Before I came to South Africa, I always had this misconception that animals run amok on the streets of Africa. I even envisioned that elephants are the main mode of travel, as opposed to anything with wheels. My logic was that Africa had all these animals in abundance that the best way was to put them to good use.
After 20 years, I have long accepted that this misconception is what it is, a misconception. Until I came to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Chobe National Park, Botswana. I think pets are classified quite differently in this part of town. Instead of cats and dogs, the streets and hotels of Victoria Falls were filled with small monkeys and babboons and warthogs (or what I happily remind myself as mini-Pumbaa's, haha).
My mental picture of riding elephants was not really far off when we went on an elephant back safari at Victoria Falls.
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| Come to Africa! Ride some elephants! The myth is true! |
We met a "domesticated" cheetah named Sylvester. Well, as domesticated as he is, he was still a wild animal, according to his keeper.
We saw how a herd of elephants crossed the Chobe river and threw mud all over their bodies.
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| Crossing the Chobe |
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| Mudslinging |
Enroute our way back to our hotel at Victoria Falls from our day trip to Chobe National Park, we encountered a lioness crossing the road.
Okay, so in South Africa, there are game drives which let you experience seeing all these animals in the wild (much like our game drive in the Chobe National Park recently). But the experience is not quite the same when you realise that you are not in a game drive, you are in the security of a tour bus, and just outside walks a fierce animal, right smack bang in the middle of a town road.
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| Don't mind me, I'm just crossing the street |
Okay, so in South Africa, there are game drives which let you experience seeing all these animals in the wild (much like our game drive in the Chobe National Park recently). But the experience is not quite the same when you realise that you are not in a game drive, you are in the security of a tour bus, and just outside walks a fierce animal, right smack bang in the middle of a town road.
The best I can describe Victoria Falls is basically a semi-urban jungle, where the animals roam free and the tourist beware. Taking nothing away from the main attraction of the waterfalls, it is the best backdrop one could have amidst the wilderness. I wish I was a bit more adventurous to have tried out the other activities that were being offered at Victoria Falls (i.e. white river rafting, bungee jumping, etc.) It was such a small town but definitely worth the visit.
It is a true African adventure unlike any other.
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