The other side of Victoria Falls

Ask a local in Zimbabwe about their government, and you are unlikely to get answers. None of them will talk about it. It is after all, illegal to talk ill of dictator Mugabe’s failing economics. But one can feel the despair and hopelessness in the air. After much prodding, our driver answered our questions -a loaf of bread costs 3 million zim dollars, Monthly mimimum wages amount to 5milliom zim. Banks will let you withdraw 500,000 zim a day resulting to horrendous lines daily. Sellers of land, prefer a more stable item of trade like a laptop rather than the fluctuating Zim dollar. The locals usually cross the border to Zambia to buy food suppliers. When asked where the local grocery is, there is none.

How does one live through this? Tourists offer a glimmer of hope for the country. One of the seventh natural wonders of the world, The Victoria Falls borders between Zimbabwe and Zambia. And we followed it on the last leg of our honeymoon, booking a room at the Kingdom Hotel, a casino hotel complex which boasts of being a mere walking distance from the falls made accessible through a side entrance. The side entrance was manned by a single guard, Austin who had a gentle smile. On our way out, he let us sign a logbook and accompanied us on our walk to the falls. The area can be littered by baboons or by salesmen hawking their wares – stone hippo soap dishes, elephant and giraffe carvings, and trinkets. Although persuasive, the hawkers maintained a proper distance. The guard’s presence will allow you to say no, or go towards them without inhibition. Although one doesn’t mind the hawking. A sale of less than 10 dollars is equivalent to a month’s food for a whole family and the prices are comparable to the Philippines or China..

Halfway through, the road breaks open into the Zambezi river gorge where adventure activities like zipline, flying fox, bungee jumping were set up above the deep chasm..

The entrance to Victoria Falls Park charges 20 us dollars per person. Once inside, a painted map on the wall greets you. Memorize it. Maps cost around 10 dollars here in the park.

The Victoria Falls is elusive at first. We hiked down to see a limited view of fall, wondering why it was worth the travel. But as you go further and further, you realize that the falls stretch beyond infinity. Each stop makes you ask if there was something more on the next end. We didn’t buy a map, so instead we followed the path. The cry of Hawkers for raincoat rentals at the entrance fell on deaf ears. We realized, regretfully was a foolish thing to do. As we got deeper into the thicket, the thick mists clouded us, showering infinitely with a hundred droplets as small as specks of dust. At some points, we didn’t know if it was mist or rain.

Unlike Niagara falls, Victoria falls was stronger, wilder and more raw. Its presence in a ravaged country left it just the way it was, a gem in the rough. While Niagara was surrounded by civilization, safety bars and glass windows for viewing, Victoria falls only had warning signs and little to no barriers at all. No guards, no fences. A local, a few minutes ahead of us just lost her shades as she peered down the falls edge. Not that we had the guts to peer into the edge. Instead, we skunked around the sides and held each other as we tried to look down.

The sight of the falls from end to end will pull you to the core of emotion, explorer Dr. Livingstone probably felt when he discovered it in 1855. He wrote of the falls, “No one can imagine the beauty of the view from anything witnessed in England. It had never been seen before by European eyes; but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.”[2]

We went out to look for Austin afterwards. But instead, a Police approached us, explaining that Austin told him to look out for us. The man donned a uniform and a badge and a rifle and the hawkers seem to scamper off at the sight of him. So we let him accompany us on the short walk back.

Despite the economic failures, Zimbabwe seems to protect its tourist well. We saw the same tourist police again the next day, loitering around the hotel, accompanying any guest who might want to wander around the empty streets. Aside from the tour activities like helipcopter rides, river cruises, lion walks, elephant rides and safari outings, the streets were empty of shops or groceries and credit cards were put to a halt – another sign of Mugabe’s castastrophic governance. Here in Zimbabwe, one may need to give out tips consistently, but these are given with great feeling and received with great gratitude. The locals conduct themselves with great dignity in the midst of poverty and this eye opening sight is a more enriching experience than the Victoria Falls itself.

Email author at wandergirl28@gmail.com