With the Easter weekend hampering work after arriving here in Zambia, four of us ladies on the trip decided to take the weekend to travel south to Livingstone to see Victoria Falls or Mosi-Oa-Tunya, meaning the smoke that thunders.
By far one of the most amazing sights I've ever seen and one of the best experiences on this trip so far.
Think of a huge crevasse in the middle of a flat landscape taking the waters of the Zambezi River down a vertical drop of more than 100 metres.
The back splash from the raging waters' drop creates the illusion of a heavy rain storm from above.
"Well I'm glad we showered this morning," we laughed while dripping head to toe.
To sum it up the falls were big, wet and beautiful. With the sun shining down a large rainbow stretched above the boiling pot, which is where the waters churn in a ravenous circle to then turn and head down the Batoka Gorge.
And if you go for a swim in the boiling pot, apparently your body will arrive in the next village.
Right now I'm staying at a place called Jollyboys alone, but the four of us arrived and spent one night here together.
When we entered the gate and walked through the parking lot we entered paradise.
A pool, comfy sofas, bar serving cold beer and tasty food (vegetarian too!!!), working and fast internet, no instant coffee but the real deal, and a four bedroom suite just for us, quiet nights, great sleeps on soft mattresses.
Simply a-m-a-z-i-n-g.
After the hectic busy schedules we had in Uganda this was a welcomed break, an oasis for us Canadians hankering for some tastes of home.
The place is filled with backpackers, as Livingstone is a tourist destination with the falls, safaris, rafting, bungee etc.
This city is nice and welcoming.
My only distaste is the way local vendors have learned to approach tourist for selling their goods.
Each time I walk down this one path I'm accosted by, hello sista, how are you, let me show you something from my village, I am an artist.
And it's someone different every time.
Wow this place is just filled with fantastic artists...ya right.
I wouldn't get so annoyed with the people in town if it wasn't for my experience with the souvenir shops outside Victoria Falls.
What they do is give you a necklace for free and say come back and see me when you're done.
Sure, that's okay I want to buy some things anyway.
Buuuuuut they make you sit on a stool, and insist you buy things together because it is cheaper. Sure, okay I can deal with that.
But ah, then they say their friend will wrap your purchases.
Oh, sit on my stool here while I nicely wrap what you've bought and I'll show you what I have.
No thank you I say, I have bought what I want.
They stall, don't wrap what you've bought and keep shoving things in your face, oh this is nice, great deal here. No? How about this? No? Please I need money to buy my lunch.
Ya, ya.
They say, oh I am an artist and I've made this from my village, but then you look around and everything in every shop looks exactly the same hmmmm...
I am a friendly person but I Iost my cool when I bought something to get the second vendor to leave me alone (I know, I know that's their plan all along), when A THIRD man starts wrapping THAT purchase and then tries to sell me HIS THINGS.
That was the final straw and I said very loudly I AM DONE! I DON'T WANT ANYTHING ELSE.
It's a horrible, frustrating method and they would do much better and I would have bought a lot more if they let you do your thing and decide for yourself.
That's my one rant, but I swear I didn't even get that mad when the contents of my wallet were stolen.
Molly McNulty is travelling to Uganda and Zambia on behalf of the Jack Webster Fellowship Seeing the World Through New Eyes which is funded by CIDA.
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