Zambia (2): Day Eleven : Zambezi Sun Hotel

The following morning we again visited the area of the Falls, first of all diverting a short distance upstream to see how the Upper Zambezi river looked, just before disappearing over the edge (camera icon), below. Then, after taking time to admire the statue erected in memory of the explorer David Livingstone (camera icon) again below, we just soaked up (sometimes literally) the atmosphere of the Falls themselves (camera icon), opposite.

         

Before lunch we took a visit to Livingstone’s Maramba Market, which is where the people of Livingstone themselves come to shop (camera icon). Here the local people sell everything: "chitenges" (brightly coloured fabric), meat, fruit and vegetables, grains and rice, curios, pots and pans made out of old motorcars, farm tools, chickens, beads and clothes. In addition to sales, other activities are carried out here, including, for example, a bike repair stall. In fact several of the bikes on show here were every bit as advanced as my own sophisticated mount back home.

The clothes are largely second-hand, many of them donated by people in the West, as a gift to those less well off than they are. However many of these donations get intercepted along the way, and hence end up being sold, rather than donated. We know this for sure, because – amazingly – one member of our group actually recognised an item of clothing that she had donated some weeks earlier. Exciting though big game viewings might be, out ‘on safari’, a visit like this brings home to you what the vast majority of Africa is actually all about.

In the afternoon we took a game drive! It often gets overlooked that Livingstone has its own National Park – 'Mosi-oa-Tunya’ – which, although very small, is well stocked with big game. Thus, for example, amongst many other species, we saw bushbuck and warthog, giraffe (camera icon) and elephant. Not unreasonably, the latter took the view that they had as much right on the roads through the Park as the viewing vehicles (camera icon), to the latter's consternation at times.

However the main attraction of game viewing here is the presence of the only White Rhinos in Zambia (camera icon). Highly protected as they are, the easiest way to spot them is to pick out the green-clad park scouts who constantly accompany them, for their safety.

Then in the evening we enjoyed a number of sundowners on the viewing deck (camera icon) of the nearby Royal Livingstone Hotel. This can actually be reached via a short stroll through the adjoining grounds of both properties. From here you get an unrivalled view of the edge of the Falls in the distance, where the spray rises much like smoke from a substantial fire (the name of Livingstone’s game viewing Park - Mosi-oa-Tunya – actually means The Smoke That Thunders). You can sit here all evening, just admiring the view and the tranquility of your surroundings, on this, the Upper Zambezi river. Finally there is of course the usual dramatic African sunset (camera icon) to enjoy.

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