Ten Seconds of Majesy

Short Holiday Journal

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

We had pancake breakfast with Steph at 6:30 then on into Choma for her to catch a bus North.  Hung around getting cash from ATM's, filling up with diesel, checking the post office and making a deposit at the bank.

By 8:30 we were on our way South to Livingstone.  The day was mostly cloudy with occasional sprits of rain.  We arrived around 11:00 and drove straight to Maramba Lodge (http://www.maramba-zambia.com) where we checked into our little tent-like cottage.  One more unique habitat to add to our collection of vacation homes.

Needing some lunch we agreed on pizza which we've started to miss.  We found a place in town and ordered a mushroom pizza with other veggies and pineapple. While we waited for the pizza we got a bag of chips (called "crisps" here) which we also haven't had in several months. The "pizza" was unique and quite good but nowhere near the taste we were actually craving. So that longing is still unfulfilled!.

On our  way back to the lodge, intending to just take it easy, we decided to drive out towards the Mosi-o-Tunya game park.  Arriving at the entrance we decided to go ahead and drive through.  Upon entering the gate, something seemed familiar.  Then we realized that this was the take-out point for our canoe trip on the Zambezi in 2008.  As it turned out, we drove up-river the entire 12 km length of the section we paddled in '08 to our put-in place, even identifying the spot where we had lunch.

Lunch Spot During Canoe Trip of '08. Taken Feb 2011

The one huge difference - the water is really up and moving much more rapidly than we remembered it.

Along the way we made several side-trips on dirt roads to explore for more game.  Our trip was well rewarded with excellent close up visits of giraffe, antelope, zebra, wart hogs, monkeys, baboons, and a distant sighting of wildebeest. We also identified 11 new species of birds.  The close-up lens on the camera is good enough to get a decent picture that we can use for identification. In some cases we're able to make 3 or 4 matches on each bird.

Coming back to Maramba, we cleaned up, took a break and then headed over for dinner at 7:30 at dusk.  Darlene had platter of hake and Gene had a chicken breast with rice.  We did order a crocodile appetizer but turned out they had none.  We finished with a fine cup of coffee and a Cadbury caramel bar, all to the tune of frogs and other sundry night calls, some of which were quite unusual. 

We headed back to the tent to wrap up the day identifying the birds we shot pictures of, charged up the Ipod and camera batteries all to the tune of Victoria Falls, a steady roar in the distance.  We're looking forward to seeing it tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

The night was pleasant and cool and we slept until 7:00  and went to the Riverside Restaurant for our complimentary breakfast. Darlene had continental buffet and Gene had the full English which included scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, tomato, toast along with juice and coffee - all while watching a crocodile making its way up stream.

We loaded up our fanny packs with everything we thought we'd need for the day and headed out.  On the way we were stopped at a police checkpoint and they wanted to write Gene up for driving without a license.  They didn't like his provisional license but after a while they left us go.  The check-point was a beautiful view of the smoke over the falls.

It's a wonderful thing to have a Zambian ID card and they like to see westerners with Zambian ID's.  So at the Falls we paid considerably less than in '08.  It was nice not to have to deal with taxis and to be able to drive right up to the main entrance instead of hiking in from the road.  The sound was magnificent as we approached.  Our first glimpse of the Eastern Cataract was blessed by a rainbow in the mist. 

August, 2008

March, 2011

We were impressed by the increase in water from what we saw in '08.  Whole areas above the Falls where we walked that year are underwater. 

August, 2008

March, 2011

Much of the main section of the Falls was hidden by the rapidly moving mists but occasionally we could get a glimpse of  the falls.

August, 2008

March, 2011

We put on our rain jackets and walked across the bridge in a driving downpour of rain. 

August, 2008

March, 2011

The mist is not mist - it's serious rain.  We stayed dry on top but completely soaked from the waist down. We then hiked down to the Boiling Pot, sighting a few baboons along the way.
We were happy to discover that two stream crossings now had new bridges, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to get down given the water levels.

August, 2008

March, 2011

 Again at the Boiling Pot we saw how much the water had risen since '08.  We hung out there close to an hour, mesmerized by the roiling water,  eddies going every which way, whirlpools, holes and  monster waves all in a continually changing pattern.

August, 2008

March, 2011

 The hike back up was its usual strenuous trek and we were glad to get back on top.  We hung around watching  people head  into the rain without much idea of what they were getting into.

Back at Maramba we settled in  on the deck overlooking the river  on lounge chairs with the laptop, book and camera which is where this is being written.  We're listening to the evening birds, Handel's Water Music and the waterfall behind us.  Very relaxing indeed.  Soon be time to clean up and then have dinner again at river's edge.

At dinner we were entertained by two small lizards which hung out under a  lamp that attracted a variety of small insects which provided dinner for them as well.  Gene had a Zambian Bream while Darlene enjoyed a large pork chop.

We had just finished dinner when the phone indicated a text message which was from the US Embassy warning of violence and road-closings at Mazabuka, a mid-sized town between Choma and Lusaka.  They encouraged all US residents to stay indoors and not travel that road. The road has been closed for three days now.

Thursday, March 3

We spent most of the day at the Livingstone Museum which was a fascinating study in the development of Zambian history and culture from a strictly Zambian perspective.  Two displays appropriately titled "Our Village" and "Their Town" presented an intensely thought-provoking rendition of the effects of the uninvited imposition of Western civilization on traditional culture.  While the one was idealized and the other demonized, there is certainly enough truth in both pictures to merit respect, humility and a profound sense of sadness with respect to the treatment of indigenous peoples.  The other dynamic which was not addressed and which we see happening before our eyes, is the transition from "Their Town" to "Our Town" as Zambians themselves lay claim to the methods and the material wealth that was once foreign to them.  These are things we continue to think about.

We decided to take lunch at the Kilimanjaro in Livingstone, a restaurant with an internet café which attracts loads of Westerners with their laptops. It almost seemed as if one needed a lap-top to be admitted.  Fortunately we had our Ipod with us so we fit in!

While we were there it rained so hard that the water almost backed up into the inside portion of the restaurant.

On the way home we gave a lift to six people who were walking as a result of their truck breaking down.  We felt a bit strange having them sit without seats in the back of the double-cab vehicle we use, but it was indeed an upgrade from the open truck in which they were riding and they did not have to walk. And they were profoundly grateful. 

We arrived safely back in Choma in late afternoon having really enjoyed this brief break from responsibilities here and ready to go at it again.