chillin' at Vic Falls

I'm sitting at the Waterfront Campsite, overlooking the Zambezi River. From here, I can see the "smoke that thunders" just down the way, the impressive Victoria Falls.

Matt's gone into town with Foxy to try and get a gas bracket fitted to the back of the car in order to hold our (now full) gas canister. We used it the other night and it works like a gem.

Last night we had a meal out, our first together since we left Cape Town! It was wonderful, such a luxury to sit down at a table and eat a hot meal with a fork AND knife!

With Zambian MTV blaring in the corner, we shared a plate of chicken nachos and i had chicken curry and rice. Only halfway into my meal did i realize how silly it seems to have ordered CURRY when that is our staple meal every night anyway. Still, it was oh so tasty.

I'm still trying to get my head around the Zambian currency here, the Kwacha (ZMK). At the exchange rate of $1US = 3500 ZMK, i've got to train my brain to divide with multiple zeroes.

I'm starting to feel that only now are we entering "the real Africa", what most people imagine "Africa" to be: thatch roof huts, lots of wandering livestock, dirt roads, baobab trees.

Perhaps i'm comparing a lot of what i see here to my time in West Africa, but despite the "typical Africa" that is evident around here, there are also a surprising number of well-known shops/stores like Spar (grocery store), Shell Station, Steers and Nando's (fast food), even a Subway!

It certainly feels like we've been on the road longer than 12 days. So much has happened. So much happens every day. It's only on R&R days like today where we can catch up on email, upload our pictures and reflect on the past events. No complaints here as I sit overlooking the peaceful Zambezi, warm breeze blowing, free wireless internet(!)and cups of Rooibos tea.

Tomorrow we are aiming for an early start, heading towards Lusaka and then on the Eastern Highway to Chipata. En route, we will stay in Katete, where Guy (Matt's dad) will be spending 3 weeks in August volunteering with the Jersey Volunteers, digging trenches and building a school for the locals.

We want to check it out and see what Katete's like. When he returns to Jersey with stories about "this bar" or "that shop" we'll be able to picture it as well. It's always nice to have someone from home understand a bit of where you've been, even just a little connection.