Holiday travels

My travels this last holiday break began in Gobabis for my friend Martin’s birthday. After a few days hanging out in Gobabis I went back to Rehoboth to meet up with some friends. We took day trips to Windhoek for Zambian visas and other necessities. On Friday April 29th we went to Windhoek, saw a movie, and boarded the Intercape bus system. The Intercape is a business that sends charter buses all through southern Africa. Twenty three hours later I arrived in Livingstone Zambia. The following day myself, Edward, Sam, and Quinn went into Botswana on the Chobe National Preserve safari. The morning was a boat safari along the Chobe River where we say hippos, impalas, crocodiles, elephants, and a whole host of other animals. It was the most expensive part of my journey and well worth every penny. We were given lunch at a really nice lodge and then preceded to the car safari. In the car safari we got to see all the same animals except much closer. We also got to see lions but they were too far away to get a good picture.

The following I went with Barbara, Quinn, and Sam to the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls is one of the greatest things I have ever seen in my life. My favorite part was called Eastern Cataract and was not for weak hearted. In this area there are no barriers to keep you from the falls and we actually walked out on a cropping of rocks, slippery with algae. I describe that area as standing in the middle of a tropical storm because of the force of the wind and rain. It was nearly impossible to see the falls through the mist but if you stood there long enough the mist would dissipate for a few seconds and a view of the entire falls would appear. While standing there I’m pretty sure my brain exploded.

The next day we traveled to the Zambia side of Victoria Falls. This side had several hiking trails that we did, and a large craft market. I went with Nikki and Sam, and the scariest thing that happened was when a baboon charged us. So many people come to the area with food in their backpack that if you open your backpack, the baboons will charge you and try to steal food. And trust me; it’s terrifying when they come right at you.

I needed a break, so the next day I stayed around Livingstone and I got a pair of pants made out of a chetenge. A chetenge is a traditional African clothe/skirt that many of the guys got made into pants and the girls use it as skirts. My last morning was spent in a constant state of terror as our group prepared to go bungee jumping in front of Victoria Falls. I did not bungee jump. I zip lined from Zambia to Zimbabwe. A feat not easily accomplished by me due to an extreme fear of heights. In the afternoon our entire group (about 20 people) went on a final cruise. I then ventured back to Rehoboth after the craziest week of my life.