TechZati

January 3, 1997

The BIG DAY! Running the Zambezi. Meeting at the Ilala Hotel, we got organized. It was the exact feeling you get when everything is as you hoped it would be. Going through the pleasantries we loaded up and headed down the gorge.

Zambezi River, Ilala Lodge. Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Getting on the bus to the Zambezi River put-in

Hiking down was BEAUTIFUL! It was brutal straight down. When we got to the put-in there was no beach or ramp, but everything was done on the basalt rock. I paddled with a bunch of never ever English blokes and shaking my head at all the “typical questions.” There is definitely a Zamb river attitude from the guides. I got questions like “So, how does the Colorado River compare…” being the most common. I must say I had an incredible time. Flipping in rapid 8 was big. I feel much more comfortable with that aspect of guiding. I caught such a buzz from that trip.

Victoria Falls and the mighty Zambezi

January 2, 1997

Terrance, Lisa and I have now spent about three days in Victoria Falls. We finally got up here after waiting for Terrance to show up, a flat tire and driving around half the night looking for a place to sleep. Getting into Victoria Falls and deciding that the campsite wasn’t where we wanted to spend New Year’s (1996-1997). We stopped at every hotel and asked if they had rooms. Sending us on a long chase we ended up at the Zambia border. Driving around at night – we did see an elephant and a hippo, stuck in a tiny little car, not the safest feeling. Finally getting back into town we conveniently drove over an island and almost took out five people. Dragging ourselves to the campsite, we set up and had a mellow New Year’s Eve.

Victoria Falls Campground - Warthogs!

The next day we went to the mighty Zambezi! We spent the day lazing around and swimming in the water. It was quite a pilgrimage for me. Here I was in the Zambezi River, the main reason I came to Africa – three months later – here I am. Later in the day after I decided to do the rafting, I went around and talked to some of the companies. The first one I stopped, Frontier Adventures, turned out to be the golden egg. After bullshitting with the guy in the front for a few minutes (Regular River Rat chat), he offered me the “mates rate” $Z100. Incredible deal. I tried to get something for Lisa and Terrance, but he wouldn’t go for it. Going to the hotel afterwards we sorted out our food and accommodation for the night. Chalets next to the river for Z$375. At the hotel I sorted out postcards for everyone back home.

Swimming in the Zambezi - Crocodile!

December 25, 1996 – Christmas Day

Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe. Meaning “the place of the elephants” in the southeast corner of Zim. I saw my 1st African elephant.

It all started back in Mozambique.  After leaving Xai Xai, I went to Inhambane.  This is a fantastic little town up north.  Walking around, I was greeted in regular Portuguese style with kids coming up to me – so I thought – to beg for money.  As it happened this kid wanted me to stay at his house, a little reed hut.  I thought – my luck is too good to be true…but then I got kicked out when his father came home.

No worries.  I ended up getting a ride to one of the “praia’s” beaches.  I first went to Tofu.  Beautiful-but not a whole lot to do. I met some South Africans on holiday and ended up getting organized to go diving in Praia do Barra the next day.  These guys were SCUBA fiends…and laywers.  We got sorted with this guy who was just starting a dive company.  Diving in the ocean is a thousand times different than in a saltwater lake.  Fantastic!  The fish were amazing.  I stayed behind at the dive shop for about 2 days.  (I’ll you what, snobby South Africans on holiday  SUCK!).   Here I am thinking I’m in remote Mozambique and around me are hundreds of SA’s on vacation – ah well.

Taking a dhow across to Maxixe, I got sorted on a bus to Vilanculos.  Excellent also, but I got tired of the beach life.  I took another dhow from there to Margenque Islands (sp?), part of the Bazaruto Archipelago.

I met a German traveler. Actually I met him in Inhambane.  Anyway we traveled up to Beira together (a hellish 12 hour bus ride!). We spent the night there. A couple of random thoughts -  you get to the point where you can suss out a city in a few hours.  It’s really strange all the Mozambique girls thought hot stuff.  People pointed out to me, girls flirted obviously and the general attitude towards me was quite different from the way they reacted to other guys.  Definitely a different feeling.

I was supposed to catch the 12:00 bus to Mutare, but working on Mozambique time, I didn’t get on a bus til 4:00 in the morning. Sleeping in a bus station is becoming second nature.

I got a ride to Mutare and found my way to the hostel.  Getting there, I tried to figure out how to get to the Okavango Delta.  Marcus – German traveler – talked me into going.  So I decided I wanted to get there for New Year’s (1996-1997).  We ended up parting ways, I ended up meeting this Aussie gal Lisa and we somehow ended up going to Chimanimani National park.  She had just gotten out of Mozambique also.  Sick of her friends, we ended up hitching partway to the park and catching a bus the rest.

Getting to Heaven’s Lodge, we organized a couple of days camping in the park.  So it was the most exercise I’ve had since I got to Africa.  Lisa is a hilarious travel companion.  We basically hiked a hell of a lot in 2 days and covered the park.  Although trails are clearly marked, we still got lost a couple of times.  Side note-also, the map in the Lonely Planet guide is NOT to scale!.  The banana route is MUCH longer than it looks..and there are deadly green mambas on the trail.

Getting back to Heaven Lodge were both sort of – not sort of – but extremely stuffed (dead tired).  We sat down, had few Boulies (Bollinger beers) and met these other 2 blokes from Durban.  And thus the story.  Inviting us to come along, we piled into the care and here we are in Zimbabwe.