Flying over the falls Livingstone, Zambia

 

Sadly today I leave behind the yellow truck and all my new friends. I’ve had a great month overlanding and would definitely do it again in an instant! I’m almost already planning my next trip to Africa!

I am crossing back into Zambia to go micro-lighting. A microlight is essentially a motorised glider. You are sat in a small chair behind the driver and fly up and over the falls for spectacular views. Unfortunately not allowed to take cameras as if you dropped it, it may fall into the engine – probably not ideal!

I’m actually leaving the truck 1 day early, as to cross back into Zimbabwe to stay with the group for the final evening I would have to pay an additional $75 in visa fees (the $20 Zambian day visa and the $55 Zimbabwe fee as I’ve already used my double entry visas up!).

I spent my last morning in Zim doing a spot of shopping. Bartering with pens and T-shirts I managed to acquire quite a few more bits and pieces! I have no idea how I am carrying everything home – but its just all so pretty. Especially my immense huge shiny teak fat wooden hippo!

Then packed up the last of my stuff from the truck, said some teary goodbyes and was off. So, tonight I am staying in Livingstone, back on my own. I feel like its all ending, but actually this is just the beginning.

Livingstone, in comparison to Victoria Falls town is huge! It doesn’t seem possible to get a taxi from Victoria Falls to Livingstone – drivers don’t want to cross the border. So instead, I had to get a taxi for the 1.5km from hostel to Zim border ($5) – too far to walk with big bag and giraffe! Stamped out of Zimbabwe. Another taxi for 1km through no mans land across the Victoria Falls bridge ($4). Stamped back into Zambia, then quite a long walk to find another taxi to Livingstone Town ($10!). All in all a total faf, but actually, the easiest and fastest border crossing I have done to date!

Livingstone has a totally different atmosphere. I went for a walk for about an hour to have a look around. I didn’t see a single mzungu during that time! Not a single person followed me down the street trying to sell me things. In vic falls town you could not leave your hostel for 30 seconds without at least 5 people already on top of you – never left alone. Here, tourists don’t seem to leave the confines of their hotels, which is a shame as everyone was so friendly and didn’t hassle at all. The vegetable market was cool too!

Micro lighting was amazing! At first it felt a bit weird – all that was holding you into the open cockpit was one small seatbelt. I was sat just behind the driver, not a lot of space. We zoomed along the runway and were very quickly in the air – that was the most scary part! I was petrified. But after about a minute, it was amazing!

We did 2 loops over the falls, on both the Zim and zam sides. Could see all the gorges (where the falls used to be located, but have gradually eroded over time). We were quite low down and could up see exactly where I had walked along yesterday (and even the yellow truck still parked up in Zim). We flew right through all the mist, it was so spectacular. I loved it. This is definitely the way to see the falls!

After we left the falls behind, we glided upstream the Zambezi, we were so low we could see a small pod of hippo and a couple of Nile Crocodiles sunning themselves on the rocks scattered along the water. I didn’t want it to end!!

No party tonight, being back on my own I don’t know anyone! It’s weird not having people to talk to all day long and drink with whenever!