Ok. So, I realise it has been a while since I last wrote but let me set all your minds at ease and pronounce that I am not dead, ill, injured or in jail. Thank you all very much for your concern – it has been extremely touching to know I haven’t been put on the ‘old friends’ shelf – but I assure you, I am absolutely dandy!
So now, what have I been up to? I apologise as this will be very much like a list of things I have done because, as aforementioned, I haven’t written for a while and I don’t have too much time. So…..on we go.
PRISON BREAK:
Some of you may have heard a rumour that I was arrested. This is untrue. I wasn’t arrested. Another member of our group was. For conspiring against the government. In a supermarket. By taking a picture. We all followed him to the police station where they started to investigate us to check we weren’t journalists. Luckily, it all sorted itself out and we got the hell out of there. Needless to say, people were much more careful where they started taking photos! But that, is that, you now know I wasn’t arrested so that rumour can stop turning!
ANTELOPE PARK, ZIMBABWE:
Absolutely amazing place. I had so much fun here. Not only was it beautiful (situated on a river with lush green grass, trees and river huts) but the animlas and activities were outstanding. I got to go swimming with elephants (absolutely terrifying whilst you are on there as they literally just roll sideways and stay underwater. You just have to hold on tightly and pray you don’t fall off and that they decide to come up for air! Its also scary when you and another friend are the first on and they don’t tell you what to expect. Instead, they tell the rest of the group whilst Greg and I are gtting thrown about in front of them!); walking with lions was amazing too – we got to pet them, play with them, have photos right beside them. Amazing. But sometimes difficult to shake the feeling of ‘Oh god….that is a lion! Aren’t we meant to be running in the other direction?; elephant riding was pretty good fun if a little uncomfortable by the end (they are big bloody things to straddle!!!!) and elephant training was brilliant too especially with my elephant playing with my flip flops (she continued to hand them too me from the ground with her trunk whilst I was on her back. The game got old quite quickly. But hey, she didn’t eat them!) ; I also got to do a game drive on horseback. I haven’t ridden for about 7 years but the saying ‘Its like riding a horse’ is actually true in reference to technique rushing back to you. My horse had a bit of an attitude and took me through an acacia tree leaving me with two scars on my face. But she chilled out eventually. Amazing time at Antelope park. Would recommend it to anyone.
VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE:
The falls, though a little dry at the moment, were so impressive. Much more so than Niagra falls (sorry to any Canadians reading this!). We had a spectacular walk along the Zim side of the falls and they were simply breathtaking. Really gorgeous. Although the drop down was extremely unnerving when there wasn’t a fence to stop you falling!!!!
5 of us also took part in an Adrenalin day when we were there. This involved Abseiling, Rap-Jumping (facing forwards as you walk down a gorge wall), a Flying fox line and Gorge swinging. I chickened out of the rap-jump. Apparently I have a fear of plummeting to my death only if I can see where I am plummeting too. Very strange. Abseiling was good despite the burn I know have from the rope on my chest. Apparently it is second degree. I don’t really care. All I know, is it hurts. 😦 The flying fox was SO MUCH FUN! Its an unnatural thing to run up to the side of 90m gorge and throw yourself off it Peter Pan style, but my god, was it a rush. After your first time you just have no fear and you just fly out of the canyon with a zip cord attached to your back. I felt like Peter Pan. Honestly. The gorge swing was terrifying. As mentioned before, it isn’t a natural thing to willingly throw, jump or step off a 90m gorge. Doing it after the flying fox was difficult as you get used to the fact that, once you jump, the rope takes your weight immediately. The gorge swing, obviously there is a 4 second free fall. I screamed with ‘joy’ until the point i realised I was STILL falling and then I was struck dumb. Yes, I was struck dumb. Big surprise eh? Yet, we were all surprisingly brave (Hilary, I’m not mentioning your freak out……people can watch it on the DVD!) and whilst it hurt like hell, the rush when you had completed the free fall, (rearranged your balls in the case of the boys), and realised you weren’t dead was something I have never felt before. So much so, that I did it again in a tandem with our tour leader, Stu. He gave me whiplash because he rolled backwards before I did but it was still amazing. But, I must now announce my retirement from gorge swinging. I am done.
BOTSWANA:
Now we are in Botswana and am about to fly over the Delta. Apart from that, and the fact that we now have food, is all I have to say about Botswana! Tomorrow, we move on to Namibia. So watch this space!
Sarah's Travels! 