Sorry a bit of retrospective blogging.
By this point I was completely in love with ZIm, mine (and many others) favourite country by far. Tourists here signal the return to normality, not only is it the sign of a more stable political and economic climate but the Zimbabweans also have huge pride and love for their country and by visiting they take it as a compliment. There is so much energy and excitement in the country.
By the time we got to Vic falls, sleepy and quiet town, the politics of ZIm felt less apparent. It was much more relaxed.
Vic falls....So no dangling from strings, white water rafting or jumping out of things for me, although it's definitely the place to go if you are an adrenaline junkie. The falls, on foot, were spectacular. Huge power and force, you can hear them from so far away. I found the rock I perked on when I was 11years old for a photo , it is now blocked off with a fence, and looked so ridiculously close to the edge my friend couldn't believe I'd been so fearless (ma, see if you can find the photo).
I had high tea (with lots of dairy pills) at the Vic falls hotel. Spectacular views of the bridge and bungey jumpers. You could also see the spray from the falls rise up above the canyon and it was coloured by a rainbow into a multicoloured mist. Just as I was taking it in a family of wort hogs ran across the hotel lawns, heads high and tales in the air (they are actually rather graceful creatures) and it made for the most surreal contrast and fantastic shot. Luckily a friend snapped it not me because...... [tangent comment] (weep) all my photos have been lost - every last one Inc the orphans. Very sad. Pls don't send me jolly texts about it- officially not talking a out it for a few more days until I feel less angry with myself.
back to zim.... I woke up early one morning (still a bit groggy from the local beer the night before) and headed over the border to Zambia (feeling intrepid for crossing a border on my own). Although no mans land is ridiculously long and I felt much less intrepid by the time I'd arrived hot and sweaty. I met up with others for breakfast and to see the falls from the other side. From Zambia you are much closer to the actual falls, i think from zim you see more of the falls and from zambia you feel it. We were all drenched. At one point the force of the spray was so sever it was pushing my contacts out of my eyes. There was a small walkway bridge over the canyon connecting two viewing points. As we went across, pummelled by spray, with roaring noise, and rivers of water, we walked right through another stunning rainbow. It was stupidly exciting.
Later a local chap jumped into the river that was only about 200 meters from the falls drop. We all ran to the edge in a stunned silence as he was dragged along with the current... Silly man managed to scramble out just in the nick of time, and although I'm sure it's a party piece he'd done before we couldn't help but wonder who we'd have had to tell if he had gone over.
I also ate crocodile curry (with peanut rice). Crocodile is delicious, a bit like chicken, scollop, prawn and fish all rolled into one.
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