Partying up a storm in Vic Falls
Mpho Tlale | Friday January 10, 2014 15:31
Every trip I have been on has left a lasting memory. One common feature though is that all these sojourns bring me the ultimate peace of mind. There is nothing as liberating as walking on foreign soil where no one knows you, what you do for a living or what you did last spring. The anonymity just gives me an orgasmic high.
My recent trip to Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls was no exception. In fact the last minute planned trip turned out to be the retreat that I had been longing for the most part of the year.
Our itinerary was quite simple and straightforward. The drill was to go party hard and welcome the New Year on foreign space. We, my travel buddy, Kutlwano Mosime and I had planned that we leave Gaborone on the evening of December 28 so that we arrive in Kasane early the following morning. We wanted a hustle free cross border experience where immigration officers were less likely to be grumpy and congestion a bit low. We also wanted to have a bit of time to relax and enjoy the Victoria Falls before the first edition of the carnival started.
Arriving in Kasane the following morning proved to be one of those rare good experiences. A neighbour in our night cruising bus woke me up to a beautiful sight of a giraffes and beautiful sunrise. A rare occurrence in my life; so pure and untainted moment!
It was about 7am when we arrived at the Kazungula gate leading to the Zambian side. A bit of misinformation halted our trip as we camped a little while thinking we were at the right port of entry only to find out we had to catch a taxi to the Botswana-Zimbabwe border post. The less than five minutes drive to that end meant our journey continued as scheduled. Our transition into Zimbabwe was very smooth and suave with one Zimbabwean immigration official being charming and jokingly declaring that he needs to be hooked up with a wife from Serowe. Charm is one survival skill that every traveller picks on the road, especially when backpacking.
For most of the drive from the border post to Vic Falls I caught a power-nap. I wanted to recharge for the activities that lay ahead. But once our cab driver dropped us off, my confusion with the currency began. He was flexible enough to receive payment in Pulas or Rands. I could tell though that he was hoping we paid in American Dollars. These three currencies are in use in the Victoria Falls.
A few minutes after check in, we went into town. While still too early for a drink, we passed by a liquor joint where we got a six-pack of Zambezi beer. When in foreign land I experiment with local beer. It’s a start to my way of connecting with a place and appreciating what the locals like. Though not a beer drinker, I enjoyed Zambezi and its smooth crispy taste. It was just what I needed to chill.
Then we headed off to explore the Vic Falls, but only after a short lunch at a joint called Comfort Catering. We opted for the sadza (paleche) served with the roadrunner (domestic chicken) and vegetables. Lunch here proved to be the gateway to true Zimbabwean hospitality. In a short span of time we had made friends who went out of their way to show us around. We ended up at a famous spot around Vic Falls called Big Tree, which I heard is famous for hosting mean sessions.
We nearly missed the time scheduled to be at the train station for the Steam Train Party Express; the main reason we had planned the trip in the first place. Just in the nick of time, we arrived and got some time to breathe and blend into the environment before the train took off. I think the person who came up with that train party idea deserves a special thank you kiss. Imagine partying in a moving vintage steam train going slowly to nowhere, dancing to electro sounds like you have two left feet! Did I mention a few stopovers done on the way all in the name dancing and stirring things up? Arriving at a secret bush location to find a fully fleshed party set up was the peak point of the adventure.
While the train took some time off to let some steam out we partied the night away. The only displeasure was partying to the same electro music all night long and some racist encounters but that’s news for another day.
Music-wise, we would have preferred a diverse range of music from different cultures or something that gave me a feel of Zimbabwe. Imagine dancing and having the time of my life in the heart of the African bush yet feeling like one is stuck in a club somewhere in Europe. Organisers leave the Dj’s to play their own music of choice. It was shocking and irritating enough to have one of the Dj’s called aside by organisers and to stop playing ‘black music’ which most white folks stopped dancing to. The beauty of the Carnival should lie in diversity and an open mind to appreciate different cultures.
With one day down, we had two more days for the Carnival. On day two we went into the heart of Mosi o a Thunya (Victoria Falls) with our Zimbabwean friends turned hosts to see and get a feel of the town. This is where we came across Chinotimba Tavern and I had my sip of the Zimbabwean Chibuku version. I have to say it beats the Botswana one hands down. The Chibuku that side is smooth and creamy. If it weren’t for its gassy results I would have indulged more.
Later in the day and evening we got to meet some Batswana at the Carnival. It wasn’t until then that I believed the United Nations report released late last year that indeed Batswana are a miserable bunch. Although I met some ‘cool’ ones, most were stuck up and carried their attitude through the borders of Zimbabwe. To date I still wonder why someone would carry their ‘I am here’ attitude while on holiday. I hope they got to realise that people out there are living and have no time to notice stuck up miserable people. I only noticed them because they spoke my language.
Day three; being the 31st was a more relaxed day. I decided to be a mini socialite around the campsite and I ended up meeting a rare cool gang of Batswana who served me a plate full of pap and mophane worms at my request. It was the foundation to everything else that was to follow at the Carnival.
The line up of the last day was tight and I survived to see the performances that included the multi talented South African Jeremy Loops and Zambia’s Mampi. I joined in the rest of the partygoers in counting down to the New Year with Flash Republic’s Tamara Dey who still has her spark after many years in the music industry. An assortment of Dj’s made sure that the party continued till the early hours of January 1, 2014.
Although I did not get a chance to do some activities such as zip lining or going on a boat cruise, I feel those are reason enough for me to plan a trip back to Vic Falls for such excursions. In the meantime I had stuck to the initial motive of the trip. Festival chasing in Africa is proving to be a passion that’s growing on me now. All in all I had an extremely good time out of my comfort zone. Friendships were made, dreams conceived and energy stocked up for the New Year.
The journey back on January 2 wasn’t as smooth as the journey to Zimbabwe. We found the buses from Kasane to Gaborone already gone despite our efforts to be up early. In the end we hitched a ride that dropped us in Francistown. On the way somewhere close to Pandamatenga, we rode through the storms and the car we were riding in let some rain in.
Three days after my arrival in Gaborone I came down with heavy fever, a temperature of 39.4, a headache and dizziness amongst other things. A late night emergency visit to the doctor revealed her fears that I might have caught Malaria. I had not taken prevention medication prior to my trip and just assumed that repellent would work perfectly fine. Blood tests were done and I was put on the drip with an assortment of medication. A follow up to get the results revealed that I did not have Malaria but Neutrophilia which comes about when white blood cells respond to bacterial infection. Whatever caused the infection is as good of a guess to me. I am suspecting something I ate and the change in environment.