Africa - Zambia: The Final Stop

Tue-Wed, August 16-17, 2011

After our relatively low-key stay in Botswana, we were off to Zambia. A shuttle came to pick us up from the Thebe River Lodge and dropped us off at the ferry landing to cross the river over to Zambia. It shouldn't have been so difficult - get on the ferry, go across the river, get off the ferry, look for waiting shuttle service to take us to Jolly Boys Backpackers Lodge. Things didn't go quite so smoothly. All went well until we arrived on the Zambian side. Now, remember, had Ewald still been with us, he would've actually escorted us across the river and made sure we got on the right shuttle. Since he wasn't with us, we were on our own.

Upon stepping off the ferry in Zambia, we were met with immediate chaos. Cars were parked haphazardly along the way. Random people approached us trying to get us to use their transportation service. Um, hello, no way am I going to get into anyone's car unless they knew our names and where we were going, i.e. the only people who would know that would be the tour company we made arrangements with. Others accosted us to look at the goods they were selling. We had no idea where our transport was and none of us had phones to call anyone. No one would let us use their mobile phones because the tour company was based in Namibia so placing a call would be a long-distance call. Crap. Crap. Crap.

After a good hour and a half of panicking, randomly asking strangers for help, approaching the police station for help and trying to make calls on iPhones (as if the iPhone could fix everything) I flagged down another tour guide (wearing a crisp shirt with his tour company's logo stitched on it) and asked if he could help us out, even if it meant having his tour company arrange transport for us. He told us to wait while he assisted his current client (who was very patient when I stole her guide away) through customs and then he would help us.

We waited awhile and when he emerged from the customs building he waved for one of us to follow him. I sent Heather since she had all the contact info for the tour company we had been using. Off she went with him. Well, when she didn't come back after 10 minutes, Mai went looking for her. Then another 10 minutes went by and we began to think she had been kidnapped. Finally, Heather comes flying by in a big, giant tour bus waving at us to grab our stuff and get on board. It turns out the tour company of the guide I had flagged down was the SAME company that was supposed to be picking us up. Only the driver had been told that he was looking for a group of six girls instead of four. You'd think he would've thought to ask us  - everyone else did!! As far as I could see there were no other groups of girls in the entire vicinity. Anyway, we were relieved to find Heather safe and sound and were happy to be on our way to start the final chapter of our African adventure in Livingstone, Zambia.

As soon as we got our room assignment at Jolly Boys we immediately focused on scheduling our activities - bungee jumping for Mai and Heather and zip lining for Anne and me. Soon we were off in a taxi headed for Victoria Falls. Once again, upon arrival we found ourselves wandering around aimlessly. Many of these areas would do well to put up more useful and intuitive signs such as "Bungee. This way." In any case, we figured it all out and were off!

Anne and I went to the zip line platform. I watched one guy go ahead of me and immediately my heart started to race and my palms started to sweat. Good thing I already arranged to go before Anne. I'm pretty sure I would've peed my pants waiting for her or chickened out or both. So, I got harnessed, was given instructions to lean back and hold on tight, and then the countdown began - 5...4...3...2...1...Bye bye!! OMG - it was incredible. The zip line went fairly fast and that was fun, but holy crap! I was up so high - 110 meters or so! There were several moments in the minute-long ride in which I thought, "If this cable breaks, there's nowhere to go, but down - there are no "back up" systems." There was also a miraculous moment when I forget about safety harnesses and height and simply marveled at how marvelous this gorge was and that not many people would get to see what I was seeing. When I reached the other end, a man was waiting on the cable line waiting to bring me into safety. It was a great experience. I'd probably never do it again (much like skydiving), but I'm happy I did it.

Anne went next and looked so relaxed - as if she did it every day of her life. Bleh. We both had a blast. Then we hurried back just in time to see Heather bungee jump - perfect dive!! Then it was Mai's turn. I was so nervous for her. And, the closer it came time to jump the more nervous Mai got. She freaked out so much that she made me cry. I was so worried. Finally, it came time to jump. Well, she kind of fell off the platform...not the perfect form demonstrated by Heather, but she did it and her jump made for great entertainment. Wow!! It was a rush to watch them. I can only imagine what a rush it was for them to actually jump.

Preparing to jump

And look at that smile!

After our hearts stopped pounding out of our chests we spent time walking around Victoria Falls - they seemed to go on forever with each lookout offering a more beautiful view than the last. They really are a marvel to behold.

By the time we got back from the Falls it was getting close to sunset. We grabbed dinner at a local pub and then went exploring in parts we probably shouldn't have been exploring, especially since we were obviously tourists and on our own. Eventually we made our way back to the lodge, spent some time catching up on e-mail correspondence and then hit the sack.

Since I was one of the first to go to sleep the previous night, I was also the first to wake up. I spent the morning taking a hot shower, followed by time on the Internet and reading. It was really nice. The girls eventually woke, we had breakfast and then got on the bus to head over to the Royal Livingstone Hotel to catch a motor boat over to Livingstone Island. We had to walk our way along muddy trails barefoot. I have NEVER had my feet in mud before. It was such a weird feeling to have the stuff oozing between my toes. I nearly bit it and fell a few times, but made it just fine. Unbelievably, the guides we were with literally took us to the edge of the falls. The views were spectacular, but this was really pushing my comfort zone! The girls took turns laughing at me, but I think I did great.

We were literally taking pics at the edge of the falls

The views were spectacular

Yep - this was as close to the edge as I was willing to go

Following our adventure at the Falls, we walked back to find a tent was set up and breakfast was waiting. Yummy!

I'm not sure if it was Livingstone Island that wore us all out or if it was just a combination of all the excitement we had had since arriving in Namibia and crossing multiple borders that had us so tired. When we got back from Livingstone Island, we ran off to the local market to bargain for and buy local crafts and souvenirs. That was quite the ordeal. I was by far, the worst bargainer. My sister was pretty darn good. Overall I think we paid what we thought was fair and got some great goods to show for it.

When we got back it was mid-afternoon and we settled poolside for some quite R and R. Mai and Heather eventually retired to the room to take a nap while Anne and I chatted. It was nice to get to know Anne better, just sit and be still and enjoy the great weather. We finally got antsy and woke the girls to get dinner. We had a delicious Italian meal at a restaurant called Olga's - interesting huh? Unfortunately this was the night when I had some major issues with my lower digestive tract - I'm sure you know what I mean. I was convinced that I was going to die. After a few bouts and painful cramping, I was able to pop an Ambien and fall asleep. I think the girls spent some time at the bar - I'm not sure. By morning I was okay and ready to go home.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

The airport in Livingstone cemented my thought about their need for signage and organization. We arrived to the airport to find a long queue out of the building. We made our way through the line and got our check-in bags screened. It was after that checkpoint that things were completely chaotic. People were crammed into what was presumably the check-in area and no one knew where to go. We ended up elbowing our way and jumping lines to get to the counter. After 45 minutes of waiting we got our tickets and our backpacks checked. Then it was off to another line to have our passports checked. That took forever. Then we had another bag screening (or maybe we never had the first screening - I don't know - my memory is hazy and it was absolute madness). I thought we'd miss our plane for sure.

After a flight of a few hours we were back at the Johannesburg airport. We grabbed some food together though I didn't dare to eat much for fear of upsetting my stomach again. Heather and Anne separated from us as they were going onto Capetown. Mai and I went our separate ways as well - she was on Delta and I was on United.

Here's the interesting story...My plane and Mai's took off within 10 minutes of each other. Mai got home at 11am on Friday, Aug 19. I got home at nearly 9pm Friday, Aug 19. How did that happen? I just have bad luck and Mai had good luck. She ended up getting a direct flight to Mpls from Atlanta. I had to go through JFK (three hour layover) and then through Dulles (6 hour layover + 30 min mechanical delay + 1 hour weather delay on the tarmac with crying babies)...It was horrible. Mind you this was after another sleepless 15 hour flight to JFK from Johannesburg (I watched movies again - Thor, Hanna, Fast 5, Rabbit Hole and The Departed). I was never so happy to be home! I virtually screamed out with joy when we landed in Mpls. I was so excited to see Mark and Keira, take a long, hot shower, sleep in my bed in the warmth of my home...

Africa was an absolutely amazing adventure and I would recommend anyone to go on a Safari. I saw some of the most miraculous creatures on this earth. I met wonderful, kind people who impacted my life in just a short amount of time. I got to know Anne and Heather, and even got to know my sister much better. But, I was happy to return home and not smell b.o. or worry about having to squat to do my business! Most of all, I'm happy to be home with my family. I really missed my husband and little girl. Sometimes it takes being away to really, really appreciate and miss the life I have at home.

Africa - Safari Tips by Kim

For those of you who may be interested in going on a Safari one day I have some general tips for you. (Note - Check with your tour company to make sure you have an understanding of what's included in your tour, i.e. will you have facilities to use? What meals are included?)

Let me first say that I may have overpacked a bit on some things. But, know this, anything you overpack you can always leave behind as a donation to others who may be in need.

First, make sure you go to the travel clinic well ahead of time. My vaccinations had me flat on my back with a fever for about 2 full days - 4 days of not feeling well, but definitely 2 full days of feeling like I had the flu. I went to the Park Nicollet Travel Clinic, but there are many others around. They are great about telling you what shots you need and getting you hooked up with the necessary prescriptions in case they're needed during your travels. The more specific you can be about where in each country you'll be traveling in, the better they can be about their vaccination plan.

Otherwise, here are some tips:

1. If you bring "breathable" athletic shoes or hiking shoes to wear, test them out in fine sand first. I brought my New Balance shoes and while they kept my feet nice and dry with their breathable fabric, they also let in a lot of the fine sand we walked through during our safari. By the end of the day I'd have to empty my shoes out, turn my socks inside out and brush away sand from in between my toes.

2. Don't think about being "cute" on a safari. You'll totally look out of place. Fortunately I'm too practical and lazy. I definitely went the other extreme and didn't care much about what I looked like. In fact, bring clothes that you think you might want to leave behind. Many of the villages are clothed by what tourists leave behind. Just make sure your donations are in decent condition or it'd be rude to leave behind.

3. Bring single detergent packets to wash your clothes with. Along the way you have access to sinks and such at the campsites. A couple of the girls brought some detergent with them so they were able to launder their own clothes as we traveled. This was particularly useful when Mai and Heather got B.O. stuck in their clothes - other people's B.O. unfortunately!

4. I don't know what it's like during other seasons, but when we were there it was the winter season and it was super dry. Either pack or plan on buying lotion to use throughout the day. My skin has never soaked up so much lotion.

5. A light scarf is useful to keep long hair out of your face while on a game drive. It's also good to use when traveling on roads with a lot of dust flying around.

6. Bring treats/supplies for villages you may visit. They are extremely appreciative and you will feel good for having helped and impacted the people you see. Our guides actually encouraged donations of small treats and such and not money.

7.  Bring some cash to exchange, but make sure your bank card or credit card allows you to withdraw cash from foreign ATM's. Mine did not and it was a horrible feeling to not have access to money. Note that the banks do not accept torn or overly worn currency, so ask for new bills from your bank.

8. As a bargaining tool to lure you, many of the markets will barter with you. That is, instead of $5 for something. They may give you a product for only $3 + a pen or elastic hair tie. There were some things that cost very little to us that they were interested - gum, candy (any sweets really), elastic hair ties, pens.

9. If you go in the winter, do not take lightly the warnings about it getting "very cold" at night. Think mid-30's when the sun is down and sleeping in a tent with no heat. You can see your breath during the night so it gets quite cold. I brought gloves, a hat, a fleece and a heavier jacket.

10. Don't think twice (like I did) about hauling your DSLR with you on your journey. The photo opportunities you will have on a trip like this are once in a lifetime so take your best camera with you to capture great moments and memories. I'd recommend taking a class if you're not comfortable with using your camera. Ask questions about how to shoot into the sun and how to shoot a sunrise. Those were two lighting conditions that I had a hard time shooting in.

11. Bring hand sanitizer and baby wipes. Don't bother with sanitizing wipes. You may want to bring a roll of toilet paper along, but not everyone needs to bring a roll. We weren't sure what to expect in terms of access to bathrooms so we erred on the side of being cautious and prepared. There were only a few occasions when I had to take from my roll. One of those times was because the bathroom stalls were out of toilet paper and the other two times were because there wasn't much left and I didn't want to use all the paper there (I always lined the toilet seat).

Africa - Botswana - 2nd Day

Mon, August 15, 2011

After a long, hot shower and a good night of sleep it wasn't too bad getting up at 5:30am for our 6:00am game drive in Chobe National Park. I never thought I'd say that! It's amazing the kind of energy I had with sufficient rest and relaxation. As the sun came up we entered the park and began our last game drive of our safari. We saw more elephants, warthogs, giraffe, a hyena, etc. It really was beautiful and we were so lucky to have experienced it.

I can't remember how long the drive lasted and I think we took a nap somewhere in the late morning. Actually, the other girls napped. I wasn't able to sleep so I just read a book. When Mai woke up we grabbed lunch and I made a call home to Mark and Keira. It was so great to hear their voices. I don't know if it made my homesickness better or worse, but I know hearing their voices made me happy. Hearing, "Mommy!" on the other line was just what I needed. We ate some lunch and waited for the other ladies to join us.

Around 3:00 we were shuttled over to the river for a sunset boat cruise. That was an absolutely amazing ride. My favorite memory was watching a herd of elephants, including baby elephants, cross the river channel. The water was definitely too deep for the babies, but the guides assured us that they would make it across. It turns out the adult elephants would swim under and use their legs to help boost the babies to the surface of the water so they could breathe. Sure enough, they all made it across.

There was one passenger aboard our boat that made the trip quite entertaining. She was Asian (of course) and had one of the most annoying laughs ever. On top of that, she was filled with questions. Normally I'm all for learning and having an inquisitive mind, but seriously!! She was ridiculously over the top. AND, when she walked she shuffled/stomped. I can't even describe it. Heather wanted to throw herself overboard. I pointed out it'd probably make more sense to throw the annoying girl overboard.

Nonetheless it was a wonderful cruise. We saw a lot and we learned a lot. Once again, we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset over the water.

Pretty cool sunset huh?

Enjoying the boat cruise

When we got back we sat down to dinner and another vicious game of Phase 10. We had a wonderful waitress take care of us our first night and this second night. Her name was Kay. She was wonderful and very patient when teaching us basic words to use, when we requested things...There was this funny moment when we asked for "a bowl with butter" and Kay came out with little bowls of water which is what she heard! We all had quite the laugh over it. I'm sure she was puzzled by why we'd want bowls of water. It turned out to be useful as we each got the roast chicken dinner and had super messy fingers by the end of dinner. The water bowls came in handy to clean off our fingers so we could continue our card game. Toward the end of our night a stray cat came to join us and if you know me, you know that made me really uncomfortable. Immediately I thought about the cat scratching me and giving me rabies. Then as the cat came near my backpack Heather said, "You know. That cat probably has fleas." That sent me into another tailspin thinking about little fleas jumping off the cat and onto my bag. I took that as a queue to end the night! And so our time in Botswana came to a close.

Making fun of Heather's chicken massacre