Hey there,
So its been a while since I last posted, and a lot has happened. My best friend Brett came out to Zambia to visit at the beginning of September. It was quite a whirlwind trip. After picking him up in Lusaka, we took a nightbus straight to Livingstone (the place of Victoria Falls). We stayed there for 4 days, partying and getting plenty of adrenaline rushing. We had the most intense day of whitewater rafting I've ever had (class 4 and 5). The day began by jumping off a rock into the river, and then swimming the first rapid of the day, in order to reach the awaiting raft. It then progressed to flipping in a class five rapid, swimming it, and then almost flipping another 2 times in the same day. We even managed to turn the raft completely on its edge, and drop everyone (including the guide) except for Brett and Myself from the boat. It was pretty cool to watch the video as Brett and I clung on the boat, while the rest of the crew was quite literally ejected. Even Brett admitted it was the most intense day of rafting he's ever had, and considering his experience as a raft guide in Colorado, I think that speaks pretty highly of the experience.
We also go to swim the "Devil's Pool" which is a 'pool' at the edge of Victoria Falls. What it really entails is a place at the edge of the 300 foot precipice which is very deep. The current was still cascading over the falls (about 4 inches of water) but because the rocks at the edge are very deep and run straight down, your body catches there and you are able to literally look over the edge of the falls. It was quite a rush. You can check out pictures on google, or just wait till I post our pictures on the Internet (might be a while). Brett also took the chance to bungi jump and do the gorge swing, but my money was a bit tight for that (Volunteer salaries only allow for so much vacationing).
We also went on a 2 day safari, during which we saw all of the game we could have hoped (elephants, hippos. buffalo, antilope, etc.) We even got to see the major predators (a lioness, a leopard, a jackal, and crocs). All-in-all, we were incredibly lucky. From there, we headed to my site for a few days, where Brett got to see some the fish ponds that I've been helping with first hand. He talked with me about how his company is making wells of similar size using Cranes, and the construction process takes one day. I explained that the pond we were viewing would take about 5 or 6 months for an average farmer to complete...
After that we camped at a local waterfall, which was a crazy experience. We managed to find a spot where we could literally climb behind the waterfall, and just watch as the water rushed past our faces and scattered into the rocks. While Brett didn't get as much time at my site as I would have liked, it proved an eye-opening experience for him (I hope) to see how different life on this side of the world really is. Its exciting that he came, because He will understand this experience, and its affects on me in the future, better than anyone who hasn't seen this place first-hand.
To complete his Zambian journey, he boarded a nightbus to return to Lusaka. In true Zam-Transport style, his bus arrived 5 hours late. It then proceeded to break down, and fail to reach his destination in time for him to make his flight. He was forced to reschedule his flights, but managed to handle it all, and is now back at work. I, on the other hand, continued living the dream...
For my Birthday (25) we went to a place called 'Wonder Gorge'. This is a big birthday for me, because it means I have lower car insurance! Pretty ironic, considering I haven't driven in 18 months and am probably less safe of a driver than any time in recent memory. Wonder Gorge is like the Zambian Grand Canyon. It is, however, not nearly as accessible...
We hitch-hiked for a full day to get to a lodge within striking distance. The next day, we awoke to find the canter truck which was prepared to take us 120 KM off the road (all rutted out, dirt paths) to the Wonder Gorge. Unfortunately, the truck got lost along the way, and we didn't arrive until just before sunset. After setting up our tent, and briefly enjoying the sunset, we realized that the forest fire we had seen on the opposite hillside had spread very close to us. As the truck had left, and we were 120 KM from the road, which is another 200 KM from anywhere, we had no choice. The 25 of us got whatever green leaves and sticks we could find, and spent most of the night beating back the flames as they engulfed the grasses near our camp, threatening to burn all of our tents.
The next day (my Bday) we climbed down to the Gorge. The climb was easily the most intense hiking I've ever done. There was no path, and it was the equivalent of a black diamond (Colorado style) in steepness the whole way. We probably descended about 1500 vertical feet, and we definitely wouldn't have thought to try it if we hadn't know other Volunteers who had accomplished the feat previously... About half the volunteers who tried it turned back, because scooting on their butts down a slate rock precipice didn't seem enticing to them.
I had my fly rod and vest, and therefore was determined. Not to mention, we were hiking among a forest fire in 100 degree weather. At that point, I NEEDED to swim. We arrived after about 2 hours, and were overjoyed to swim. Then, we used a natural vine as a rope swing, and just enjoyed hanging out by the river for a few hours. I fly fished for about 2 hours, and managed to catch a native fish (I still haven't identified the species yet). It was cool to manage that, considering I'm using Colorado flies and the ecology here is completely different. Also, most rivers in Zambia have been depleted of most fish, so this river was a unique experience (mostly because it was so damn hard to get to).
The hike back up proved tricky, since the forest fire had singed all the grass and covered the path we used on the descent. Luckily, we scaled back up, and arrived before the sunset. Unfortunately, the intensity of the trip wasn't ready to recede. We were attacked by a swarm of bees, which was feasting on the water we brought for sustenance. After we managed to chase off the bees, a forest fire began on the other side of the hill from where we were camping. 3 of us spent much of the remainder of the night making a fire-break using controlled burning techniques to ensure we were safe...
The next day we waited till 16 for a driver who was supposed to come at 10 AM. We had no food, and ran out of water mid-day... Luckily the ride back to the lodge was smooth, and we all enjoyed a much-needed shower and night's sleep. Now, I'm back in Kasama and headed to site as soon as I finish this blog. It will be nice to relax for a while at home and get back to work. Till next time...
All my best
- Justin
