Berta, Asterie, my colleague in Rwanda’s new daughter
It’s the end of May and school’s out. No staff to work with so we journeyed to Rwanda, SA, Zambia and Malawi for about 5 weeks. After a 12 hour big bus, dala dala, and shared taxi with 4 people in the front seat – 2 in the driver’s seat so he had to reach over the person beside him to shift gears we reached the border of Rwanda at Rusumo Falls. I nearly didn’t make it through immigration. They refused three different US bills due to microscopic tears – and you have to pay in US dollars. My head was a volcano and some lava slipped through my lips about not
Traditional accommodation
being welcoming etc. After that travel to Kigali became more luxurious with a seat for each person and good roads. We visited friends and colleagues travelling the length and breadth of the country – not hard as it is only 250 km across. Our most unusual accommodation was the traditional hut.
Apartheid Museum
To get from Kigali to Livingstone at Zambia’s Victoria Falls the plane went first to Johannesburg with a 23 hour stopover. We took the opportunity to visit a western shopping plaza to get haircuts. Big event. We were also gripped by a visit to the Apartheid Museum. A comprehensive historical statement. As we were entering there was a class of secondary school children – mixed race. I was thinking how fascinating it would be to attend their debriefing. I expressed this to the teacher and he answered that it was his favourite class to take each year. I was heartened to know that.
Victoria Falls
New hair styles and a pedicure for me and we were off to Livingstone where we stayed in fixed tents (with beds) on the Zambezi River. I am sure I learned about Victoria Falls but…the immensity of it was breathtaking – 1.7 km wide. The only photos of the whole thing have to be taken from the air. Unlike Niagara it falls into a narrow canyon. In this one picture out of it seems like hundreds you can also see the falls on the far right also and that is no even half! As we walked along the top edge of the river canyon to get many varied glimpses of its power we noticed there had been no baboons for about 20 minutes
Oh our lunch!
and there was a picnic table. So, buns, cheese, … and a few minutes later I was about to take my first bite – bunwich poised at my lips when a snarling, growing baboon shot out of the woods like a cannon ball. Bill, the mighty warrior, picked up the small log he was carrying to protect us. He roared and lunged at the baboon but sadly it had no effect. Me, I quaveringly threw my lunch into the woods nearby and shrank back with little whimpering noises. Well he got the sandwiches, and a yogurt, which he dropped and came back for, then sat placidly as our grumbling stomachs envied his repast.
Bill rafted down the rapids of the Zambezi while I walked with the lions. This is the objective of this program to increase the lion population in the parks, however
Gorgeous
the 15 month old lion cubs that do
A bit timid
the walk with tourists are habituated to people and will not be left in the wild for their own protection. For a couple of hours we walked (behind – not in front as we would then be prey), observed and petted the lions. Nature overwhelms!
Next blog: South Luangwe Park, Zambia
All the best 