Livingstone – Victoria Falls & Zambezi Swing

2/8/06



On our way down to Botswana, we took a breather in Livingstone, Zambia, the home of Victoria Falls (one of the seven natural wonders of the world). We visited the Falls (my first and Kate’s second) and I reserved the same reaction I had to the Falls as I had for the Grand Canyon. The first-hand experience was so much more dramatic and grand, and eclipses even the most engaging photographs or captivating film of the natural wonder. The pictures below are poor representation of the experience, but are better than nothing.


Top & bottom left Victoria Falls from above. Top right, me with the Falls as a backdrop. Bottom right, the Falls from below. This is the bridge that people bungee jump off.

While Kate went perusing the local market for curios and even managed to get an unexpected interview in for her research (yeah, ahead of schedule), I got a taste of my first “tourist” experience in Africa: The Zambezi Swing.

The Zambezi Swing is a value-oriented alternative to bungee jumping or white water-rafting. It is also safer, with a 100% safety record, vs people dying on the class five rapids or being ripped off with one bungee jump for $100. For $95 I was fed breakfast, lunch and hydrated with all the soda and beer I wanted for a full day of gorge jump/free fall swinging, rappelling, running face-first down cliffs (like Mission: Impossible), and “flying” across a gorge suspended by wire. For my friends visiting Livingstone and seeking an adrenaline-punctuated day of gorge sport, I’d say skip the bungee and go Zambezi Swinging. After all, that’s what the Amazing Race did when the competitors landed in Zambia.


The “Flying Fox”: Once secured, you throw yourself into the gorge and glide on a wire to the other side. This is the closest I’ve gotten to feeling like Superman. CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO


The “Gorge Swing”: They double harness you, clip you in, and make you walk off a ledge where you are greeted with a 17-story freefall, subsequently jolted and swung at 90 mph to the other side of the gorge. You swing back and forth till you lose momentum, are lowered down, then enjoy a 20 minute hike up the gorge to jump again. CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO


A panoramic view of the gorge swing drop. Excuse the quality of the image. I had to stich it together manually (besides I'm an Account Guy and we're not supposed to know Photoshop).