I just returned from a holiday in Zambia,Africa!!!! haha, its still a more tame part of the continent but none the less it was time for an adventure and an adventure was waiting.....
It was a time to work through a number of firsts, those things that you are afraid of, those things that you say you will do but never get around to them, those things that dare you, stare you square in the face, that take your breath away, that free you r soul.
I have never been in another African country other than the one I was born in, South Africa, it was time to see what I sometimes call, Deepest Darkest Africa!!! My first first.
It was a strange feeling arriving in a country where you are clearly different, and things work very differently. I stuck out like a sore thumb, ok slightly less sore than that the group of Americans who were also travelling there on holiday =b
Next first, leaping of a bridge. Who was the crazy person that decided that this is a good idea to throw ones self off a bridge with an elastic band attached to you legs and well......hope for the best. I have a borderline chronic fear of heights, I avoid the open side of stairwells; walking on open grid platforms; and generally when the ground is that far away, looking down. Nevertheless I was going to do it. I still remember vividly the moment when I had to step on the platform, the focus it required to not look down, the week knees, the loss of vocabulary, and the constant talking, even if it did not make sense.
The moment where MK, the jump operator, started counting down was one of utter terror, I was going to do it, I was going to jump, there was no turning back, no backing out, I was on the edge and just a push away from a few seconds of free falling, and to add to this I decided I should hold a video cam to record this face of absolute terror all the way down, what the flip haha. Five, four, three, two, one, ...... BUNGEE.
Next was the gorge swing, about the same but this time the rope has no stretch and you basically free fall till just before the water and then the rope catches you and swings you out over the river. This happened approximately 10 minutes after the bungee. Yes the terror was still very fresh and the amount of will power required to make the second jump...... I cannot explain in words what the video so perfectly shows. I even shouted at MK. Needless to say he basically pushed me off the bridge just to get rid of me haha.
I will never forget what a life changing experience that was, it made me realise how fragile life really is but how to truly live involves risk, involves fear, involves the unknown.
Thankfully I was treated with a less gut wrenching next first, I was able to meet with the great Victoria Falls, 110 meters high, 1700 meters wide and 500 milion cubic meters per minute, thats 500 million tons.
The sight is breathe taking, the roar is incredible and the water spray is comparable to a monsoon. I found myself placed in the shoes of sir David Livingstone, standing in front of an African beauty in complete awe.
It was a good day.
Next on the agenda, a canoe trip down the great Zambezi river. A river riddled with crocodiles and hippos, the most dangerous animal in Africa, and we were going to try our luck for three days. Needless to say we had a team of very well trained guides, more than enough food, a couple of tents, some cooking equipment and a spade... the spade was a toilet making machine. Funny enough that was not a first for me.....probably some overshare but anyway.
Never have I felt more alive, more aware of God's incredible creation, and never had I gained such respect of it. It was a journey filled with many memories which when put together make an experience few ever have the daring nature to take on. Here are some of the moments we shared:
Feeling the warm African sun....in winter
Catching a bit of a snooze, adventures are tough work
An incredibly close encounter with the biggest land mammal in the world. Only five meters away, I was nervous to say the least. But in the end I could have stayed and watched him until he wanted to move.
Swimming with the hippos and crocs seemed like a good idea
Sunsets and rises that cannot be equaled easily. One of the greatest things to watch, a perfect way to start and end each day.
Angry hippos are something to be feared and respected. We were lucky to have only lost a canoe. These creatures are incredibly powerful and flung the boat in the air like it was made of paper. But as with all adventures there is risk involved and this sometimes equals danger.
Some fun with a torch
Our group being silly and just portraying the moments we enjoyed.
Another incredible African creature, so formidable that a single lion will step down to him.
Me and my favorite tree... the baobab in all its monstrosity and obscurity.
These are just a snippet of a journey that I will never forget. A journey that solidified my love for Africa and made me proud to call my self an African. God created so much beauty but the only way we will see it is if we get off our buts and take a look. There is so much to see and so many beautiful moments we are blessed with, lets make the most of them....before they run out.
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