SPRING BREAK 2011: PART 1

I missed out on Panama City this year for Spring Break, but instead I had the opportunity to travel around Africa! At UCT, what we call Spring Break is considered their holiday.  Most student stay around Cape Town and chill with friends and family, but being a student from America, I know that I had to go big for the week I had off.  I traveled with 5 other girls and in twelve days we manage to see Victoria Falls, experience the city of Johannesburg, Encounter a majority of the big 5 during our safari at Kruger, and relax on the beach in Tofo, Mozambique.

Victoria Falls

Our trip began bright and early on Wednesday morning, when we boarded the airplane to take us to Livingston, Zambia.  We Arrived at JollyBoys in the mid afternoon and relaxed by the pool after a long day of traveling.  The hostel was very nice; it had a funky bar, an area of pillows to lie on, and a memorable quote by Ernest Hemingway that describes this trip to a tee, “I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up and was not happy”.

That following night, we went on a boat cruise that took us on the Zambezi River.  Here we met some very interesting people who were staying at JollyBoys with us.  There were the 3 Belgian girls, who were traveling after they volunteered at a school in Zambia for 2 months; Brad, from New Zealand, who is a pilot in Tanzania; two America guys, who were clearly in a frat in their former college days; and 2 Japanese guys exploring Africa.  This crazy mix of people created a very fun night! We got to know different people from around the world, and on the cruise we saw a handful of hippos, and a beautiful sunset.

 





The following morning we went to see the one of the seven natural wonders of the world and it turned out to be more than I expected!  During this time of year, the currents are fast so the falls were covered in a coat of mist. What amazed me, was the amount of water that was falling down.  The force of the waterfall was so powerful. When we walked through one trail, we had to cross a bridge that was in front of the falls.  When I made it on the bridge, I could not open my eyes, due to the extreme excess water from the falls; it made it seem like there was a monsoon for us on the bridge.  By the time me made it across, there was not a dry spot left on my body.

As we continued through a different trial, which I name the ‘monkey trail’, I was overwhelmed by the amount of baboons we encountered.  These baboons were huge and are known to be aggressive, so I tried to keep my distance.  I loved this trail because it was in the middle of the jungle and all the greenery surrounding me was a sight to remember.

After this trail we walked to the bridge that would lead us into Zimbabwe.  This walk gave us a view of the falls from further distance away, and we saw multiple rainbows during this time.  While on the bridge I was in two places at once.  We had one foot in Zambia and one in Zimbabwe. I guess that technically means I have been to Zimbabwe.... I can now check that country off my world map!

Victoria Falls was all I had anticipated and more. I feel so lucky that I was able to see this natural wonder during my time in Africa.  Leaving Zambia was bitter sweet, but the next step of our trip was to the ‘city of gold’, Johannesburg.