World's Worst Safari: Feeling Like an Adult in Zimbabwe

It seems to be happening with more frequency the older I get. I know it's obvious, but as time goes on, I start feeling more and more like an adult. Several times over the past few weeks I've asked myself, "What would my parents do?" and then did just that. It's scary, because I don't remember when this started or know how it will progress, but I fully notice that it's happening. In addition, I'm with increasing frequency feeling like a responsible adult and actually believe that others who see me believe it too. Weird, right?

Black Bazar--a Congolese band (plus a Cameroonian) during
HIFA 2014

A lot of this adult feeling over the last few days happened on my weekend trip to Harare, Zimbabwe, to visit friends. It's hard to find real faults with Lusaka, but it's also nice to get away from time to time, and with some good friends just a 37-minute plane ride away, how could I resist. [side note] Air Namibia is an AMAZING airline. On the short flight, they served KitKats and juice boxes. It was awesome. [end side note] Anyway, I took the weekend trip to the neighboring country and in my short 48 hours there did some amazing fun, enjoyable, adult-y things.

It started off with getting cultured by attending the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA). To be fair to me, HIFA was really more like a random hippie-esque music concert, but it was still an adult-feeling activity to me; it's hard to explain exactly why. But that day I paired HIFA up with barbecue chicken and playing with dogs. How does it get any better? It was a completely chill day/night, and that made me feel like an adult.

Picturesque Point in Lake Chivero Recreational Park

The next day, we took a safari drive not far outside the city and, even though it was probably the world's worst safari drive--we saw a couple of impala and there was an ostrich in the road--I thoroughly enjoyed it. The company was great and we had a drink at a really picturesque point. So maybe the animals all decided to stay in and the safari-aspect of the drive was a bit of a bust, but the whole day itself to me was a success.

There was nothing inherently adult-y in the trip, except in the way it made me feel. The whole weekend--from the concept of the trip itself to the activities--to me was a merging of adult life and non-adult life (I don't want to call it childlike, because that carries negative connotations that aren't right). I know that's a lot of thinking for a 2-day trip, but it really did feel like that to me. I'm looking forward to having more of these adult-like moments behaving in a responsible manner when I return to the US. I hope. In the meantime, this video that makes me incredibly happy is a perfect blend of youth playfulness and adult activity!

I Am Your City

I am your city.

I am where you live, you work, you play.

You know my heartbeat, it is unlike any other.

You know my sights. You know my sounds.

I am your city.

There's a construction company in Zambia called Lafarge, and over the last few days, I have heard their radio spot many times. I usually catch it about two lines in as I think to myself, "This is really good, I like this." I obviously can't find a cut of this commercial because it appears it only plays on one Zambian radio station, but the first two lines are something like that, at least in spirit (I'll update this post if I ever hear it again and catch those lines), and the last three are definitely that.

What makes this commercial even better is that it is said in a deep, even voice over music that I can only describe as triumphantly sentimental. I honestly can't think of a better way to phrase it. It makes me hopeful for the future and proud of who I am, in a similar manner--yet not as brassy and bold--as the Olympics' theme.

Georgetown University, my home for 4 years

Why am I writing about this? Well, every time I hear it, it makes me miss my town/city. I know this sounds completely bizarre, but while I know Lafarge is talking to Zambians and people in Lusaka, I imagine it is DC speaking to me, or my little town in Virginia. Or even my hometown in New Jersey, where I spent the better part of 17 years. Every place I've truly lived, this sentiment rings true. I'm not sure I'm feeling that in Lusaka, in part because I'm not mobile here and living in a hotel, but even the sounds on the streets still sound foreign to me. I've adjusted quickly to other places, knowing their sights and sounds in a way that makes me think I could pick them out of a lineup, but I'm just not getting there in Lusaka.

So thank you, Lafarge, for getting me thinking about home and what makes home feel like home. When I leave Zambia I'll be going back to a heartbeat I know, a place where I know the sights, the sounds, and the smells. A place I work, play, and live. Now that it's May, the journey home is much more in sight, with the Zambia adventure ending in just about a month. I'm starting to get excited to return to "my city."

I stumbled across a girl on YouTube who puts songs through several layers of Google Translate and then sings the results, and sometimes she brings friends along. Not only does she actually have a really good voice, but I'm always left chuckling, brightening any day. So enjoy one of my favorite Broadway songs and check out the rest of her videos in the Google Translate Sings playlist. And on this one, I don't exactly know why, but I lost it at around the 3:20 mark...something about that line is incredibly funny to me:

Dutch Market

The last Saturday of every month, the Dutch Reformed Church of Lusaka hosts a market where one can buy the usual stuff that appears to be in every market in sub-Saharan Africa. Or, at least that's what I thought. The Dutch Market pleasantly surprised me for not only having more than just the standard curios, but also because it was well-organized and the prices were much fairer than I was expecting at a place that caters to expats and tourists. There was produce, furniture, grills, and fire pits. In a way, I wish there was an easy way to get some of that here to send it back to DC, but alas, it would be cost prohibitive and extraordinarily difficult.

I successfully got all the gifts I think I need to bring back with me. I had been putting off getting the things as long as possible because I didn't want to store them in the hotel or schlep them around if I was going to end up switching hotels. However, I needed to see this market--everyone talks about it--and I leave Zambia the day before the next market day. Terrible planning, because clearly I come to places like Zambia just to go to markets.

Anyway, Zambian markets are unlike the markets I've been to in other parts of southern and eastern Africa. In general, the sellers are not hawkish. Negotiating is relatively simple: they give a price that's not completely unreasonable, I counter with a low-ball price, they counter at the price I was expecting to pay at the end of the day. In a way, I almost feel like I must be doing something wrong and that perhaps I should go even lower, but I'm not trying to be unreasonable. For example, the other day I wanted a Zambian football (soccer) shirt and anticipated paying about $15. The guy started at $12. I was taken aback and ended up actually paying his original price. Did I overpay? Probably. But it was fine; I got it for less than I had expected.

This post's video is of a hamster not really eating carrots, but definitely hoarding them. It made me laugh more than it probably should. I'm really curious what the hamster did afterwards though--did it spit them out or finally chew and swallow them?

Note: After watching many more YouTube videos, I am led to believe that hamsters storing food in their cheeks is a common practice. Doesn't make it any less funny to me, though.

Mosi-oa-Tunya, the Smoke That Thunders

View of the Falls from the plane.

The local name for Victoria Falls is perhaps one of the most appropriate names for a place in the world (maybe tied with New Jersey's highest point which is called, you guessed it, High Point). Mosi-oa-Tunya translates literally into "the smoke that thunders" and there is no question why this amazing natural landmark received that name--you can even see the smoke rising as you're landing at Livingstone's airport. With the rainy season recently finished, the Falls are close to their peak, so I would like to go back some day when they're at just a trickle to actually see them.


The Zambezi River right at the edge.

There are Seven Natural Wonders of the World, and this is the second one I've been to after the Grand Canyon...so basically, I only look at big holes in the ground (the Zambezi River drops and winds its way around, passing by the sites of previous waterfalls that eventually collapsed because of erosion, putting the Falls where they are today). Anyway, Victoria Falls is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall(s) in the world, but it is the largest because its height and width make it the largest sheet of falling water anywhere in the world. And you see it. Plus, because of the drop and the locations of the land and islands, it's easy to get very close to the Falls right before and right after they drop, resulting in an excessive amount of spray that soaks right through. The nifty businessmen in both Zambia and Zimbabwe have realized that tourists like me who failed to plan ahead would need raincoats, so I was able to get one on each side of the border, but all it did was protect my backpack since anything that was even slightly exposed was instantly drenched.

Knife Edge Bridge...and people without raincoats.

I started off on the Zambian side, since that's where I was staying, and from Zambia I was able to see the Zambezi River with its swift-moving water as it approached its 360-foot drop (by comparison, Niagara Falls is only 167 feet). As I continued along the trails--and after picking up a raincoat for 10 kwacha--I made my way to one of the not-to-miss parts, Knife Edge Bridge. I'm sure it is structurally sound, but I felt like I was in the midst of a hurricane while walking across it. I could barely make out the falls through all of the mist. I felt bad for those who decided to forego the raincoats. After the bridge, I continued along the path, still experiencing a perpetual rainstorm until I reached the end of the path. Just walking so close to the Falls made me realize their awesome power. True, I couldn't really see them all that well, but that actually added to the allure.

One of the few areas dry enough to take a picture not from the
other side of a plastic sandwich baggie.

After making my way back out of the park, I decided to cross into Zimbabwe to see their side of the Falls. Two-thirds of the Falls are actually in Zimbabwe, so I figured it was a must-do. After the border crossing formalities, I entered the park with my $2 raincoat in-hand (Zimbabwe uses a mixed bag of currencies, including the US dollar, but the woman I got my raincoat from didn't have change so she gave me change in South African rand). The Zimbabweans put the physical path even closer to the edge--and therefore nearer to the Falls--so I was sopping wet quicker, and it was more difficult to see. Again, though, that only added to the allure and wonder of Victoria Falls.

Double rainbow, and full-circle rainbow (save for the shadow
caused by the bridge).

With my short journey into Zimbabwe finished, I walked across the Victoria Falls Bridge, the place from which crazy people bungee jump to the rapid Zambezi River below. But there was one thing that I liked even more than that (and that was fun)--rainbows. Now, you may be thinking, "I've seen some pretty fantastic rainbows before," but I would guarantee you that the rainbows from the bridge outdo anything you've ever seen before. Not only was there a double rainbow, but the first one was a complete circle. No pot of gold at the end because there is no end to the rainbow. I had never seen--or even heard--about complete circle rainbows. It was stunning.

Anyway, that's about all of the Falls I'll put in this post. I also had an experience at the David Livingstone Museum (don't get your hopes up for anything spectacular if you ever visit), and my next post will probably be about the rest of my time in Livingstone, which was mostly spent at the backpacker's lodge. I had forgotten how much fun traveling alone can be because of the other people who are just open and friendly and take you into their small group just because you're a fellow traveler...but that's for another post so I can do it justice. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures and this video I took below (more pictures will soon appear on Facebook). You may think it's hard to see, but this was about the same view I had, just without a plastic bag in front of my face (although lots of blinking and turning away to avoid the insane amount of water).

To Victoria Falls I Go!

Tomorrow I head off to a quick weekend trip to Livingstone, Zambia, better known as the city on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls. I'm super excited about this chance to get out of Lusaka and just enjoy myself fully. It should be a good trip, because any time you get to see a natural wonder of the world it's good. PLUS, I've been told the weather will cooperate (sunny and 80s), and since the rainy season ended recently, the Falls should be close to their peak flow. Thank you, Easter, for falling at such a great time for my vacation this year!

I actually hope I can go. When the travel agency booked my ticket, they flubbed the order of my names. I asked them about it, but they keep assuring me it'll be OK. Side Note: Oddly enough, I went to take money out of the ATM today, and the ATM also reversed the order of my first and last name, even though it appears in the correct order on my card. Very. Strange. In addition, I'm taking a relatively new airline. Back in the beginning of March, an airline called Mahogany Air was launched. If I had any doubt about it, my booking code consists of mostly As and Bs. The airline is planned to be a tourist commuter jet around Zambia, and eventually into neighboring countries. I'm imagining Mahognay Air will be a step up from ZanAir and US Airways, but just below Albanian Airlines (yes, I've flown both ZanAir and Albanian Airlines, as well as US Airways...reluctantly). That's my guess at least. I'll be sure to report back.

Anyway, with the need to get my things together, I don't have time to write more about how I didn't really do anything this week, but I feel like this trip more than makes up for that. I'm enamored by these videos because they're not only fun to hear but also fun to watch with all the colors and all. Plus, Pirates of the Caribbean has a really good score.