Victoria Falls - Zambian Side

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Arrived in Livinstone yesterday.. wanted to take the 8am bus.. but woke up at 5am somehow.. so what the heck.. pulled myself out and went to the bus station and took the 6am bus.. bus ride is 6hrs.. including stops along the way.. and cost 75,000 kwachas (1usd=4000kwachas).. so i guess travelling in southern africa is not that cheap as well..

Arrived in Livingstone around 1230pm.. went straight to Jollyboys Backpackers.. wow.. this is the nicest backpacker hostel i've ever ever seen! dorm bed cost just US$6 - 10 a night.. pending on dorm size.. and they have a swimming pool.. jacuzzi (not heated.. aw.. c'mon.. what u expect for 6 bucks?).. free pool table.. free ping pong.. too bad internet is not free.. haha.. bluddy nice environment with lots of sitting cushions.. and they have a viewing tower where you can glimpse the spray from vic falls..

the place was so nice that i was tempted to laze around and do nothing whole day... but after some time planning.. decided to go down to the falls that afternoon.. and 31st May is full moon.. and you get to see a rainbow casted onto the sprays of the falls by the moonlight around full moon.. went down to the falls.. woah.. it's gorgeous.. not sure about the views from zimbabwean side yet.. but on zambian side.. you can get really close to the falls.. as in the sprays will come down pouring on you by the tonnes.. and get you totally wet.. people say zimbabwe to see the falls.. and zambia to experience the falls... and zambian side has proven true.. me went with my big camera day pack.. and brought my anorak with me.. took the local minibus there.. out of seats.. didn't want to wait for another minibus to fill up.. so i sat on the steps, to the amusement of the many locals on the bus.. (i was the only non-local).. $10 to get into the falls area.. and add $2 to see the lunar rainbow that night...

certain part of the falls.. you really have to go thru this what seemed to be massive downpour area.. and so i put my weather tarp on the bag.. wear it on me front.. and wore my anorak over... as i walked across this bridge that has huge amount of water coming onto it.. i'm like so scared that my camera and stuff in bag will get soaked.. but luckily.. everything is well protected.. yay! cheers to a good bag, and a good anorak.. and a thinner Johan that has allowed both human and bag to go into the anorak!

went back to the hostel shortly before sunset to reconfigure my gear (didn't think i'd get THAT wet at first)... and to have my dinner before taking the FREE hostel transfer to see the lunar rainbow.. well.. what's a lunar rainbow? we've seen lots of solar rainbows... oh, and you'll see a rainbow on the sprays almost at every corner at the falls when you go there.. but rainbow caused by the refraction of moonlight? that me gotta see.. and it's only $2 more.. if it's only $10 more.... maybe me no go..

so i arrived there at night.. the falls seem so serene at night.. yet no less powerful... me busy setting up me camera on the fencing posts to take picture of the falls in the night.. take take take... and suddenly.. i saw a rainbow when i reviewed the picture in my pic.. ooh.. the lunar rainbow has manifested herself w/o me realizing it.. and it was indeed quite special to see that.. ok.. maybe i'd pay $10 more.. maybe.. took a few more shots.. before time beckons and i had to leave to catch the transfer back to the hostel.. =( maybe should have asked the truck to go off w/o me and spent more time there.. but it's still cool.. got sufficient time to soak in the atmosphere...

woke up this morning.. and went off to do some rafting in the zambezi river in the gorge! costed me $110... and you dun get the full rapids.. only rapids #14-25.. where #1-7 are the best rapids... cos it's high water still.. april/may the river is closed to rafting.. best time i heard is october.. high water.. but wth.. i'm here now.. so let's do it!!

well.. the scenery is great.. you get to trek down the gorge to the river and then back up after the raft.. enjoyed the trek.. the rafting is so so.. cos the water level is so high.. you dun get any rocks.. just lots of big waves... and my raft do not have powerful paddlers.. many of them are first-timers.. so we can't generate enough power.. and the oarsman had to like float past certain rapids.. quite disappointed by today's rafting actually.. feel like i spent $110 to do a river cruise.. !@#$%.. oh well... at least get to see and feel the river.. will definitely do the river again next time i'm back...

got back to the hostel around 4pm.. so basically decide to laze around this nice cosy little place.. then i saw the internet cafe here.. it's kind of expensive.. but i'm lazy to go out.. so here i am.. updating me blog.. and maybe will do some photos.. see how.. i've owed lots of entries w/o photos.. haha.. i'll get to it sometime.. soon.. i target to get all photos up before monday.. when i leave for botswana..

not sure whether i'll go over to zimbabwe to join the truck tour tomorrow.. maybe i'll spend another night here.. and do the gorge swing and flying fox and bungi jump here... otherwise i'll x over tomorrow and do those at the zimbabwean border....

ok.. going to fiddle with some photos now..

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Photos

The lunar rainbow on a full moon night
The rainbow is cast by the moonlight

Jollyboy backpackers
Nice place.. my dorm.. my clothesline..

The lookout tower at Jollyboys
In the middle of a nice lazy cushion lounge..

Me in my battle gear
My backpack in front, covered by my anorka, and everything wrapped in plastic within the bag.. background is the bridge connecting Zambia and Zimbabwe.. and the place where you bungi jump from..

Comments

[Hank]

Very good, useful blog!
Hey, Your blog is full of good, practical tips to help me plan my trip. Basically I'll be following in your footsteps in a couple of weeks - and I'll try to avoid your mistakes - like the money-changing trick! Thanks for your reports. Hank in Bangkok