...my journey from Arizona to Zimbabwe and beyond

A2Z Traveling Roadshow

Time away, exposed to other cultures and new experiences, certainly provides a blessed opportunity for self reflection and growth, though of course it does not take traveling thousands of miles to do so.  We are presented with such opportunities nearly every day.  Recognizing those opportunities and applying what we have learned is often the challenge.  Change is inevitable and can be frightening and overwhelming to a point of debilitation, but conversely, acceptance of change can bring tremendous peace, which means to be in the midst of change and still be calm in your heart.  After moving from my home of four years into another's, electively leaving my job and quite possibly my career, and unexpectedly meeting my soulmate, this particular journey got a jump start before I even started packing.

After a long flight from Atlanta direct to Johannesburg across the pond, Day 1's arrival was thankfully rather uneventful.  Johannesburg is a very large city in South Africa and sadly quite polluted and unsafe.  It is, however, a travel hub and generally requires an overnight stay before venturing on to other parts of southern Africa.  I spent the first night in a convenient, contemporary, predominantly business hotel attached to the airport.  I arose early on day 2 to enjoy an expansive breakfast at leisure before returning to the terminal on foot for the one and a half hour flight to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.  With only our flight of about 80 people entering Customs, it took nearly two hours to clear.  My passport is already filled with pages of stamps despite the few places visited thus far.  As every experience presents opportunity, I met a lovely couple from England, enjoyed the beautiful 80 degree sunny weather as we made our way from the outside line in, and practiced the virtue of patience.

A pre-arranged road transfer greeted me for the short thirty minute drive to the lodge in Victoria Falls.  Within minutes we slowed for a family of baboons crossing the road.  Those babies are adorable as they hang from their mother's bellies.  The lodge is quaint and lush, the people are friendly and the view of the midst rising from the falls is spectacular.  Upon settling in my room a baboon made an appearance just outside the glass veranda doors.

No rest for the weary; within one hour of arrival I started the short trek to the park entrance to the falls.  You must pass a brief customs check point, as you have the opportunity to cross into Zambia on the other side of the river.  As you walk the tracks (literally, railroad tracks with an operational passenger train) you are bombarded by young men trying to sell you jewelry, sculptures, and such.  At least the one I befriended (since he wouldn't leave my side) was an entertainer and became my cheering squad for the first excursion...the Big Air Experience!...a zip line across the Zambezi River hundreds of feet above the water's edge, followed by a bungee jump with a rope tied to your ankles and a head first dive off the bridge for a 364 foot fall toward the river, and then a harnessed swing off the same bridge post where you descend 230 feet and then swing out above the river another 262 feet.  I was told by a female passerby that my swan dive off the bridge was complete with grace, and had the appearance as if I had done it a hundred times before.  One cannot deny my love for adrenaline.

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The walk back to the hotel after nightfall, in shorts and tank top and damp from the midst of the falls, guided by the flashlight on my cell phone, was slightly nerve racking in this foreign land.  But, I have since discovered the people of this area are not only not threatening, but helpful, gracious and friendly.  I ate dinner on the patio of the hotel by candlelight, where I dreamt of the days I would share these experiences and romance with my love.

I arose early the next day in Victoria Falls and was picked up at the hotel for the second day of adrenaline filled excursions.  I joined about 20 strangers with whom I shared the Zambezi River.  We collectively hiked down the gorge along small waterfalls and makeshift wooden bridges to arrive at the river where our boats were waiting.  My boat included one guide, my travel mate, two Israeli girls in their 20s, and a couple from Ohio in their early 30s.  We boarded in the rather frigid water, steadied the boat in a cove as we received instruction from our guide, and practiced drills. Then off we set down river headed for Class 3, 4 and 5 white water rapids.  The first rapid was a 3 plus, followed by a 4.  I cannot say I was impressed with anyone's rowing capabilities, and given the repetitive instruction from the guide, I suspect he wasn't either.  We managed to stay upright, barely, through the 3's and 4's, but as we approached the one Class 5, the water swirled deep and high and I noted the rising tone in the guide's voice as he yelled, "Paddle harder team, paddle harder!"  In moments the boat tipped left, bodies ejected, and I abruptly fell into the water.  I was immediately pulled under the current.  As my eyes opened under water I saw various shades of green as the tide tugged, and recognized that the emerald appearance was light from above.  I held my breath and exhaled, allowing my body to float upward.  As I reached the surface I engulfed the air and took notice of my surroundings; the boat had capsized and I was trapped underneath it.  I sought calm in my mind and body and had the fortitude to recall the guide saying you can breath if you are under the boat when it is upside down.  I took another deep breath and acknowledged his accuracy.  With one more breath I submerged, ducked under the boat and reached for the OS line (the OH SHIT line that circles the edge).  In the next moment one of the Israeli girls appeared next to me, she had been trapped below as well.  The look of fear on her face made me dig deeper for strength.  I placed my hand on her shoulder, looked her in the eye, and told her we were okay.  She let out a gasp of air.  The current was still pulling us aggressively down stream and the waves were crashing over our heads. Two paddles surfaced and I grabbed them, trying to hold the OS line with one hand and the paddles with the other.  Our guide appeared above me, on top of the capsized boat.  I yelled to him, "Do you have a full head count?"  He said yes and we began our efforts to upright the boat.  Once we did he pulled me aboard and I began to assist in rescue efforts.  My travel mate later said the look on my face when I made it back on the boat was one of sheer enthrallment.  The feeling of survival was indescribably magnificent.  I welcome my next white water rafting adventure with open arms.

​The final evening in Victoria Falls was unplanned.  I called for a taxi driver who turned out to be a saint.  He dropped me at The Safari Lodge where I sat on a 3-story deck above the desert plain, sipping on a cosmopolitan as the sun set over a watering hole below filled with elephants.  The reflection of those gentle giants in the water, immersed in an orange glow, was among the most picturesque I have witnessed.  Despite the turmoil and disease that invades much of Africa, I still find it to be the most peaceful place on Earth.