7th July 2008 Victoria Falls Bridge

7TH JULY 2008. Part 2.


Shortly after the dancers finished David D. announced that he was going to bungee jump off the Falls bridge. Hazel immediately announced that she would also jump, 'To keep him company'.

This bungee junp is famous. Its a drop of about 350 feet into the Zambezi Gorge. The Husseys had both done it with two other generations of Husseys a couple of years before as had one of the Male boys twice.
So it was that a couple of stiffeners were ordered - Castle lager for Dave, white wine for Hazel - and we set off for the bridge.

The bridge itself is famous. Completed in 1905 it was the brainchild of Cecil Rhodes (of Rhodesia fame) and is the only rail link between Zambia and Zimbabwe and was meant to be a key component of his dream of having a north/ south Africa rail link between Capetown and Cairo.
Rhodes wanted the spray from the falls to drift across the trains and you can see from the aerial shot below how close they are.

Nowadays its obviously not been maintained to standard and the bridge shudders as the many heavy trucks taking copper ore south for smelting trundle across it one at a time.






Photo of Vic Falls bridge & Gorge taken by Dave D. on 5th July 2008.

The bridge is only a few minutes from the Sun; we could have walked but Pam offered to act as driver. There were plenty of people around and also bad tempered looking baboons who stalked the verges and road. We were approached immediately by the hawkers selling copper bracelets and Zimbabwean money; one caught the attention as he could recite the name of every British Prime Minister in reverse order commencing with Gordon Brown. We went to the scruffy little immigration post and got a ticket for 7 people to go on the bridge.

On to the bridge - Paul sporting the Zambian National Rugby Team shirt donated by the Husseys in revenge for the Robin Hood hat - and were directed to a wooden hut off the road where the bungee junping was arranged. To Dave's horror we discovered that the bungee jumping had been stopped at lunchtime because it was a public holiday. It was also closed the following day because that was also a public holiday. It was also our last day in Livingstone. Poor David had steeled himself for the jump and was in shock. He would not be jumping this year.
In a foul mood we got back into the car fending off the now obnoxiously persistent hawkers and went back to the Sun for a drink.

Approach to the Bridge. Dave D. Paul & Pam.

The Gorge from the Bridge. Knife Edge Bridge from the Falls Bridge.

Dave D. Paul & Pam on the Bridge. View across to the Victoria Falls.

Hawkers, our new best friends. Robin and Hazel and border guard.

Back at the Sun we decided to eat at the almost brand new Protea Hotel on the outskirts of Livingstone. Dave D. shuttled us up and Husseys met an aquaintance - an official connected with the Protea management - and his wife and we sat around the outside bar listening to his views on the world. It wasn't a conversation and he didn't welcome any other opinion or notice any attempt to change the subject so we were glad when we could shake him off by ordering our meals. The Protea had a big, delicious menu and we sat for a while drooling over it before choosing. T- bone steaks, sirloin, pepper and fillet steaks were the main choices but when the waitress came to take our order we discovered that amost everything was 'unavailable'. The two chef's specials were the only main meals. It is a very new hotel.

Fortunately both specials were good, the staff were good and we enjoyed the meal. On a nearby table sat the Charming Blanche with two young men, presumably plane crew stopping over for the morning's flight to Lusaka. No sign of a chicken bap on their table. Perhaps it was unavailable.

Back to the Sun at the end of a long day and Hazel and Sue decided to try the cocktails before we all staggered off to bed.

Dinner at the Protea, Livingstone. Cocktails at the Sun.

7th July 2008 Royal Hotel & Dancers

JULY 7TH 2008

Ealy morning breakfast in the Sun restaurant; Rob & Hazel recount tales of their night out in Livingstone with David. We decide to walk the few hundred yards to the Royal Livingstone. This is a five star hotel, the big brother to the Zambezi Sun. The Husseys have stayed there and rate it highly (personal butlers are available).


The hotel is not flamboyant like the Sun. The rooms back on to a wide lawn studded with a variety of African trees and zebras and monkeys. A fence to keep elephant and hippos out separates the lawn from the Zambezi. There is a quiet, genteel air of oplulence and calm. Smartly dressed staff stand discreetly by.


1. Rainbow on Falls spray behind Sue. 2. Zebras at the Royal Livingstone.













1. Hazel Rob & Sue. 2. Sue & Pam.












Dave M., Rob & Hazel prime cameras.

Tea coffee, cakes and scones at the Royal Livingstone.

Back at the Sun we sat around the outside bar drinking. Unannounced the Zambian National Dance Troupe trooped (sorry) in and began a two hour routine of traditional drumming, singing and dancing in full costume by the pool.

Excellent entertainment.

6th July 2008 Livingstone Zambezi Cruise

6TH JULY 2008 continued.

At lunchtime we stopped in a bar on Livingstone's main road for a drink then went to the Protea Hotel for another on the way back to the Zambezi Sun.

David watches Zebra at the Sun.

We reconvened at 3.30 to catch a minibus which took us a few miles along a rough road to a jetty on the Zambezi. We were off on a Sunset Cruise on the African Princess.The other passengers included a few Zambians, some Indians and a large Muslim family.
We commandeered one side of the deck (the side with the bar) and ordered our first of the 'all free' drinks from Irene, our smiling waitress wearing naval uniform, who guaranteed that we would have a nice time - and she was right. At 4pm the boat cast off and edged out across the smooth, wide Zambezi towards Livingstone island and we cruised quietly north away from the Falls. Hippos snorted by the shore as we passed by sipping cold beers and cocktails (us, not the hippos).
Our sister ship, the African Queen, and a couple of other cruise boats were plying similar courses. One, the Taonga Safari boat, looked like it had been made that afternoon out of old tyres and scrap wood. When I first saw it I assumed it was an old jetty. When it pulled away from the landing it trailed clouds of smoke and we realised that they were cooking on home made barbeques. There were no lifebelts. However, the passengers were obviously having a ball.

For an hour or so we put-putted peacefully along, the drinks kept coming and the mood was happy.
As the sun began to set we pulled near to the Zimbabwean side and waved to a couple of fishermen on the bank.
Soon afterwards the engines were switched off and we floated across the river exposing the full sunset across the water; as it began to get dark the engines kicked in and we turned for home. The Taonga Safari boat closed and there was an exchange of jeers and then our boat and the African Queen began to head south. Suddenly the engine noise got louder and we picked up speed. Looking across towards the shore the African Queen, parallel to us, was doing the same and then suddenly it was a flat out race, both boats belting downriver at full speed trailing wakes half a mile long and cheered on by their passengers. The Muslim kids next to us were dancing around shouting, faces alight with excitement. We were ahead, then they pulled in front then we finally got in front before throttling back and edging quietly in to the jetty in almost full darkness. Great fun.

Hazel led the singing in the minibus on the way back and stunned the driver by launching into a full version of the Zambian national anthem in the Bemba language. A family of Americans refused to participate and there were mutterings that they were miserable buggers but they were probably just sober.
Back at the hotel we ate (Paul tried curried crocodile - never again) and Rob, Hazel and Dave D. went into Livingstone for a few more drinks.

David is a billionaire in Zimbabwe - as is everyone else.

6th July 2008 Livingstone

6TH JULY 2008.

A minor spot of bother this morning when a waiter from the previous night did a bit of money juggling. Dave, Rob and Paul made statements and we had our meal bills wiped clean after Rob laid down the law to the management.

Rob arranged a hire car for two days; a slightly worn Toyota Vista with 'Falls Tours' on the side which came in handy for parking in official car parks.

Dave D. volunteered to drive and he shuttled us up to Livingstone town about 15 minutes drive away. On his trip back to collect the second lot he saw cars pulling over and realised that a big bull elephant was walking by the road.

Dave drives car past Nyanja warriors.

In Livingstone we spent over an hour in the excellent Museum. Plenty of history there and David Livingstone's artifacts, guns, tools, photos and his hand written letters on display

Also interesting was an analysis of the tribes in Zambia - 72 tribes, 40 languages with English as the common bond. The history on display was honest and non BBC PC; Arabs were identified as the main slavers along with white westerners and black Africans. The history that we had lived through in the 60's and 70's - the independence phase - was also accurately reported.

On a large map in the foyer Dave D. identified his birthplace (Kitwe) and also claimed to have located his brothers' origin - Mongu

We walked on into the town. When last here it had been a pleasant, well maintained holiday town. Now the tarmac has all but disappeared from the side streets replaced by pot-holed red dirt. Street pedlars hawked fruit, old mobiles, matches, bits of any old junk, all laid out on the pavements.

We were trying to find the North Western Hotel; until the 1970's when a newer and bigger hotel was built this was the main hotel for visitors to the Falls or for those crossing over to Zimbabwe or Botswana as the borders are only a few miles away.

Although it was depressing to see the deterioration of the town it wasn't an intimidating atmosphere although there was an objection when Dave M. tried to photograph a queue at an ATM.

Eventually we found the North Western; long since closed and boarded up, only a small part is used as a gym now.

However, it is easy to see that it was once a lovely old colonial building although close up it's much worse than in the pictures. A friendly caretaker allowed us into the courtyard to take pictures and t9old us that the owner planned to reopen it. Good luck to him.

On the way back Rob negotiated with a moneychanger for Zimbabwean notes. Dave D. became an instant billionaire with a 50 billion dollar note worth about three loaves of bread.

Paul, Hazel and Pam watch Rob in action.

Note the wads of notes in the sellers' hands.

5th July 2008 Zambezi Sun & Vic Falls

5TH JULY CONTINUED.

The Zambezi Sun is a smashing hotel. Its said to be only three star but its got a good restaurant, a pool, a poolside bar, good rooms, great staff and the Victoria Falls are a level five minute walk away. In addition zebras and monkeys wander the grounds. Its a fun place. Also in the grounds are a top restaurant, a gift shop, an internet cafe (or what passes for one in Zambia), and a tour booking centre.

Nyanja dancers wearing leopardskin loincloths (and little else), waving clubs and spears or playing drums and whistling and chanting wave visitors in and out. All good fun.

Nyanja dancers outside reception - Zambezi Sun.


The Zambezi Sun from the air. The spray is from the Victoria Falls.





After lunch we walked to the Falls. Some pics; Dave M. took most, others by Dave D.




Sue Paul Rob & Hazel.

















Robin, Hazel and Sue.















Dave Male.











Paul Robin David.























Pam by the Knife Edge Bridge.








Pam on the edge.

Dave D. on the Knife Edge Bridge.

Rail bridge linking Zambia to Zimbabwe across Zambezi gorge in background.

4th & 5th July 2008 Heathrow to Livingstone

4TH JULY 2008

The passports, visas, driving licences, tickets, E-tickets, vouchers, copy emails and letters had all been checked three times. The aspirin, immodium, Rennies, clothes, cameras, camcorder, spare batteries, spare tapes, dollars all safely packed.


Kevin bundled us into the car, eager to get down to Heathrow. We were off on our little pilgrimage to Zambia, a country that we'd last seen in 1977 when Dave was two years old.





After several hours of mind numbing tedium in god-awful Terminal 4 we went through the check in - informing a finely trained product of BA and the UK educational system that Livingstone is in Zambia (thereby ensuring that our bags went where we did) - and after a drink climbed on board BA254 scheduled for Lusaka.


On the packed plane, surrounded by what seemed to be dozens of young Americans sporting T-shirts with religious slogans, we settled into our seats and looked forward to ten hours of half asleep boredom.


British Airways Boeing 737-600


5TH JULY 2008
Crumpled and tired we all trooped off the Boeing into the warm Lusaka dawn and into the Immigration Hall where we formed into 3 queues - Zambians, Special Visas (this seemed to be all those young Americans) and Others; that was us and we were at the end of the line.


It soon became clear that there were no immigration staff on duty so we all stood there looking at each other for ten minutes before a young black woman in a Zambian Airways uniform appeared and asked if anyone was transferring to a Zambian Airways flight. We were, and she took our passports and waved us past the rest of the queue and through immigration.

We tried not to look too smug as we strode past the other poor fools still stood there.

Fifteen minutes later the other poor fools were smugly grabbing their luggage from the belt whilst we stood there fuming. Naturally ours were on the last trolley load. Out through customs and into the queue for Domestic Flight Departures.

Dave suddenly started laughing and pointed to the lounge inside. Amongst the crowd of mainly black people sat two blondes - Rob and Hazel Hussey; Rob was proudly sporting the bright green Robin Hood hat complete with large feather that we'd sent a few weeks before.
Strangely enough we had no difficulty finding seats next to them.
They hadn't pre booked and were trying desperately to get on the same flight to Livingstone as us. We watched in awe as Rob tried every trick in the book to get on our flight despite being told several times that it was fully booked.

He badgered everyone who looked like they had an ounce of influence and many who didn't. All to no avail and eventually they had to settle for seats on the next flight at 2.30pm.

Our flight was late and we climbed into what Sue described as ' something from The Flight of The Phoenix' - a small, scruffy Brazilian propellor plane -at about 9.15 am. for the hour long flight to Livingstone.
We were seated by the emergency exits and were given our personal emergency instructions by the stewardess - described by the pilot as 'the charming Blanche'.

An uneventful flight (except for the dubious chicken bap supplied by the charming Blanche) in bright sunshine and then we could see the spray from the Victoria Falls as the plane banked before landing smoothly at the tiny Livingstone Airport where Chadwick, a hotel driver, was
waiting to meet us.
Chadwick made a little welcome speech before driving to the Zambezi Sun, pointing out places of interest and a couple of giraffe by the road, before pulling up at reception where Dave and Pam Male who had travelled the day before via South Africa were waiting to meet us.
Ten minutes later we were downing our first cold beers at the outside bar by the pool.
Half an hour later Dave D. received a text from the Husseys:
'ARRIVING AT 11.30 ON CREW PLANE.'

Pictures below show the Charming Blanche saying goodbye and Dave D. Dave M Pam & Sue at the bar in the Zambezi Sun.