Rafting?!?

A full day of rafting starts with a hike down to the Boiling Pot which is a churning area that we had hiked down to (and back up) yesterday. 21 rapids with class 3, 4, and 5s. Time to swim and times when we were told no because of crocs. I got a chance at the oars at the back- no joke that was tough. And then at the end there was another hike up and out of the gorge at the end—when we were exhausted from the full day and there is no shade and some interesting ladders. We didn’t take our own cameras but got some great pics from SAFPAR. 

What an awesome day! Found out that there is a plan to put another dam on the Zambezi that will ruin this part of the gorge.  That is so sad!!

 The boiling pot

Sunset tour

With our rafting trip we got a sunset tour that evening. And it turned out to be the night of the full moon so we got to see the moon rise as well. Beautiful!! The boat ride came with drinks and dinner. As well as sightings of hippos and elephants. A long but beautiful and awesome day!

Mosi-oa-Tunya

Translates to the smoke that roars and is a much more apt name for the well known Victoria Falls. Even in dry season there is a roar. It looks like there is no water. This is normal for the end of dry season and people then pay big money to swim at the edge of the top of the falls. (I didn’t) there is water still coming down and even more from the Zimbabwean side (we don’t see too much from where we are). It is still amazing and gorgeous and we had an awesome day wandering the park. 

Livingstone Bridge. Links Zimbabwe and Zambia. Where the bungee jump is (didn’t do it) 

A few more

So many animals!! And some have babies!

Animals

Here are more!!

Zambia

Off to Zambia we went with the MMM crew headed there already. A flat tire on the way didn’t stop us for long (when traveling with 5 field officers, a coordinator and workshop manager). 

4am bus and then a taxi/minibus to the park where even before getting to our lodge we saw hippo and impala. Monkeys abound at the lodge and in the park. My camera’s not great (phone camera) but we are seeing lots of the wild kingdom!!