You Learn Something Every Day

It's true.  Over the past three weeks, I truly learned something new...every day.  For example:

A sounder of warthogs
A herd of cape buffalos
A confusion of wildebeests
A tower of giraffes - when they're just standing around
A journey of giraffes - when they're on the move, caravan style
A pride of lions
A raft, bloat, or pod of hippopotamuses
A herd of elephants
A flight of storks
A coalition of cheetahs
A crash of rhinos
A bask of crocodiles
A troop of baboons
A barrel of monkeys - I'm not kidding

I admit I went to Africa loaded with stereotypes.  Every one of them was obliterated.  The people, while abjectly poor, are generous, warm, quick-to-smile, funny, and happy to help.  The food is amazing.  It's a hard push - as a Texan - for me to say the best fillet I've ever had was in Johannesburg.  The spices run the gamut from hot to sweet to earthy.  The colors, the languages, the shopping, all both clashing and abiding.  The accommodations are 5-star for a 2-star price.  The landscape is scrubby, sandy, lush, vine-y, and prolific.  The animals are jaw-dropping.  And they are everywhere; you can't afford to blink, you might miss something.  And the list of things to do and see is as long as a giraffe's neck.  I can't wait to return.

I may have taken a big bite out of Africa.  But it has bitten me back.

Victoria Falls

In November of 1855, Dr. David Livingstone said, "Holy Shit!"  He was the first European to lay eyes on Victoria Falls.  The locals here call is Mosi-oa-tunya (The Smoke that Thunders).

The Falls are neither the highest (354+feet) nor the widest (5600+ feet) in the world, but those combined measurements result in the world's largest curtain of falling water.  In the rainy season, just over 5,000 cubic meters per second can come thundering into the gorge.  Holy Shit is right!

But even though we're here during the Spring (heading into the dry season), and the water curtain is more like vertical blinds, the Falls still amaze.  I guess you have two choices...you can come during the rainy season and feel the full effect of the falls - solid sheets of rain in the forest and the thick mist rising from the gorge, or you can come during the dry season and see the beautiful gorge, get a light misty shower from the crashing waters, and imagine what it would be like at full force.

I googled this picture to show you what 5,000 cubic meters per second looks like.

Casper, our guide, led us on the mile-or-so walk that the parks system has put in place to maximize viewing.  It was littered with school field trips, bus loads of golden-year tourists, and adventure travelers.  

As we began the walk through the dried-out rain forest, we could hear the falls in the distance...a low rumble, like conversation in an auditorium.  It was a hot day, and by the time we got to the Zambia Bridge, we were sweating.  

But just past the bridge we began to feel an ever-so-light mist, cool and welcomed.  Casper told us that during the rainy season, we would be in full-on rain and spray from the Falls.  Finally we turned the corner and got our first look.

Well, it IS dry season.  

This is at the far eastern end of the gorge.  It gets better.

Hard to see the beautiful pool at the bottom.

At the bottom, rushing through a narrow chute.

Some warthog butt

Definitely different than in the rainy season, but still...

Can you imagine this at high season?

You can hear the thunder - in just this one little part.  The roar at full force must be incredible.

Guinea Fowl Moth

We capped off the tour with a drink at the Victoria Falls Hotel.

I can't even imagine David Livingstone's thoughts as he viewed this wonder all alone.  I'll bet he couldn't wait to tell Henry Stanley.  Turns out that Livingstone loved Africa so much that we asked the locals to bury his heart here when he did.  They granted his wish.  Yep.  Livingstone's heart will always be in Africa, and the people of Zambia and Zimbabwe will always revere him as the discoverer of one of their most precious jewels, the Victoria Falls.

Onward!

Our last day in Cape Town was a little disappointing...we didn't make it to the top of Table Mountain (one of the main attractions/must-dos of Cape Town).  But it was no fault of our own.  When the winds get up, they close the cable cars and shut down the top of the mountain.  And it was windy.  Very windy.  I guess we'll have to come back.

We still had a nice day - did some shopping, some drinking, and some eating.  It was really kind of relaxing.  Which we needed.  The first leg of our flight to Victoria Falls leaves at 7am.  That means we're up at 4:30.

On Tuesday, we finally arrive at our lodge in Victoria Falls.  After just over AN HOUR of standing in line at Zimbabwe customs.  I'm not kidding.  Totally over-papered, under-staffed, and all hand-written, the forms, questions, and payment system SUCKS!  And of course, we can see our luggage (along with everyone else's) just spinning around on the carousel.  I'm sure there were at least 300 people waiting.  Come to find out this is not unusual at all.  Dayyam!

Anyway, our transfer met us and took us to his office down on the river, where we were then transported by boat to the lodge.  What you're about to see almost made the whole day worth it.

hippos

big crocodile

Reception at the hotel - looking at the Zambezi River.

the bed in our "hut"

We have an indoor shower, but I can't wait to try this out

It's totally possible that elephants will come and drink from our jaccuzzi.

After we got settled in, we went back to reception and took a sunset river cruise.  Sit down.  Just do it now.

big hippo mouth

moon shot to the east

 

You're welcome.