After crossing the border from Botswana into Zimbabwe we drove to past the Victoria Falls Rest Camp where we were to stay.
Souvenir Sellers taking a Risk
We drove down a dirt road to see a large tree. It was fairly interesting. However, what was more interesting was a group of blokes who emerged from the bushes. David our guide explained that they were “illegal souvenir sellers”. Apparently anyone wanting to sell souvenirs in the official markets in the town has to pay a high fee. These characters get around this by plying their wares in this road.
David explained that using this location comes with risks. Firstly, they ae liable to be caught by the police and secondly they run the risk of being attacked by a wild animal. David told the in the last month one of the sellers was attached and killed by an Elephant.
After seeing the tree, we returned to the camp. Selous has ‘permanent’ tents set up in the camp. This saved us having to pitch our tents.
Lots of Activities on Offer
Over breakfast our guide David explained a bit about the town of Victoria Falls. He said that it “was very safe”. There are a large number of police and they are “looking after the tourists”. He also said that, like the rest of Zimbabwe, there are a lot of ‘secret police’ informants’ basically spying on the people and looking out for critics of the government.
After having breakfast, David introduced to a representative of Wild Horizons, a travel and ’experience’ operator in Victoria Falls. There was a bit on offer: river cruise, helicopter rides of the falls, bungee jumping, zip-line, flying fox and bridge and gorge swings. Each of the party bought something to do.
Victoria Falls
Once we had our ‘activities’ sorted, it was time to see the falls. We walked through the town to the entrance of the National Park.
We paid the fee and entered the park. There is a display giving details of the falls and comparing them with the other big falls – Niagara and Iguassu. These comparisons are also at the link below. There are lots of ways to determine which are the biggest falls.
Spectacular
I was with the German speaking girls. The Swiss nurse was very amusing the whole trip. She was in good form this day.
There are a number of lookout points (I think 16 in all). Each gives a different perspective of the falls. You can see the river prior to the falls, one of the gorge falls and the main falls).
At a couple of the view points for the main falls, you get very wet. Check out the Flickr video.
Statue of Livingstone
There is a statue of the ‘European’ discover of the falls, David Livingston. He named the falls after Queen Victoria. She must have more places (e.g. the State of Victoria), streets and parks etc. named after her than anyone else in history.
The Bridge
At one point in the park, you get a very view of the famous Rhodes bridge that crosses the Zambezi River and links Zimbabwe with Zambia.
Very wet
I was still saturated when we left the park. I took the short to the Gorge Lookout Café for lunch. It was the most expensive meal I have had for months. Having to pay in USD made it a double shock.
Being offered Million Dollar Notes
On the way back to the camp after lunch, I was approached by numerous characters want to sell worthless Zimbabwean bank notes.
These notes are from the period of hyper-inflation up until 2009, when the country switched to the USD.
There is now talk that Zimbabwe will introduce ‘bonds’. These will be tied to the USD and will come in paper form. They will effectively be money. They have already introduced small denomination ‘bond’ coins used in giving change.
I suspect that the paper ‘bonds’ will result in the high levels of inflation again.
Remembering my Trip in Mid 2016
As I walked along, I remembered my first visit to Zimbabwe in 2016. This was part of a Foreign Affairs trip that took in London, Lisbon, Madrid, Lagos, Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Dar Es Salaam.
I was due to return to Australia after Dar Es Salaam. However, before I was due to leave, I received a cable instructing me to fly to Harare. There had been a fraud committed at the High Commission.
I didn’t see much of the city apart from the inside of the hotel, the High Commission and the residences of the staff. However, I meet some ‘white’ locals and was able to walk the streets.
This was the early days of the Mugabe regime and the place was yet to fall apart.
Another memory of that trip was trip a precipitous fall in the AUD that followed Paul Keating’s ‘Banana Republic comment. My recollection is that the AUD was worth USD 0.75 when I left and got my Travel Advance. After the comment which was made when I was in Addis Ababa it fell to USD 0.53.
Flickr Links (photos and videos)
https://www.flickr.com/gp/twwilko_photos/76816U
About Victoria Falls
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Falls
Keating’s Banana Republic Comments
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