Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls
The next morning we leave early to Zimbabwe to see the Victoria Falls. Our driver introduces himself as Richard and looks like Rastaman himself, unfortunately he wears a knitted cap over his huge amount of hair, so that we can’t admire Rastafari in its totality.
On our way to the border we pass kilometre-long queues of trucks, which all look as if they have been standing here for a long time and I wonder what they are waiting for. Rastafari explains that they all want to take the ferry to Zimbabwe. Since the newer one is broken, everyone has to drive with the old and slower one. The average European may of course imagine a modern car ferry, with plenty of space for the trucks and the people. As it turns out, however, the ferry in African looks quite different.
Because there is neither space for people nor for trucks, only one single vehicle fits on the ship, which consists of not much more than an old, rusty barge without everything. This means that the truck is simply parked on deck and there is no such thing as below deck. This is why the drivers sometimes wait more than 10 days for their crossing. As a top-efficient German, you have to let that melt in your mouth. 10 days waiting for 20 minutes river cruise. I would have liked to have seen the mass protests at Germany’s external borders if such conditions had reigned here. Angela Merkel would probably already have arrived in person to assess the situation and the talk show and news experts would be discussing it for hours at prime time. I say Europe could learn a lot here. A little African serenity doesn’t hurt anyone.
After a short drive we complete the exit procedure from Botswana and get a really nice sticker in our passport for the visa from Zimbabwe at the next border post after completing the usual formalities. After that we still have an hour drive ahead of us before we reach probably the most touristic place in Africa. The cutthroats in Zimbabwe charge 30 euros to see the waterfall, it seems a bit like they have agreed with the prices at the border. Well, we don’t want to complain, because Zimbabwe has to earn money somehow and since there is probably no more lucrative place in the whole country than the Vic Falls we like to pay of course. But there is also free internet in the overpriced Rainforest Cafe. Ha! After sending out at least twelve trillion photos, I definitely got my 30 Euro entrance fee out again!
The Victoria Falls
In the park there is a circular path with various vantage points and degrees of difficulty. Since we are in Zimbabwe in the rainy season, it is already time for rain gear from lookout number 1. The rainy season means not only rain in the original sense from above, but also from below at Victoria Falls. At high tide, millions of litres of water masses per second fall down the steep rock from the Zambeziriver, generating a whole lot of spray mist.
The further we go and the closer we get to the thunderous masses of water, the denser the fog becomes. Now you can’t even see the sun and the mist feels like a tropical downpour. It looks really strange here, because on the one side the sky is almost dark through the fog and one could think that a thunderstorm is about to strike and a bit further to the right there is bright sunshine in front of a radiant blue background. It’s almost like a Disney movie!
Anyway, we have to go through it! Armed with rain jacket and sunglasses we master the wet passage and that without one of us falling on the slippery stones. Of course we wear flip flops. Hiking boots are only for careful tourists, we are more of the adventurer kind. Wet to the skin we arrive at the end, where we have another wonderful view of the border bridge to Zambia. The border is an unstable bridge with a visapoint in the middle and a bungee jump for the brave. However, due to various security concerns, we will refrain from doing so today.
Our idea to dry ourselves here in the sun is probably not the smartest either, because after all we have to walk all the way back through the tropical storm. So we will soon be on our way again to get wet from the other side. When we arrive back at the starting point we need half an hour of full sunshine to look like people again.
Just as we were looking for a nice place in front of the toilet house, the wilderness has us back again, because only 10 meters further a pack of warthogs just comes taped from the bush to graze. I remember our encounter with the extraordinarily angry warthog in our first camp, which never missed an opportunity to attack us. And that was through the fence. I don’t even want to imagine what happens without a fence!
A few minutes later, however, I calmed down again and noticed that the warthogs also seem to be quite peaceful. Probably the spoiled animal from the guest farm, which drank his tea only with milk, was a particularly disturbed one.
Our trip was really worth it, the Victoria Falls are simply very impressive and it would certainly be exciting to come back again in the dry season and watch the spectacle with a little less water.
At the parking lot we look around for Rastafari, which is nowhere to be found. What a fortune that there are 3 large souvenir stalls in the only car park, where the traders never miss an opportunity to sell their goods. But since not everyone is allowed to sell their things in the parking lot, a second market has formed behind the fence. There are rows of salesmen stretching their souvenirs through the bars and trying to sell us something. To be honest, I almost feel guilty that we’re not taking at least one little thing with us. Some of them are so willing to negotiate that it looks like desperation. But no matter what they offer, everything is too big for our backpacks and I am not sure that customs in Germany could arrest us for illegal imports of tropical timber.
Near arrest in Zimbabwe
On the way back we get into a police checkpoint and our driver has to get out of the car. For half an hour he is standing a bit further down the road and is surrounded by 6 policemen carrying machine guns. Weapons are generally a reassuring idea for a European. Since we do not yet know what the men actually expect from our driver at this time, there is almost a mass panic in the safari vehicle. That’s exactly what we needed on this holiday, our driver in prison and we have to hitchhike across the border to Botswana. Luckily he has some good excuses and we are allowed to continue. Although the story, Hitchhiking across the border, could have been exciting.
Later we learn that the police talked to him because of his defective reversing light and this is completely normal in Zimbabwe. All civil servants collect bribes here and never miss an opportunity to earn additional income. This is also exactly the reason why a guide or a driver is an advantage. He knows how to deal with it and what excuses work. They would probably have taken 100 euros for a notch in the rim and threatened us with 10 years of forced labour in a uranium mine. With our guide decision we have done everything right.
Changing tyres in Botswana
After another hour of bumpy driving we arrive back at our lodge and because we don’t want to take any risks with the police, the boys decide to change the tire with the notch as a precaution. Since today is Saturday the tire shop is closed. But our driver thinks we can certainly find someone under a tree who will knock the notch out of the rim with a hammer.
So we’re looking for a tree with a guy and a hammer. Can also be exciting.
Shortly after I have disappeared into the room and the boys go to work to jack up the car I hear someone outside panicly shouting my name. The soft sandy soil has caused the jack to dig in at an awkward angle and since the old tyre has already been unscrewed, the car now threatens to fall sideways onto the axle with full force.
Didn’t I just mention yesterday that I believe there is a pothole business here with booming axle trade? Welcome, here we are! Wouldn’t surprise me if the hotel owner came right around the corner with a few matching spare parts.
In my mind, I’d rather make a little calculation. Is it probably cheaper to have the soon broken axle replaced or better to buy a new car right away. Maybe we should consider just stealing a similar-looking car from other tourists and presenting ours to them. Maybe they won’t notice! While I’m still running over the gravel on my bare feet, I’m thinking feverishly about where we’ve put the insurance conditions for the car again. How fortunate that two insurance experts belong to our travel group. Advice and legal assistance should therefore be guaranteed.
With combined forces we now desperately try to stabilize the 2‑ton wagon by pushing against its side. Even the hotel staff are rushing to help us. Only the spare part dealer is missing… Meanwhile, at the risk of his life, Pierre pushes the small jack under the right axle to somehow stabilize the thing. After fifteen minutes of trembling and praying our car is at least halfway safe again, without us having to fear to return the car as a complete heap of rubble. Thank God everything went well again! Actually, now would be the time for a shot. But we’re short on alcohol again this holiday.
In the afternoon we drive back to Kasane to organize a game drive with the Ranger for the next morning, buy some things and have a nice dinner. We can easily book the game drive in the hotel where we also boarded the boat and the dinner at the Indian restaurant is excellent. If only the annoying mosquitoes weren’t there, which of course won’t leave us alone today either. An Indian in the middle of Botswana. Probably as rare as a young virgin unicorn.
Since we have to drive back in the dark, special care is required, because between Kasane and our lodge there is a so-called wildlife corridor where wild animals can cross the road at any time. Without street lighting, you can hardly see anything with the car’s headlights alone, as xenon headlights are of course not an option in a country where either insane or mentally disturbed drivers drive at night. And without lanterns at the roadside, our vehicle’s headlights look more like a candle in the mine. You can hardly see anything. Of course it doesn’t take long until we see the first elephants at the roadside in the weak light of our sparkle. We even pass a whole herd that peacefully plucks the grass off the sidelines.
This gives the term „wild animal accident“ a new dimension. Once the elephant sits on your radiator grille, at least the driver and co-driver don’t have to worry about driving on. The only good thing about it: We don’t have to worry about a possibly broken axle.
To be honest, I actually find it inconceivable that elephants graze on the side strip here. In Germany I have always been afraid when I see a sign on the highway with a deer crossing. Whereby in comparison Botswana / Germany, game in Germany probably runs as often over the motorway as Ferraris drives over the Botswana highway.
Continue: Chobe National Park