 yards away and carry them back on our heads. Quite a workout! The hardest part was not spilling the entire bucket on yourself by the time you got back to the house. Which I did. Numerous times. Our lives revolved around getting water. To cook, we needed buckets to wash the dishes. To drink, we needed buckets to fill the water filter. To take a shower (bafa), we needed buckets that we could heat up and pour over ourselves. To do laundry, we needed buckets to wash clothes in. I found this part of daily life in the village to be extremely difficult. The lack of electricity I didn’t mind so much. Reading by head lamp was fun and felt like camping. But the lack of plumbing was almost intolerable. Instead of a toilet, Brittni has a “chimbuzi”, which is essentially an outdoor brick structure with a hole in the ground. This style of living really makes one appreciate the conveniences we have in the United States.

Brittni's house - guest bedroom

Brittni's house - backyard

I stayed in Brittni’s district for about a week. Here are some of the fun things we did in Chikwawa:

Gule wamkulu:

This was a traditional dance presentation that we attended in Jackie’s village. The people in the village dressed up like spirits and performed dances for us. It’s customary to give money to the dancers in order to honor the spirit.

Croc farm:

Brittni’s friend, Murray, works at a crocodile farm in N’gabu. They raise the crocs for their hides. We went to the farm one night and saw every size crocodile, from tiny babies to giant adults.

Nyala lodge:

Brittni knows the manager of Nyala Lodge in Lengwe National Park. Lengwe is about 2 kilometers from Brittni’s house. We stayed at the lodge for one night and saw warthogs and impala, ate amazing food, and drank some greens. We stayed in a cabana in the woods with no sheets on the beds.

After about a week, I left to go to Victoria Falls with Jackie and Christine, while Brittni stayed back in Chikwawa (as per Peace Corps orders). Next post will be on the amazing Victoria Falls and the hellish journey there and back.

Malawi: Cape McClear

Cape McClear is a resort town located on the shore of the stunning giant Lake Malawi. It's not a typical resort town, however, in that it's still a village where local people live normal lives, intermingling with tourists who are there to enjoy the lake and lodges. We stayed at a lodge called Mufasa, and while lying on the beach many local children approached us and started talking to us. In fact, we were quite the attraction for them. On many occasions, Malawian children sat on the beach in large groups watching our every move (as was common all over Malawi). I went to the lake shore with my friend Brittni and a big group of Peace Corps volunteers for the 4th of July weekend. In order to get there, we had to hitch. Hitching is generally the fastest and safest way to get around in Malawi. Taking overcrowded minibuses and motolas (essentially the bed of a pick-up) can be slow, dangerous (they frequently get in accidents), and uncomfortable (I once had to sit with two chickens under my feet for two hours. I thought they were going to peck me to death).

We started out in Liwonde in the morning. Our first hitch was a Malawian guy driving solo. He brought us from Liwonde to Mangochi. A little outside Mangochi, we were able to get a hitch from a Muslim man. The lake shore has a very large Muslim population. This man stopped alongside the road and bought us coconuts! We drank the milk and scooped out the flesh inside. Afterwards, he wanted to show us his house on the lake. He owns a huge mansion complete with guest houses and manicured beach. We were eager to get to the lake, however, so soon we were back on our way. The next hitch that picked us up was a couple from South Africa. They were Afrikaaners (as opposed to white South Africans of British decent. Click here to learn more about Afrikaaners). They were on vacation in Malawi and out for a drive (during a fuel crisis, yes, but we didn’t point this out since they were giving us a ride). Since the couple had no plans for the day, they offered to drive us all the way to the lake. An incredibly interesting conversation ensued about race relations in South Africa. That’s one of the reasons I liked hitching so much in Malawi. You meet such interesting people and have enlightening conversations.

Hitching a ride

Stopping for coconuts

Lake shore compound/mansion

After driving for an hour on the bumpiest dirt road I think I’ve ever seen, we stopped to get drinks out of the Afrikaaners’ cooler. They gave us a bottle of South African wine to share. Once back on our journey, we passed the bottle around in the back seat, careful not to take a swig while going over the giant bumps (don’t worry Mom, drinking in a vehicle is legal in Malawi). Eventually, we arrived at the lake shore. Cape McClear (and Lake Malawi) is one of the most beautiful and serene places I've ever been. The Afrikaaners decided they’d like to go on a boat ride, so they paid for us to be taken out to one of the islands in Lake Malawi and go snorkeling. We sat in a pub and drank Greens (Carlsbergs) for awhile, and then headed out on the boat. Lake Malawi is probably the clearest lake I’ve ever seen. The water is turquoise green just like the ocean. Beneath the surface you can see schools of fish swimming along. We reached the Thumbi West Island and suited up for our snorkel trip. After snorkeling and seeing tons of little cichlids, we got back on the boat and went around the other side of the island. The boat conductor began whistling for the fish eagles, Jerry and Obama, to come catch some fish. He would throw a fish into the lake and one of the eagles would swoop in and catch it in his talons. We fed the fish eagles for awhile before heading back to shore. The rest of the 4^th of July weekend was spent lying on a dock in Lake Malawi with other Peace Corps volunteers and having a braai (South African BBQ) on the night of the 4^th. On the 5^th we packed up and prepared to head down south to Brittni’s village.

Boat trip

Snorkeling on Thumbi West Island

One of the fish eagles (either Jerry or Obama)

Stunning Cape McClear

Malawi: Liwonde

Our second stop in Malawi was Liwonde. Located on the Shire River, Liwonde has great mountain and river views and lots of hippos. I spent a few days here before heading to the lake shore, and then again at the end of my trip as a place to unwind before going home. A former Peace Corps volunteer named Tim lives in Liwonde and was kind enough to let us stay at his house. When we first arrived, he lived in a house with a Peace Corps volunteer, but then decided to move to a bigger house right on the river. I had the pleasure of being able to stay at both houses. Liwonde was extremely relaxing and beautiful. I loved sitting by the river and listening to the hippos grunt! Before heading to the lake for 4th of July there was a big blow out at Tim's house with some other Peace Corps volunteers. We also hit up the market in Liwonde and scored some good deals.

Shire River

Shire River

Tim's first house

Tim's second house

Gnarled tree in Tim's backyard

Brittni and me drinking a Green (that's what Malawians call the widely available Carlsberg Beer)

Brittni playing with neighborhood kids

Brittni playing with neighborhood kids