Rain Dances and Sunsets on the Zambezi River
Days Seven and Eight
Day Seven was our first full day and night on the train, with only a very brief stop in the town of Plumtree, located at the border of Zimbabwe. Our journey through Botswana was not very long and most of it was spent during the evening hours while we were sleeping. Our stop in Plum Tree had two goals in mind: the first was to work through all of the customs processes which were done aboard the train, while the second was to introduce us to the people and the culture of Zimbabwe in the most incredible way.
As we pulled into the Plum Tree station, we had started to hear something similar to chanting mixed with the most beautiful singing. There was an announcement to make our way off the train on to the platform for our official "welcome" into Zimbabwe. It was a Zulu Tribal Group who did a traditional "Rain Dance" for us. I got off the train in this small, rather nondescript town and began to watch the performance when this little boy - who could not have been more than 2 years old - walked up and stood beside me and just watched me. He had these beautiful blue eyes. Innocent and sweet. When I clapped to the music...he clapped. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He was chewing on a piece of aluminum foil that had some type of food wrapped inside of it. His Father was steps away watching the performance too, and every now and then he would grab his son and pull him closer. Not because he was threatened by me, but because he was being protective...as any Father would be around so many unfamiliar faces. I don't know if it was my reaction to this intense music, the small boy that reminded me of what I was missing back home or because I have not slept well since I arrived...but I got back on the train, headed back to my room, and cried. Not because I was sad. At least I don't think I was. I'm still not totally sure where it came from...but I actually felt much better once it was over. Something tells me it was waiting there for awhile just waiting for the right time to get out.
Spending close to 48 hours straight inside of a train is really good way to test your physical and mental endurance. These two days came at almost the exact "half way" point in our trip where my Dad and I both agreed that we were a little "talked out" and had a bit of "social fatigue". I think everyone on the train was feeling the same way because it was unusually quiet. The common areas were empty. It was cold and it was pouring rain. A tough combination of things when you have such a long stretch ahead of you.
There is a Historian riding the train named Nicolas who has put together a series of lectures on the History of Africa. My Dad loves that kind of stuff so he was "all in". I decided to take my book, my camera, a jacket and a blanket and grab a little alone time out on the OC. Perhaps it was the fact that I was the only crazy one sitting outside in the crappy weather, but a few hours passed by without a single person occupying the OC. Just me. My thoughts. Some reading. Some reflection. A little snooze here and there. A glass of wine or two. Maybe more. Although I would have preferred to be somewhere a little more active and exciting, this was good for me. In many ways...
In the afternoon hours of Day Seven, people started to trickle out to the OC and by then I was okay with a little bit of company. There is a woman named Ann Marie from England that I have bonded with, mostly because we both love taking photographs. We seem to love the same types of photographs. Landscapes. People. Children waving at the train. Little houses and farms that seem to pop up out of nowhere. Ann Marie is a crazy bird. One of a kind. She can literally talk the paint off the wall and often tells the same story several times. But I love her. She is warm, funny and easy. I think she's just one of those people who gets uncomfortable with long stretches of silence. I think a lot of people are like that. I would have described myself the exact same way...until I got on this train. I have learned in these last 12 days that not all quiet needs to be disrupted because often times people are alone with their own thoughts - and want it that way. I have learned to be quieter. More still. More of a listener. Less of a talker. Certainly not always, but much more often.
My Dad and I opted out of the formal dinner service last night and decided to just have some sandwiches and a few glasses of wine in the Lounge Car. Just him and I. We ended up having the whole place to ourselves. It was like it was our own little private club. My favorite night on the train so far...
As with many overnights on the train, sleep remained a challenge. The train stops often throughout the day for any number of reasons: border patrol, waiting for another passing train, staff switches or a water tank refill. The nighttime hours then become time to catch up whatever time we lost. When the train travels at a higher speed on a narrow track, the "sway" is pretty intense. Like you almost have to hold on tight to keep yourself from falling off the bed or knocking your head against the wall. The evening hours are also when we make engine changes based on the track or terrain ahead and this is a very loud and not-so-delicate process. Last night we did both, so it was loud and rocky ride that had us really looking forward to packing our bags this morning for an "off night" at Victoria Falls.
Day Eight and the morning ride into Victoria Falls was probably the most beautiful and scenic stretch we have seen so far. We were up in the mountains and the landscape was a mix of rocky caverns that almost didn't feel big enough for us to fit through. Gorgeous bright green flowering trees that were a stark contrast to the deep brown sediment they stood on. The sun came out for the first time in several days and made for the perfectly beautiful day. After yesterday, a welcome and much needed improvement.
People seemed more energetic. More engaged. Happier. Matt and Shelley joined my Dad and I out on the OC this morning around 10am which is also when they ordered their first cocktail of the day. To be fair, they are celebrating their 11 Wedding Anniversary so they had plenty to celebrate. The two Kate's came next. They were followed by our hilarious new friend Mark from Germany. Everyone brought books out, which led to a discussion about what everyone was reading and why. We joked that we all came out intending to bury our faces in a book when in reality, we would end up talking the whole time. That's exactly how it ended up. Much more time talking and laughing. Far less time staying quiet and reading. But.. it was such good energy that it didn't matter and nobody seemed to mind one bit.
But unfortunately, every now and then, you experience an unwelcome "disrupter". I know I have focused mostly on all of the wonderful people on this train, but there is one guy on this train that I am not fond of and really wasn't from the very first day we boarded the train. The reason I even think he's worth a mention is because he is also part of the experience. A lesson. He and his wife are from Seattle. He's the "Safari Gear Guy" from head to toe. More pockets than I can ever imagine anyone needing on one pair of pants. He wears these massive sunglasses over his eyeglasses that literally look like a football helmet. He calls himself "a professional photographer" even though he admits it's not his "real" profession.
He only talks about himself. All the things he knows and can "teach" us along the way (though I am certain most of it he makes up). He wants to show me every photograph he takes and my response every time is the same: "Wow. Beautiful. Great shot." I am not about to get into a "pissing match" with him over who has a better photo, because that's exactly what he is hoping for. I have not shown him one single photo and will not for the remainder of this trip. Every now and then, he tells me what he thinks I should take a picture of, so I purposely don't. I find with people like him, it's better not to engage at all. Not compete. Stay off his level and remain on the high road. He has zero interest in hearing anyone's stories. Never asks anyone else about themselves. Isn't the least bit interested in seeing anyone's pictures. I bet he doesn't know a single persons name on this train.
When we stopped at a crossing this morning, a group of small village children ran up to the train to ask for money and he told them they "had to earn it". Yes...he's that kind of guy. I told him to to stop talking to them that way. That it doesn't work that way here. They will never have the chance to "go out and earn it" even if they wanted to. He deserved something much stronger than that, but I held back...and I'm not even sure why. The worst thing was, he just shrugged it off. He isn't even mildly self-aware enough to realize he was - at that moment and many others - the worlds biggest asshole. I have no interest in people who behave that way. Ignorant. Uneducated. Obnoxious. I don't think I have heard his wife say one word, to him or anyone else and I can't figure out if she has given up completely or is just totally embarrassed by him. My guess is that it's a little bit of both.
I have already given this too much time here, but the lesson is important. He is teaching me to practice patience and tolerance with someone I am literally forced to be around every day. I have no choice but to be around him unless I am willing to alter my routine and my place on the OC that I have grown to love and depend on. I am not willing to do that, primarily because he doesn't get to have power over my experience here. So I will continue on with him invading the peace of my space and yet not engage. Not to react. Practice patience...and be tolerance...even with the worst kind of people. Because that is exactly what I will need to do to get through the next ten days without launching him off the back of this train.
We traveled along the edge of Hwange National Park, which is located just outside of Victoria Falls. It doesn't look that large on the map but it took us some time to get around it all, or maybe it just seemed that way because of our anticipation to spend some time off the train. We arrived at the Victoria Falls Rail Station right around lunch time and were greeted by the Umkhankaso Wamajaha Tribe singing the most beautiful rendition of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" that I have ever heard. We are spending the night at the Victoria Falls Hotel, just off the platform. It is an incredibly charming Colonial style Hotel, that overlooks Victoria Falls.
Since we had a few hours between our arrival and the Sunset Cruise along the Zambezi River, I decided to go for a run. I mean, how cool is it to say that you went for a run in Zimbabwe? What I forgot about, only after setting of on the dirt road path I was told to take, was the 100 degree weather...which is dry heat. Let's just say that I didn't last very long before I reversed my course and returned the Hotel. It wasn't much...but it was something.
Our night concluded with a cruise down the Zambezi River on a pontoon boat. The Zambezi is the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. It is also home to many species of animals including Elephants and Hippos. Though I would argue you can't see enough Elephants ever....the Hippo was something we had not seen since we arrived. As luck would have it, we knocked off both tonight. One Elephant...and a herd of about 8 Hippos. They are cute....but boy are they big....and grumpy. The sunset, as you can imagine I would say, was spectacular. We sat with Richard and Jan. I can't really do justice to them. Their personalities. Their relationship. Their love for one another. It's aspirational for sure. Even though it doesn't do proper justice to who they are...this picture totally melts my heart...so I thought I would share.
Tomorrow has us diving into a number of activities centered around the beautiful Victoria Falls before we get back on the train for the final 5 day stretch through Tanzania to Dar Es Salaam. The end of our Journey. I am told that the journey through Tanzania has both the "toughest track" and almost no contact with the outside world for most of the stretch.
So - for now - we will just enjoy being here and being in the moment.