“Whakka Whakka, this is Africa!”

Week 12 Cultural

After a great night of exchanging stories and filling each other in on what we had been getting up to we decided to actually go and see what the girls had been doing whilst they had been staying in Zambia.  Although lying beside the pool was extremely tempting we resisted the temptation and made our way to the orphanage the girls had been volunteering at for the past three months.  The children at the orphanage really enjoyed being read to, so Amy and Jess took a seat on the ground and began to read a few children’s story books.  The children were mesmerized by the colourful big books and listened attentively to the girls read a few classics such as Goldilocks and three bears and my favourite The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. 

The children earlier that day had been given a chess set in which they took great pleasure making up their own game. One of the children asked me to teach him how to play and so I sat down and explained the rules and we began to play.  I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know some of the children at the orphanage and could understand why Amy and Jess continued to come here week and after week and give up their own time to play and have fun with these incredible children. 



Later that day we headed to the local markets to buy some material and try some local cuisine.  I was really looking forward to giving bartering a go and trying to haggle with the local traders, however I had not yet experienced the wonder that is the Zambian Kwacha. I have never in my life used a 50,000 note before and could not comprehend that this was worth about £7.50.  I didn’t even attempt to work out exchange rates and looked to Amy and Jess to help me understand if I was paying too much for something or too little.    

Later that day we headed to the local markets to buy some material and try some local cuisine.  I was really looking forward to giving bartering a go and trying to haggle with the local traders, however I had not yet experienced the wonder that is the Zambian Kwacha. I have never in my life used a 50,000 note before and could not comprehend that this was worth about £7.50.  I didn’t even attempt to work out exchange rates and looked to Amy and Jess to help me understand if I was paying too much for something or too little.    

Map???

The next day Amy was determined to take us to the bush for a hike to a gorge she had visited with some friend’s earlier that month.  So using a map drawn on a used cardboard box we headed off into the bush!  Let’s just say we were all feeling slightly un-easy as Amy doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to directions!  After a very bumpy ride in a taxi we were left to fend for ourselves in the African bush.  After several detours, Amy finally recognised the correct path and we were greeted with a spectacular view of the gorge that stretches beyond Victoria Falls.  Much to everyone to the enjoyment of everyone else I provided some entertainment by re-creating several scenes from the Lion King.



Amy thinks she has found the gorge...

 

Lost???

 



Pride Rock..





What a view?



I can safely say Easter Sunday was definitely an eventful day and the girls celebrated by completing the bungee jump off the Victoria Falls Bridge.  Jess’s family who were visiting over the Easter break also joined us to watch the girls plummet 119 feet into the Zambezi River! I cannot describe how entertaining it was to watch the girls jump from the bridge.  As expected Amy screamed from the minute she left the platform until she arrived safely back onto the bridge.  The girls also decided to face the gorge swing, and zip line which left Paddy and green with envy; however we had already decided to save our money and jump the world’s largest bungee back in South Africa.

On Monday we decided it was time to venture to the famous Victoria Falls and luckily we entered the park for free courtesy of Jess’ parents, as all guests staying at the Royal Livingstone Hotel could enter the park for free and bringing as many guests as wanted.  We explored the various routes such as the boiling pot and paths leading around he falls but I cannot describe the feeling of standing on ‘Knife Edge Bridge,’ and getting absolutely soaked.  All we were missing was the shower gel and shampoo as the water was so strong it seemed we were all walking through a power shower.  I was glad that Paddy seen some sense as he decided that travelling over the falls in a barrel would probably not be a good idea.



At the boiling pot..




 



at the top of Victoria falls...



On Tuesday Amy, Jess and I travelled to the Zimbabwe to explore and observe the falls from the neighbouring country.    After seeing the falls in Zambia, I was unsure of what to expect in Zimbabwe, however I was completely blown away by the beauty and power of the biggest waterfall in the world.  We spent a few hours exploring the falls and then ventured into the town to visit the local craft market to pick up a few souvenirs to take home!  After lunch we decided to head back to Zambia before it started to get dark and on our way back to the border, we witnessed two elephants simply walking about 400 yards from the footpath.  Amy and Jess couldn’t believe how excited I was to see elephants just walking around in the open bush and I explained that it was the first time I had seen them this close and not in a zoo, it was definitely a spectacular moment!

 

Of course the evenings in Zambia were jam packed with entertained and much to Amy’s delight we tended to braai quite a lot.  Paddy used the skills he had learnt in South Africa to give Amy and Jess a taste of what a real South African braai is suppose to be about.  It has been great so far getting to catch up with the two girls in Zambia and share our experiences of the differing cultures that our found in this diverse continent.  We had thoroughly enjoyed our time here so far and cannot wait to see what the rest of the holiday has in store.

It is hard to believe that we only have one month left before we return home, but I’m sure there will be plenty to see and do in that short period of time!

Until next time,

“Baai” (bye)

Callum.