Teetering on the Edge
Posted: July 7, 2014 Filed under: Diet- comedy | Tags: Sindabezi island, Tongabezi, Victoria falls Leave a comment
Yes, we did have three elephants jump in the Zambezi river on our first night and swim to our island. They stayed all night eating the vegetation by the boat landing. Our valet, Charles told us they tried to get in the kitchen hut because the door was left open and there was a basket of fresh fruit by the door. Luckily the chef woke up and closed the kitchen door so we had plenty of fresh fruit for breakfast.
I missed getting any photos of our island guests because they swam away at six am and hour before Charles brought our coffee tray to us which we enjoyed in bed while gazing our over the river with sounds of birds and monkeys greeting the sunrise. Actually, the moneys seem to be screaming at the sun, “We’re not ready to wake up.” I really could get used to having Charles around if we stayed another few days.
We needed to get an early start yesterday so that we could get to Victoria Falls before the crowds. We had no idea when we booked our trip that it happened to be a national holiday in Zambia so the Falls were going to have more visitors than usual. Russ and I joined our new British friends, Vickie and her husband Nathan, her sister Katie and their mother Jo at breakfast then we all went together by boat up the river to get to the Falls.
Our driver and guide Godfrey brought full length MacIntosh raincoats which were definitely needed since the river was high and that meant the spray was dramatic in parts. We walked the paths that gave us good views of all seven waterfalls, but we could not see the full 1,000 feet to the bottom because the spray was so prolific. We had to keep our cameras under our coats lots of the time but we still got many good pictures.
The people without rain gear were more than soaked and the dumbest person we saw was a Chinese man walking across the foot bridge in the middle of the falls with his I-pad out of it’s case, no rain cover, using it to take pictures as water poured off the screen. I wonder if it still worked by the time he reached the end?
The falls are a the countries biggest tourist attraction so there were the requisite stalls of “crafts” with guys saying, “no pressure, come in and look.” Their idea of no pressure and mine is a little different. I purposely had only brought a few five and ten dollar bills so when I bargained I could show them that I did not have any more money. NO matter how much bargaining I did I still over paid, but I was not unhappy and neither were they.
After seeing the Falls from the front Russ and I were dropped off at the very Colonial fancy Royal Livingstone Hotel where go got a boat to go to a private lunch and tour of Livingstone Island. David Livingstone the missionary who was the first white man to see the falls named them for his Queen – Victoria, and in response she named the tiny island in the Zambezi river overlooking the falls for him.
It was definitely worth the cost to go to Livingstone Island. There were only 12 of us divided into two groups, each with two “lifesavers” as our guides. They first had us take our shoes off and gave us the standard issue Green Mac rain coats, then they lead us in a single line, holding hands through the rocky parts of the river to a larger rock formation to look right over the edge of the falls while they took our pictures. The sound was almost deafening as the water fell just below our feet. i will not lie and say it was not a little bit scary. We recovered from the fright with a lovely lunch under a marquis, that is British for tent before heading back to our little island paradise.
After enjoying our honeymoon retreat with tea from Charles and the best hot outdoor shower in the world we went to our bush TV fire circle to have drinks before dinner with our British and Australian island friends. It was then that I discovered that Vickie and Nathan’s last name was Lang! So there we all were, started as friends but really were obviously long lost family. We stayed long after dinner enjoying the fire and staying up later than we had all week, sad that this absolutely perfect holiday was going to end. Even though we had seen the most magnificent animals and wonders of the world it was all the people that we met on this trip that made it a trip of a lifetime.
African Attitude
Posted: July 6, 2014 Filed under: Diet- comedy | Tags: Tongabezi, zambia Leave a commentI know I am really in vacation mode because I have lost all type A qualities and have relaxed into a nice-laid back-go with the flow-whatever you say-I’m totally happy person. If you have known me and don’t recognize me I’m with you, I hardly recognize myself.
Two days ago I asked Smiley if I could have a pot of tea so I could make myself iced tea. He brought me a small pot with two tea bags in it and said, “I decided to make you Ribose.” My response was, “Great Smiley, I’ll take whatever you want me to have.” I don’t even like Ribose Tea, but I did then.
Yesterday
when we arrived at the Zambian Airport the customs agent asked me where I was going. “I have no idea,” I told her and that was the truth. I had a great travel agent plan the whole trip including having drivers meet us and ferry us everywhere. I have gotten so spoiled by this that I just stopped paying attention to where I was going and just followed whomever was holding the little sign marked “Lange.”
When Russ and I got to our hotel they took us to a terrace to serve us lunch. As I was photographing the vervet monkeys who were throwing tree nuts on the ground, Russ got up to look for a bathroom. He went off in the wrong direction despite my instructions since I had just been there. I did not bother to correct him due to my newly acquired lack of bossiness. Our lunch arrived and rather than be angry that he was not there so I could start, I just pulled out my needlepoint and stitched by the beautiful Zambian river waiting for him. Russ came quickly down a staircase and sat down in his chair. “I just walked into some British couple’s room by mistake.”
“What?” I laughed.
“I was following a sign that read ‘treehouse’ and I did not know that was the name of a room and it was all open, no walls or windows and I practically fell over the bed. The Brits were a little upset that I just walked right in.” I just laughed. “I guess they did not let you use the bathroom?”
After lunch a young guy named Roland came to get us and told us he was our boat driver. “Thanks Roland, but why do we need a boat driver?”
He explained that we were staying on the island 25 minutes down the river where there are five cottages, and a small camp.” Since I had stopped paying attention to any detail of my vacation about six days ago I was a little surprised that I had let this big detail get by me. I also was a little worried what it was going to be like, but in my current “whatever you say man” state I just got on the small boat.
Roland explained about the Hippos and the crocodiles in the water and the elephants on the shore. “Be careful not to fall in this fast moving water, it is hard to get to shore before something gets you.” No Problem.
As we neared the island I did not see a dock, but Roland skillfully drove us up a sandy place. Russ and I got out and were greated by Charles, our valet and Brian the head guy on the island. We were give a yummy drink and were shown around the public areas where we will eat and hang out at the island TV circle, better known as the fire circle. Brian then gave us the really big news that the island had a resident hippo, named Olles, who was living next to our cottage so we had to be very careful and quite when we went there. “How exciting,” I uncharacteristically said.
Instead of going the regular, scenic route to our room, Brian and Charles asked if it was OK for them to take us through the staff camp so we would not disturbed Olles. “Why not?” We did have to eventually tip toe in single file past the huge animal and that was when I got the best surprise. Somehow we were booked into the honeymoon suite, a thatched roof, open air cottage, with a huge deck with a hammock, an out door claw foot tub, outdoor shower, and a toilet with the best view of our sandy yard with huge trees offering cover and a view up river. Heaven.
After meeting the other nine island guests and the seven staff we went off on a sunset cruise with a delightful group of Brits. When we returned our valet Charles met us at the boat and informed me he had drawn up a bubble bath and had champagne waiting for us. It only took me a minute or two to strip down and jump in the pipping hot bath and enjoy an outdoor bath with the sounds of the river.
Russ took a little nap and then it was time for island TV before dinner. Russ and I ate dinner on a little dock and thought we heard the sounds of something big jumping in the water. Our server Brenda told us that the elephants sometime swim to the island and we might have some guests in the night. Since our cottage was on the other side of the tiny island we decided it was time to get there and retire before the elephants arrived. So now I sit writing in our big giant bed with the mosquito netting all around while Russ sleeps. The sounds of frogs, birds, monkey and elephants sing out all around me. The only thing that is silent is Olles, our hippo, who I know can not climb up on our deck and visit. I can hardly wait to see what excitement tomorrow brings. Whatever it is it will be fine with me.
Less Dana, More Good 