Advertisement
Just done one full day of activities at the falls... Really exhilarating!
Crossed over from Livingstone, Zambia to Vic Falls, Zimbabwe yesterday.. and Indonesians can get visa at the border.. wah!! and for only 30usd while british nationals have to pay 55usd.. double wah!! yay... friendly...
had some zambian kwachas lefts over before i crossed over.. about 300,000 kwachas (1usd=4000kwachas).. so i went out of the hostel to try to change it back to usd.. but shit.. it's saturday and it's after noon.. so all the bureaus are closed.. which means i have to change the money on the black market... but no choice.. have to do it.. so i did it.. and nearly got swindled of 100,000 kwachas.. about 25usd..
so there i was.. checking out the rates among the various money peddlars on the street.. and one of the guy offered 4000kwachas to change back to 1 usd.. which means no coversion loss to me.. so i said ok.. and told him i have 300,000 kwachas.. and he needs to pay me 75 usd.. so he gave me 80 usd in 4 notes of 20s.. and i took over the money first.. and checked carefully to make sure they're good, before handing him a 5usd note and my 300,000 kwachas, in 6 x 50,000 kwachas notes.. he took my money.. and said my 5 usd note is no good.. too old.. 2001 note.. he wants 2004 notes.. i was like wtf.. talk talk talk.. he still no want to accept.. so i handed him the wad of 4 20s, and he gave me back my 5 usd and my wad of 50,000s.. just as i turned around, i remembered that the standard trick that many swindlers used.. and counted my notes.. chao bugger.. he gave me back only 4 notes, totalling 200,000 kwachas.. so i turned back and confronted him.. and he was like "are you sure you counted your money correctly?" etc.. i saw that he still had the 20s in his hand, so i didn't bothered arguing with him.. and just reached over his shoulder and snatched the 4 20s away from his hand.. i told him, you tried to cheat me of my money... he was a little too shocked to say anything.. and then i threw the 5usd and the 4 50,000 kwachas at him.. and took off with the 80 usd...
that was a hairy experience.. i was a little shaken up after that.. and made sure nobody followed my back to the hostel (which was just off the main road, and it's broad daylight so it's still ok).. as i was walking back.. i was partly feeling stupid with myself for not checking the money first before trading back his usd... so lesson learnt.. another part of me felt like when i snatched away his 80 dollars.. i could have just walked off with both his usd and my kwachas.. well, he tried to swindle me of my money.. so tit for tat.. i could just walk off.. and it's on the main road.. when he approach me, i could have just said "who are you? i dunno you.. no.. i didn't change money with you... stop bothering me.. " this type of black market thing, they dun dare call police.. even if police come, i can just feign ignorance.. i think they'll trust tourist..
unless, of cos, the policeman is in cahoots with them.. then me in big trouble.. hahaha.. anyway, i'm glad i got out of the situation with no loss of money and no harm... but lesson learnt.. remember:
ALWAYS CHECK THE MONEY GIVEN TO YOU BEFORE HANDING OVER YOUR MONEY!!
you exit the zambian border on the zambian side of the gorge.. (erh.. duh).. and then you have to cross this gorge bridge that connects the two sides.. great views on the bridge.. which comes with wet waterfall sprays.. and after you cross the bridge.. you walk some more and you come to zimbabwean border post.. Met up with the rest of the truck once i entered the campsite at vic falls, zim.. and looking around the campsite, boy... do i miss Jollyboy backpackers.. it was such a nice place... and tonight i'll have to sleep in a tent.. haha.. it was really cold last night and i forgot to bring out my sleeping roll.. so my sleeping bag was against the cold tent floor.. and i didn't sleep very well..
woke up this morning.. and decided to go do the Half-day Adrenaline thing.. which involves 3 components.. a flying fox (horizontal) across the gorge.. a foofie (name?) (slanting firefox.. what we scouts call flying fox.. but flying fox is supposedly horizontal) across the gorge... and then the big one.. the Gorge Swing.. where you jump off the cliff.. plunge for a height of 70m, before your dynamic lines tighten and swings you in an arc across the river... wheee!!
HALF DAY ADRENALINE
The flying fox is pretty boring.. i tried to run as much as possible.. but still didn't manage to touch the other side of the gorge.. and the speed was quite slow.. great view tho.. as you superman and fly across the gorge...
The foofie is slight more interesting.. great descend down the gorge.. but having done flying fox so many times.. didn't feel scary at all.. but it was still a good long ride.. and scenic.. of cos..
And next comes the (drum roll..) Gorge Swing... well, there are several options which you can choose in jumping off.. you can 1) just step off.. 2) Fall backwards and do some back sommersaults before the line tightens.. or 3) do a handstand on the ledge.. they hold up your feet.. and you push off with your hands and plunge down head first... guess which option i chose???
I chose option 3.. i wanted to experience the posture you see skydivers do when they want to zoom in fast to a certain spot.. body straight, hands by side.. and you zoom to the guy whose parachute and spare did not work.. and you grapple him with you leg and deploy your chute to save his life.. and then they'd say "Give the man a Tiger!" .. ok.. i'm blabbering on.. yep, so i chose option 3.. did the handstand.. and they held my leg up... i think option 3 is the easiest.. cos you can't hesitate.. cos your arms have not power.. haha.. and when you hand get tired.. you have to push off... and woah! you see everything coming up to your face.. zip zip zip zip.... good rush.. the beginning was a little scary.. and i did let off a little "wah!!" .. but after that you just enjoy the plunge.. i think when people commit suicide.. that may be what they're feeling.. but the enjoyment did not last long.. too short actually, and before you know it.. the lines tighten and you swing in a big arc across the gorge... real cool experience..
oh.. i was the first singaporean/indonesian customer they ever had.. so i told them that in that case, they should give me a free tshirt! well.. i tried to wrangle a free tshirt off them for like 10minutes.. but to no avail.. hehe... then i told them to put a picture of me doing the swing next to Richard Branson's, who did it as well... they said ok.. haha.. i think they just humour me..
BUNGI JUMP OFF THE GORGE BRIDGE
so.. after the gorge swing.. i realized.. 70m is really too short a fall... so i went to the next activity.. bungi jump!! it's my first bungi ever.. and the fall was about 110m (i think).. so 40m more of plunging.. wheeeeeeee!!!! interesting.. i was less scared than i expected myself to be.. you do the bunging off the bridge connecting the zambian and zimbabwean border.. and when i was waiting for my turn on the bridge and watching other crazy people who paid money to jump off a bridge.. i had no butterflies in my stomach and just wanted them to jump faster so it'd be my turn.. haha... so hey, i'm braver than i thought myself to be.. that's good..
and oh! they weighed me when i registered for the jump.. and i confirmed something that i've suspected for quite some weeks now.. and yes people.. celebrate! cheer! party like there's no tomorrow! cos Johan Phoea's weight has hit sub 70!! and that's with limpeh's boots on! woohoo!! haha.. which makes me wonder.. if i hadn't joined the truck tour and ate such good food.. could i possible be sub 65 by now?? woo... only smarties have the answer!
so as they strapped my ankles together.. they told me to look out to the horizon.. make sure toes is outside of the ledge.. and then jump towards the horizon... i told them i was afraid i'd hit the face of the cliff of the gorge.. and so 5 4 3 2 1.. and i'm off!!
pluuuuuuunnnnngggeee!! and then you booooiiinnnnnnngggg up.... and plunge again.. and boing.. and plunge.. and boing.. so a few cycles.. coolness.. haha.. and you see the zambezi river rushing below you.. and the sun creating a rainbow circle on the water vapour just below you... nice.. oh, i did a dangerous thing.. on my first boing.. i bent up to look up.. the bungi line was right in front of me and i grabbed it with my hands instinctively.. and then remembered that that may be quite dangerous.. and quickly let go and reached down to get ready for the plunge again.. on one cycle the line sort of wrapped round my ankle and i did a one and half twist and no sommersault on my plunge down.. the spectators told me later i was very graceful going down.. graceful? Johan Phoea? you siao is it?
well.. to tell the truth.. the extra 40m wasn't that much either.. so 110m is still too short a fall... so! up next.. the 216m bungi jump in South Africa! but i won't be able to do it this trip.. next time bungi.. next time..
VICTORIA FALLS - ZIMBABWEAN SIDE
after the bungi.. you walk back along the bridge back to zimbabwean border.. oh, if you leave the border and come back on the same day.. you dun have to pay visa again or stamp your passport.. i then went into the Vic Falls National Park, Zimbabwe, of which its entrance is just right by the border post..
The zimbabwean side offers more viewpoints of the falls.. and i think is more scenic than the zambian side.. so it's true.. to SEE the falls, go Zimbabwe.. to EXPERIENCE the falls, go Zambia.. well, it's not that you dun get wet on zimbabwean side.. you still get very drenched.. but maybe just that you dun get shit loads of water that comes hammering down on you like what you experienced on zambian side.. i'd say both sides are worth watching.. and if you have to choose one side.. i'd say choose zimbabwean side for the views...
the views are breathtaking.. and the rainbows.. so nice.. so nice... and oh.. some of the rainbows are so close to you.. that you can see them end on the ground just less than 5m away from you.... quick! get the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!! get a shovel and dig where the rainbow ends!!! haha... but it's cool to be able to see the end of a rainbow touch the ground...
the vic falls is sheer beauty.. and what a majestic beauty at that... on the wet side of the park.. i saw a local sitting on a rock at the lookout point, and letting the rain pour down on him.. i was in my rain garb as well.. so i sat down beside him.. and we chatted happily while the sprays of the waterfalls hits down on us.. haha.. and then we walked together for the rest of the park.. we both had the same feeling.. the water of the falls.. as it hits down on you.. it does something magical to you... and you get drenched from the water.. you feel cleansed.. your body, your spirit, your soul.. everything... you feel happy.. you feel released.. you feel happy that you are so damn wet! so if you come to falls.. you must get wet.. it's a spiritual uplift..
I'm thinking.. i must definitely bring my family here to see the falls... i must.. so bro, let's plan for a trip yah? maybe we go see some lions and leopards and see vic falls on the next big family trip! i'm thinking we can do some elephant walk.. or go for a helicopter ride.. will be nice..
oh.. the total damage for one day... 1/2 day adrenaline: US$90, bungi jump: US$90, vic falls entrance: US$20.. and i won't do the mastercard thing and say that the experience for the whole day.. priceless.. haha.. too many cliche things in this post already..
ahh.. i think i typed a lot today... i'll have the whole morning tomorrow.. and i plan to put up all the pictures including today's before i leave zimbabwe for botswana tomorrow.. tomorrow, we're headed for the Chobe National Park in Botswana.. and then we'll go to the Okavango Delta... cheerios..
Advertisement
Tot: 0.135s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 15; qc: 78; dbt: 0.0746s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Chivalry
Chivalry P
I'll be your godson!
Li Zong.. you big boss already lah.. i'll be your godson and photographer! =)