Victoria Falls

Written Thursday, March 15, 2007

Another benefit to visiting Zambia, aside from seeing Bethany and Dave, was having the opportunity to visit Victoria Falls, the largest waterfall in the world. On our last weekend there, the four of us traveled down to the town of Livingstone, name after the missionary Dr. David Livingstone, who was the first European to see the falls. The town of Livingstone is small and quiet and does not feel like it is camped next to a massive tourist attraction. Our accommodations were absolutely fabulous. We stayed a backpackers place called Jollyboys that was truly a little piece of heaven. Brand new facility, the rooms were air conditioned with a fan, the showers clean and serving hot water, plenty of lounging areas with giant pillows, tables with benches for eating or playing cards, onsite internet, souvenir shop, a library of information about Livingstone activities, free rides to the falls, self-catering kitchen and also dining area and bar, pool table, ping-pong table, laundry service or self-washing laundry area, tons of clothes lines, camping area and swimming pool with lounge chairs. Yes, you see what I mean about it being a little piece of heaven. And quite possibly the best part, all of this for only $8 US a night! So if you’re ever going to the town of Livingstone, visit Jollyboys! I can’t imagine how you could be disappointed.

The bus ride to Livingstone was six hours. When we arrived we headed straight for the pool, then took a little stroll around town and returned for the cheap cheap but so tasty barbeque Jollyboys was offering. The next day we headed to the falls. The ride was no more than 30 minutes. We entered the park and hit the trail to explore the falls. Zambia was still in their rainy season so the amount of water coming over the falls was massive. We had been warned that there was lots of spray coming off of the falls, but I was still truly impressed by the intense waves of mist that kept raining down on us. There were only a few locations where we could get a clear view of the falls. The rest were blocked by the mist. Still, we had a hilarious time going along the paths and being pummeled with spray. As we crossed a bridge linking two parts of the falls, rain was splashing down on us and spilling over the steps.

After we were thoroughly soaked we hiked down to a spot at water level called the boiling pot. Here we pulled out our still dry lunch and relaxed for an hour or so. From where we sat we could watch bungee jumpers plunging off of the bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe. In recent years Victoria Falls has become the hot spot for a wide range of adventure sports – all completely safe and all guaranteed to get your adrenaline pumping. None of us engaged in any such sports as we were limited by time, but it doesn’t mean we didn’t entertain thoughts of what our sport of choice would be.

The hike back up was, as to be expected, very tiring. The path at some points was very flooded, so we had to wade streams almost knee deep. When we reached the top we came across a family of baboons. It was a very nice reward for our climb. Then we did a little souvenir shopping and headed back to Jollyboys.

Livingstone was a great holiday and staying at Jollyboys made me feel like we were at the coast all over again. It’s pretty amazing to know that I have seen Victoria Falls. Not many people get an opportunity to do that. If you ever get a chance make sure your bring Ziploc bags to secure your valuables in all the mist, wear sturdy hiking shops, clothes that dry quickly and don’t forget to stay at Jollyboys!