We started the long journey to Livingstone on Sunday morning. We border our first bus at 8:00AM. From Mpika to Lusaka it took about 8 hours. It was during the day and Zack and I happened to get the first seats on the second level (it was a double decker) so we had a great view the entire time. You may be curious as to why they have such nice busses and the answer would be because that is a major form of transportation here. If you want to get somewhere that is far away you take the bus. That is also why they are so big. Lots of passengers.
The second bus we took was from Lusaka to Livingstone. We had to stay in Lusaka for a few hours before our bus so we called Br. Placid and he met up with us. Placid is a monk of Katibunga, however is currently studying accounting at a university in Lusaka. He is 25 years old. He met up with us and showed us around the university. I enjoyed that. It reminded me of NMMU which was the university I studied at while living in South Africa. We also were given a tour of the mall. Yes, there is a mall in Lusaka. Who would have guessed? I suppose that's what you get when in the capital city, though. It was quite nice. It was also nice to see after being out in the bush for close to a month and a half.
So, anyway, after all of that we headed to the bus station. We boarded our bus and were off towards Livingstone. The bus ride was supposed to be shorter than the one before, but it turned out to be about the same. 8 hours. We arrived around midnight and were quite tired. Another 20 hour day of traveling. It is hard traveling in Central Africa.
We took a taxi to our hostel. It is called Fawlty Towers. Besides the strange and somewhat worrisome name it is a nice hostel. We have a room with four beds (two bunk beds). There are two communal showers as well as toilets. For food we visited the grocery store called Shoprite. I am not one who needs fancy foods so I stick with the cheap and easy stuff. I bought bread, ham, cheese, carrots, and bottled water (the water is unclean from the tap so you must buy it).
Francesca and Chiara are planning a safari for themselves while Zack and I are tackling the more adrenaline-rush ones. We visited the Victoria Falls on Tuesday. Absolutely beautiful. It would be more intense in the rainy season because of the extra water, but it was still fantastic. We even were able to climb to the top and walk across the falls! You must be careful not to cross any strong currents because they may take you where they are going (and you don't want to go where they are going). It's quite a drop. Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in the world after all. Yet, with being smart the climb around the top is amazing!
Today we are going white water rafting in the Zambezi River. I'm pumped. It is supposed to be the most intense white water rafting in the world! Now that's my kind of activity. One that makes you feel alive. I hope we are able to pass underneath/beside the falls. How cool would that be? I enjoy viewing nature, but find it more fun to actually experience it. Therefore, rafting will be perfect. There are 25 rapids in total and they say that this is the best time of the year to do it. I'll let you know how it goes.
On Thursday we booked an elephant back safari. We get to ride elephants through a game reserve. Bomb-diggity! I've always wanted to ride an elephant so this will be a great activity to do. For those of you who have never been to Africa, no it is not normal to ride elephants. I only say this because I've been asked before. Most elephants are wild and can be quite dangerous (their size and protective instincts make them this way). The ones on the safari are domesticated. Yes, that's a bit sad, but they are this way because they were orphaned at a young age and rescued. So that's how they have come to be the way they are.
As for Friday I believe it will be a day of relaxation. There is a small pool at the hostel which I enjoy swimming in so I think that's where I will be. The relaxation will be nice to have before heading back home to Katibunga. We will be heading back early Saturday morning.
The activities are a little pricey for a guy like me (I'm not one to spend a lot of money), but then again, when will I ever be able to do these things. So, the $170 to raft and the $175 to ride an elephant are being forked over.
On Monday we met some other kids who are staying at the hostel. They were from Europe. They were really cool and we went out into town with them. The group was made up of people from America, Belgium, Holland, Norway, and Italy. So neat to be meeting people from different places in the world. That's one of my favorite parts.
Well, I better be on my way. I am writing this post on Tuesday night and the national power grid has been shut down for the rest do the day. Like complete black out. Thank God the hostel I am at has a power generator so there is still some electricity. I will post this on Wednesday morning when I have a decent internet connection.
*Sorry if the photos in this blog are all goofy. I am writing this on my phone so I will correct the appearance of the blog when I get back to my computer.*
Thanks for reading!
*Also, I just returned from white water rafting the Zambezi River. Unreal! One of the most intense and best experiences I have had. We hit rapids labeled the Devil's Toilet Bowl, Midnight Diner, and the Stairway to Heaven/Highway to Hell. Just a blast!
No comments:
Post a Comment