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Published: December 8th 2008
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Mighty Zambezi
Botswana / Zambia border 9 Oct - a enjoy a long lie while most of the others go on an early morning game drive / BIRD spotting. Another new experience today, a river border crossing (my border crossings during my travels have now included by plane, truck, train, foot and boat!). We need to get off Priscilla and walk onto a small ferry to cross the Zambezi leaving Botswana behind and entering Zambia. There's not really any queuing system for Priscilla and only two lorries can get on per trip however, we eventually all get over, go through the visa rigmarole and it still only takes 3 hours...there's been worse border crossings, believe me.
Can't believe I'm in ZAMBIA, sounds so exotic and as we drive through the town of Livingstone, I think of home! The Zambezi Waterfront Campsite is a great location, right on the waterfront with a pool and bar - v peaceful and tranquil. Sign up for white water rafting the next day, eek and then we head to Victoria Falls.
Bit of an anti-climax, we can only see and hear the falls from a distance as it's the dry season and they are more impressive from the Zim(babwe) side
Dr Livingstone at Vic Falls
David Livingstone, the missionary from Blantyre, Scotland renamed the Falls from their tribal name to Victoria Falls in honour of Queen Victoria and the British Empire. rather than the Zam(bia) side.
Back at campsite, I head to bar. In an 'eating's cheating' kinda mood and end up drinking with the Ding Dongs and Jason until about 1am. Happy days 😊
10 Oct - pull out of white water rafting...petrified of being submerged in water, although why I didn't think of this yesterday, who knows! Instead, Helen and I take a taxi into downtown Livingstone. We end up in a great wee coffee shop / bakery, African style (most definitely NOT Starbucks!) and enjoy a huge scone and people watching. The laidback African vibe and architecture are difficult to describe, you really need to be see it to understand. The heat is INTENSE, well over 40 degrees so we wander round the Livingstone Museum. This covers not only Zambian life from stone age to present day as well as politics but also, of course, David Livingstone himself. It is very weird to see photos of his birth place / museum in Blantyre, Lanarkshire which I visited when I was 7 or 8 either as a school trip or with the Brownies! However, reading about his missionary work and the search for the source of the
Victoria Falls
Not so impressive from Zambia side... Nile, his life begins to come back to me. The link between Scotland and Zambia appears to be very special and the locals are interested whenever I say I was born near Blantyre.
Feeling hot and hungover so we head back to the campsite and I lounge under a tree with the monkeys and birds for company. The (cheeky) monkeys are v tame and come right up to me, there are mummy monkeys with wee babies clinging on underneath, sooooooo cute.
Quick shower, glammed up (of sorts) and ready for the sunset booze cruise along the mighty Zambezi. We're all more interested in the booze (which is free and unlimited) than viewing wildlife but we get a great view of an elephant and egret couple followed by some hippo action. There's a fiery red sunset which I'm able to appreciate and not feeling too drunk after 2.5 hours of speed drinking. However, it's only early evening when we get back to the bar and the drinking goes on...and on...and on... Beer and wine, will I NEVER learn not to mix. Young Melissa gets quite tipsy, Helen who normally only has 3 or 4 rums is steaming and Charlie
Downtown Livingstone
That's Zambia, no the one aff the M8 is outrageous. Can't go into the exact details but by the end of the night / following morning I have snogged one guy and ended up in another guy's tent for some jiggy and end up having to do an extremely brief 'walk of shame' at sunrise the following morning 😉
11 Oct - head to breakfast, lots of hungover people. Start to say our farewells, some are flying home, some heading up to Malawi and me and the Ding Dongs heading to Joburg. Yup, managed to hitch a ride back on Priscilla with Errol and Brenton.
We pack up the tent and Priscilla then head back across the Zambezi border crossing into Botswana. This time it takes AGES so we decide just to stop at Kasane at 6pm rather than drive any further - Botswana is infamous for bad accidents due to driving at night from wildlife on the road and potholes from hell. Have a few beers with the boys, some dinner and an night. Sleep in Priscilla for the first time as can't be bothered putting up my tent. Surprisingly comfy sleeping on the floor of a truck!!!
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Eddie Mwiinga
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The picture of the Zambia/Botswana border brought back memories of my many drives between Botswana and Zambia. There is a bit of a climax as you approach the border from Kasane/Kazungula that seems to say, if you are Zambian, "home is just beyond the river". Amazing experience. Sad you saw the Mosi Oa Tunya in the dry season.