Ticking The Boxes

I'm in Zimbabwe.

 

Victoria Falls can by no means be viewed as real Zimbabwe, but the laws are still made by a corrupt dictator, the economy is only just recovering having been decimated by a period of unsurpassed hyperinflation and the town still lacks ambition and hope in the same way neighbouring Namibia, Botswana and South Africa have in abundance. 

But it is damn cool here. Beers cost US$1, spirits $2 and cigarettes are under a dollar. Zimbabwe uses the US dollar because of the farcical denominations its own currency reached a few years back. As a white tourist I am perpetually accosted by street salesmen attempting to sell souvenirs of the hyper inflation - the most common being a 50 billion Zimbabwean Dollar note. Quite amusing to be stopped on the way into Vic Falls by an impromptu police checkpoint, demanding money for some unknown charge which doesn't exist. But the only way to deal with it is to keep quiet and pay up; for some reason I think a gaol in Zimbabwe might be worse than England.

On a more interesting note, I jumped off a very high bridge yesterday. It's no skydiving, but it is still diving off a bridge 110m over the great Zambezi river in front of one of the world's most beautiful natural features. There was only one moment of fear this time - when standing with my toes over the edge of the bungee platform, and the countdown reaches 3 seconds to go, and I suddenly thought to myself, 'Am I  actually going to dive off a bridge into nothingness?' But I cannot ever be seen to be a coward, or afraid of anything for that matter, so it was fully committed, like Lucifer when he fell from heaven. The best part is hanging stationary upside down looking up at the bridge far above. Very enjoyable indeed.

I've also been white water rafting, which was pleasant. 

Wildlife viewing is going well. Seen lots more elephants and hippos, and seen buffalo too. No leopard yet though. They're more elusive than the Scarlett Pimpernel.

So I'm ticking off the countries, the animals and the high octane activities during the daytime, and still getting rather drunk in the evenings. When in Rome...