Final Day of Africa Heavy
Before coming on this trip many a traveler had told us about Africa heavy vs. Africa light. Africa heavy is what they show on all the TV shows in America. Villages with no electricity, running water, and dirt roads are Africa heavy. Africa light is clean, relatively modern and paved roads.
On our last day in Africa heavy we took the opportunity to walk from Zambia to Zimbabwe. There is a 100 year old,1 km. bridge that separates the two countries. It is no mans land. The Zambezi river provides the border between the two countries. Where you cross there is an amazing canyon with walls that jut up 400 ft. above the river below. It is a favorite spot for bungee jumpers. One teenage girl was dangling from the rope as we passed. We were joined on our walk by a large group of school children from the Zimbabwe side. They wore there clean burgundy and navy uniforms. They walked the entire way back to their school. It was probably a 2 mile walk for them. The kids marveled at our kids carrying their heavy packs. I’m sure all the teachers thought we were terrible parents forcing our children to carry this weight.
After traveling to new places almost every day it was wonderful to check back into a hostel we had stayed at before. We felt like we were home. Since we really don’t have a home anymore, it was a nice feeling for all of us.
We made reservations that evening for dinner at a restaurant called The Boma. It was set on the grounds of the nicest hotel in the area. The restaurant had huge sloping thatched ceilings. The thatch was dark brown and almost 12” thick. They looked like a bunch of giant upside down ice cream cones. Beautiful tapestries decorated the walls. It was a memory of how we used to travel.
Since we arrived early the kids got a chance to play on the grounds of the restaurant. They had a trampoline at ground level. Warthogs grazed freely around the trampoline.
Dinner was a four course African buffet. We had the opportunity to try crocodile tail, kudu, warthog, ostrich kabobs, mopani worms, impala, and for the fair of heart, basic sirloin and chicken. Connor started out with a sirloin. He got braver and decided to try Dad’s kudu, warthog and ostrich. He loved them all and left the sirloin. A proud parental moment to be sure. The meat was all incredibly good.
Dinner was followed by a performance by African dancers complete with drums. After doing a few numbers on their own, they passed out individual drums to everyone in the restaurant. We all got a chance to dance and bang to our hearts content. It was a blast. The kids loved it.
Another highlight of the evening was running into a family Carl met at the airport in Johannesburg. They were waiting in the same line we were, and were also trying to get to Victoria Falls after being caught up in the South African Airline strike. After speaking with them most of the evening, they invited us to their home once we are all back in South Africa. Meeting families like this is what we were hoping for. It will give us a true feeling of a place. We look forward to seeing them again soon.
Travelers in general are the most kind hearted people in the world. To invite total strangers into your home is something you don’t find very often. It is a true joy to find these families. We hope we can return the favor if they ever come stateside.
Tags: Africa, Border, Meat, Travel, Zambia, Zimbabwe
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Ya’ll must have cast iron stomachs! I thought a Warthog was just a character in a Harry Potter novel. This trip is definitely a gastronomical adventure. Glad the ‘lil students are such troopers! Never a “routine” day so I can appreciate your joy in finding something familiar, like Holiday Inn and wi-fi service.
Hugs to all
Nana G. [having an identity crisis ~ going to stick with Nana now]