Local Travels

LIVINGSTON AND VICTORIA FALLS.
During the Labor day long weekend, we decided to take a trip to the famous Livingston and Victoria Falls which lies on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. A six-hour road trip took us to Livingston where we camped for the weekend at Protea Hotels, a comfortable 4-star lodging, ten minutes away from the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls. Livingston is named after the English explorer David Livingston who discovered this area in the year 1855. A statue of David Livingston adorns the entrance to the national park. The waterfall known as Mosi-o-Tani (thundering smoke) by the locals was named Victoria Falls after the Queen. Though locals claim that the falls has more water after the rainy season (March), we were still pretty amazed by the untouched natural beauty and the volume of water. The Zambezi river water drops down a thrilling 355 feet and winds through the second gorge before going into the neighboring Zimbabwean land. The walk across the small bridge brought us so eerily close to the waterfall that the spray completely drenched us. We also got to see many baboons in and around the Victoria Falls National Park. Some people stayed to watch the sunset at the Falls, but we decided instead to take the sunset cruise down the Zambezi river on the “Queen of River” boat. The two-hour ride on the boat with some 30-40 other guests sipping a drink and eating refreshments as we took pictures of Hippos, elephants and antelopes along the river banks was very relaxing. At the large bridge, where the road leads from Zambia to Zimbabwe, the primary activity for tourists was bungee-jumping. We stayed to watch for a few minutes as a brave white harnessed guy decided to plunge head first into the depths. Always makes me wonder how people muster up the guts to do this bizarre activity. And come out of it safe and sound. But the falls were the real heart of Africa. And I lost my heart to the heart of Africa.

SOUTH AFRICA.
During the Fall break (mid Oct.) when the American School closed for a week, we decided to explore Cape Town and Durban in South Africa. Many people had told me Cape Town was one of the most beautiful places on earth. I expected a heaven-on-earth sort of city. I was not disappointed. I truly found this to be a very nice place. The open top Red City Tour Bus gave us a nice glimpse of Table Mountain, Camps Bay and other lovely white sand beaches, Victoria & Fred Waterfront shopping area, Robben Island (where Mandela was imprisoned as a political prisoner for 17 years), museums and Cape Point, with the flexibility to get off and on, wherever you want. There was so much to see. Three days was not enough. Nature was at its best and the city was well planned and built around the natural scenic beauty in such a way that you rounded a curve on the road and faced breathtaking views of the mountains and Atlantic ocean. It reminded me a bit of California roads with the long stretches of scenic coastal drive flanked by mountains. Drive into the countryside also involved a wine-and-cheese-tasting visit to Zevenwacht winery where we tasted a variety of locally produced wines such as Merlot and Pinotage.
Population was a mix of local Africans Blacks and Whites with a good sprinkling of European, Asian and Indian tourists. I did not see too many Hispanics there. The locals spoke English and Afrikaans (a derivative of Dutch). Because of the heavy British and Dutch influence, the Cape Town we see today is a result of the mixing in of those international cultures with local South African culture. This mix is also seen in the racial composition of the local population.
And excellent international cuisine is a big plus point that brings visitors back to this gorgeous place. The weather was on the chilly side and we needed light jackets to ward off the high winds that this place is prone to. So getting into the water was out of question.
Durban was very different. The temperatures are higher and so is the water. So swimmers and surfers took advantage of this and spent hours in the Indian ocean waters. South Africa has an spectacular location at the tip of the African continent, with Atlantic Ocean as its western coastline and Indian Ocean on the eastern border. We visited UShaka marine world, which boasts of the largest aquarium in Africa and mini-water park. The dolphin show was enjoyable. The Durban stadium built for the FIFA World Cup games June 2010 is an amazing structure that can seat 60,000 sports fans; with a cable car that takes you to the top for a view of the city.
During the Dutch East India Company rule in South Africa, Indians and other Asians were sent to South Africa in the 1800s to work on sugarcane plantations. They came as indentured Indians and stayed over in SA for generations. Today these 3rd, 4th and 5th generation Indian immigrants populate Durban and KZN in large numbers. When we drove down to Phoenix, Gandhi’s home for 21 years and the Indian settlement I realized what people meant when they told me that Kwa-Zulu-Natal has the maximum number of Indians abroad (concentrated in one region). After battling thru torrential rains and wild winds, we finally got to Gandhi’s home-now-turned-into-a- museum. A quick walk thru the place revealed facts about Mahatma Gandhi and his life that I had hitherto been ignorant about – that this London-educated lawyer had lived in south Africa for 21 years to make a living, that he was thrown out of the trains during apartheid; how he worked with local Indians and south Africans in a peaceful Satyagraha against the East India Company– fight for freedom for the colored people of South Africa etc.. Indian history had only taught me of his involvement in the Indian side of politics.

GAME SAFARI.
Back in Lusaka, along with a friend who was visiting from India, I took a day trip to the Chaminuka park to see animals. It was my first time riding in a jeep with the guide who was giving us a running commentary of the various animals, their food habits, lifespan, etc. We saw a large number of antelopes, zebra, buffalo, a few giraffes, lion, and birds of various kinds. Looking forward to more such trips to see more animals.

I'd love to hear you views on any of the above.