Vic Falls Adventure Zone

When I went to Victoria Falls last month, there were moments when I was really shocked - from my own actions, from the situation, and from things happening around me. It was different from my usual holiday.

For starters, it was the kids and I and David's sister Tracy and her son Zavion. It was the first time we ever traveled (without David), and we were on a week-long adventure. I'd been hoping for a road trip around Zim since we arrived, and this should have been the moment, but we chickened out at the last minute and flew to avoid the perils of the road.

...not that I like flying. Air Zimbabwe does not inspire feelings of confidence. Yes, irreligious as I am, I was praying as the plane skidded across the atmosphere, clinging to my children while trying not to alarm them.

But that's not exactly different from other trips.



We stayed in the guest cottage of Tracy's old friend Brent who has lived in Victoria Falls most of his life. He owns and operates Adventure Zone, a small company that arranges activities for visitors to VF who need something to do after they've seen the falls. There are game drives, some nice restaurants and shopping, and then there are the more adventurous activities.

Last year when I went to Vic Falls for the first time, I looked down into the gorge and saw people tiny as ants at the bottom, walking on the boulders in the spray of the falls and rafting on the river. It was beautiful. I was bummed. Woe is me - stuck up here with my two kids. I never get to do anything fun anymore... So this time I had to go. It's one of the main activities of Adventure Zone, and Tracy offered to watch the kids.

But then I was scared. I'm a mother. What if something happened to me down there? It has class 5 rapids. We are in rural Africa. I kept thinking of all the stories of what can happen in white water. Horrible stories. Brent assured me it was safe, but I was starting to dread it.

Yet early one morning I found myself hiking down a very sketchy trail/ladder - a true precipice, carved into the side of a cliff face that dropped steeply to distant boulders and a raging river. We were going to go down 20 rapids, all class 4 or 5 rapids. Besides the guide, only one of the 7 kids in my raft had experience paddling. They were pumped up - you've got to experience life! Woohoo! Any time we had a choice of the class 4 or 5 route, they chose the class 5. God, did I feel (and act) my age.

I'm the one clutching the white paddle back by the guide's left knee.

Monstrous water consumes us.

I had been told to expect getting thrown at some point - which was good. I was prepared. While some did pop out more than once (happily? ignorantly?), I only fell out when the whole raft flipped. I had been advised to take a big breath of air when my head came up because of the waves and the not knowing when one would breathe again. That was also good advice. I never let go of the "oh shit" rope. I was under the raft, then got out from it, then maneuvered my way around the raft so I wouldn't get squashed between it and the rock wall we slammed into. The current was really strong. But I was seriously never letting go, and I was first to get back in the raft. I wasn't afraid of the crocs - apparently only babies survive the falls so at that point on the Zambezi they're not yet big enough to pose a threat. That said, we did see a sizable adolescent sunbathing on an island about half way through our trip. No. I was counting down the rapids (i.e. I have survived 7 rapids, only 13 more to go). They had names like Highway to Hell, the Terminator, and my favorite: Gnashing Jaws of Death, but I was also simultaneously wanting the biggest waves because they were incredibly exciting...and man, the relief getting through it!

Since Tracy had already been rafting on the Zambezi, she wanted to do the Swing, which is a lot like Bungee Jumping (something I've never been interested in doing), except instead of diving off a bridge, you jump off a cliff. Imagine a tightrope reaching across a canyon with a cable tied to the middle. The other end of the cable they fasten to a person in a harness...or in this case two people because she talked me into jumping tandem with her.

While we were waiting in the office for the truck to take us to the cliff's edge, I checked my email and discovered that Christina, our childhood neighbor and a best friend of my sister's had died of a heart attack, at 35, leaving 5 daughters and a husband. It was horrible shocking news. What could I do? At first I had this urge to do this crazy jump for Christina as if I were dedicating it to her, being brave for her, grabbing life with both hands for her... I'm not sure. But then I started to wonder if I was fated to learn about this just before jumping in order to stop myself from jumping. Was this a sign? I could have a heart attack. Why risk it? I decided not to do it. I was going to take photos and stay with the kids while Tracy jumped. On the way, Eliza encouraged me - you should do it, Mom! What does a 4-year-old know? Who cares? I decided to do it. Once in a lifetime chance.

Again, I was in shock as they led me to the edge and hooked me to this cable that was literally pulling us down over the edge. It was not as fun as I'd hoped, but it was still exhilarating to have done it. We free fell FOREVER (or 80 meters) before we started to swing out over the gorge. At one point while we were free falling, I started screaming even louder and peddling my feet as if running in air could get it over with faster. Now I know how I would fall from a building if it ever happened...twisting and struggling against gravity like a maniac.

So. Done.

We had gone to the falls, and we went on a beautiful day trip to Chobe National Park in Botswana just over the border which was amazing. It had been a spectacular week, but there was this niggling boat trip we'd been trying to do since our first night there, and by our last night, we were all determined it was going to happen. Brent had a pontoon, but it was stuck up on the river bank due to the low water. I was imagining some other boat pulling it out with a winch or something. But when we arrived, there were about 15 men using logs to just pick it up out of the mud. It took a good long while. My job was keeping the kids away from the water (crocs).

Wart hog ignores "Beware of Crocodiles" sign.

loading cargo

Brent with his daughter

Zavi, Miles and Brent's son

With chairs, chips, drink, women and children loaded on to the boat - we were ready. We didn't have much time before the sun set, but we still managed to see hippos, birds, crocodiles and elephants. It was as we were getting a closer look at a couple of eles that we got stuck on a sandbar. Now that wouldn't have worried me much if I hadn't seen the panic in our host's eyes. It was getting dark. He knew he was going to have to get in the water to push the boat off the bar, and he was worried about the crocs. Once at the exact spot where we'd started our journey, a croc had bitten the end off his kayak. He had been able to paddle fast enough to get to shore - all his limbs in tact, but it has made him a bit more wary of the river's dangers. 

There wasn't much we could do but keep the kids calm and move them into a corner of the boat to shift the weight off the sand bar...while enjoying our drinks and the sunset. It was a relief when we were free and floating and Brent was safely back in the boat, but then the motor wouldn't start. Again, it wouldn't have mattered that much, but we were drifting down river towards the falls. I'm sure that if the motors hadn't started we would have been able to beach ourselves somewhere before reaching the top of one of the largest falls in the world, but one couldn't exactly relax. When the motor finally started, we were all in agreement - ready to head back to the boathouse! That's when it started lightening. We're OK in a metal boat, right? And finally, in the twilight with the boathouse in sight and the storm still in the distance, giving us a great show, Brent's nephew says - look a croc and points down at our feet. I laugh and don't even look, the way you do when you're sure someone's kidding. Tracy looked down and screamed - just under our rail between the pontoon blades, a croc thrashed then swam in front of the boat.

Next morning, on the way to the airport, Brent took us to see his elephants. All of us had an easy ride around the park. It was just what the kids were wanting to do, and it was a perfect way to end our trip. Just standing next to elephants with my kids, feeling the strength of its trunk and sensing its enormous weight...again, it was excitement tinged with a wee bit of anxiety. For a woman newly 40, the trip was an adventure unlike any I've had for a while. It was a good taste, but I'm fine with getting back to the every day adventures of dealing with a couple of wild kids.

Me and Eliza on our way to the airport, Vic Falls style.

Christmas is Coming, then Went

(Here's what I started writing Dec. 9)

For years we've lived in Muslim countries where Christmas was a tiny fraction of what we'd experience in the U.S. Here in Zimbabwe, I found tall cut cedar trees for sale at several places just in our neighborhood. There are billboards advertising Christmas hams and caroling events. Every little shop has a gift basket conveniently on offer. Stores are staying open later for the shopping frenzy, and everyone is making plans to travel, to host and/or to party. Everyone will be on holiday. All schools will be out. OK, there's no snow, but at least the evening rains have gotten it chilly enough to light a fire at night.

When we all got excited about putting up the tree, I tried to remember when we'd had a tree before. It was 2006 after Eliza was born and Miles was just 2. ...which also explains why we have ZERO Christmas decorations. We have always either been traveling to be with family or fresh off the plane in a new country.

It's a been a year since we first arrived here. We had just moved into an empty, unfurnished house. Christmas Eve after the kids were asleep, I threw some old party decorations on a potted plant (ant-infested we realized the next morning) and placed the few toys we'd been able to bring with us and keep secret from the kids while living in the hotel for three weeks. We were lucky to have our friend Clementina still in Harare who had us over for a nice party.

(Continuation...January 5, 2011)

So like last year, we haven't travelled. We have had a quiet month at home. But the difference is striking. Last year, there was so much to do to settle in, but the holidays were an impediment to getting anything done since the real-estate agents were on holiday, etc. I couldn't drive yet and didn't know my way around. This year, we have our house and our tree, and it has just been a pleasure to RELAX!

We had Christmas dinner with friends, attended Christmas parties, had play-dates and day trips, hosted a baby shower, but mainly just relaxed at home. Finally, it was nice to attend a big New Year's party that we'd gone to last year. This time instead of barely knowing anyone, we knew quite a few people. It's starting to feel like we're more settled here.

Writing Christmas cards to teachers.

Spending time with friends: Bettina...

and Clemens: Janalou, Aljosha & Noah's parents

at their house where they have a new tree house...Here E hauls the message trolley up to the other kids.

Baby Shower:

Andrea & Chuck

Veena - transfering to South Sudan soon :(

Chuck...dad-to-be

Veena, Olga & Andrea (all Mercy Corps)

Andrea, mom-to-be

David plays tennis with his golf-buddy

...Jovan

Thanksgiving Day

For the first time in my life, I got up Thanksgiving morning and started preparing the meal and kept working on it until it was time to eat that afternoon. With Tari managing the kitchen mess and her helper, Vaida (aka Fadia), straightening up the mess the kids made of the rest of the house, the day was actually fun. At noon, Tari and I had a Courvoisier as a tribute to Mom.

I had thought Matt, Kim & Quinn would be flying in that afternoon, but their flight had been changed so they were actually arriving Wednesday night. Quinn wouldn't sleep in a room by himself, so the whole family piled on to our modest double bed in the guest room...not the best sleep. We did breakfast...I bought a quiche...Thursday morning, and then I took them to Doon Estates, a shopping area. Kim helped with the stuffing and young berry cobbler. Matt kept an eye on the turkey and made the gravy. David got back from work in time to start making early afternoon mimosas. Bettina and her three kids (+ another helpful nanny) arrived at 2, and we ate around 3:30. Some Mercy Corps guys, Amanuel and Mort (visiting) joined us about mid-meal.

Over all it was quite edible. Here's the menu review:

• Turkey: alternatively called "young" or "is that a chicken?" Shipped from Brazil, it was the only turkey available in town and half the size of an American one. Still, it tasted great. We used the Blackberry Farm cookbook for this and other recipes. 
• Gravy: a bit too heavy on the flour for my taste but one can't easily critique one's husband's boss. Still: edible.
• Stuffing: BBF cookbook. Not as good as Mom's mom's recipe. Peppers and giblets (don't like). However, we were able to use a number of ingredients from the garden: herbs, peppers, celery, etc. Found that mealie meal (staple of diet here) makes for a fine cornbread, so will be doing that again for sure. 
• Mashed Potatoes...BBF - fine
• Roasted broccoli medley...colorful but not anything to get excited about
• Roasted butternut squash with sage...should have doubled the recipe and we forgot to throw in the craisons AGAIN
• Pumpkin bread-pudding...too mushy but tasted ok with the pears soaked in Courvoisier and fresh whipped cream
• Young berry cobbler...too liquidy and lemony and the crust didn't turn out right but still tasty...and it had to be on the menu given the number of young berries growing outside the kitchen window
• Pecan Pie...hands down the winner in excellence!! This one was 100% Tari's. Recipe from BBF but had to substitute the sorghum syrup with good old corn syrup...although it was not nearly as thick and gooey as pecan pie usually is.
• Bettina also brought a salad and sauteed spinach which we needed as the above wasn't enough (see below)

After dinner, we moved under the big pecan tree for dessert...highlight of the evening was eating pecan pie under the tree that supplied the pecans. When it was dark enough to light the fire in the fire-pit table under the tree, the after work crowd started rolling in. (D forgot to mention to me that we would have another 5 guests coming.) This was the crew I'd gone with to Kariba the weekend before. They ate up most of the left-overs which was great since we were heading out of town the next day, and the night ended very pleasantly with fireside chat. 

The kids who had basically been allowed to roam around late into the night were found half asleep on their feet when I eventually figured they should be put to bed. Eliza was standing at their crafts table sleep-coloring. She's been into drawing and coloring a lot these days.

Mambo also rose to the occasion, performing a scaled-down, safari sun-downer, hunt-to-kill performance. It was a good fight, but the rat got away. However, he did succeed in dropping a nearly dead baby rat on Kim's foot at breakfast the morning before they left.

original meal crew: Matt, me, Bettina, David & Kim 

the kiddos: Aljosha, Miles, Janalou, Eliza & Quinn

Bettina & baby Noah

the host

the hostess

kid congregation point for all events

From Global to Local: UN Day & Halloween

...does Halloween count as local?

Harare International School Celebrating UN Day 2010

This was our first UN Day at the school. A big part of it is a giant food festival with parents from all corners of the world setting up festive tables with favorite dishes from their country.

As a member of the PTO, I volunteered to take on an additional little project for the elementary school. There had been complaints...can't we do anything that is related to the UN or is somewhat more educational than experiencing food? Thus, the UN passport project was born.

It's funny how a little idea can turn into a month-long endeavor involving hundreds of people. We made fake  little  passports with each page being a flag of a country represented at the school.

We set up immigration stations with middle and high school volunteers who represented a few countries each and had flags waving. The kids had to find the flag that matched the one in their book and answer three questions: 1) on which continent is this country? 2) what language do they speak there? and 3) what is a typical dish you could eat there? Either they got the answers themselves or they got a little help from the immigration officer. Then they got a stamp in their passport and moved on to the next flag in another area of the world/campus. There were different passports with different flags, so there were nearly 25 different countries. After visiting 6 countries and getting 6 stamps, they came back to passport control for a prize which was a small gift from the embassies like flag pins or origami kits or whatever.

And every child got a t-shirt...it was pretty cool, if a tad bit chaotic. More than 150 kids participated, and they really seemed to enjoy it which was frankly luck...who knows what kids older than mine like these days?!

In addition to the food and passport game, there was a flag ceremony in the auditorium where a flag from every country represented at the school was carried in by a student from that country who then went up to the mic and said "hello" in their native tongue. Not sure why, but it is strangely moving, especially for the adults who were fighting back tears. Me, too. Funny.

Halloween was celebrated on that same day. We went straight from school to a friend's house for a quick beer and to change into costumes before heading to the Marine's House. Luckily, we were invited by our "buddy family" (Sheryl & Vaughn) to the marine's halloween party which they throw for kids of embassy staff. Yes, the marines. They provide security for some of the embassy staff.

(One of Miles and Eliza's friends from school is the daughter of the head marine. And yes, I do find him a wee bit intimidating. One of his marines bar-tending at the party said he'd almost rather be in Afghanistan where you are ready for danger. "Here, people get complacent and let their guard down." "Right, can I have another beer?" Sheesh.) 

The marine house brought back memories of fraternity houses, except this one had zebra skins and POW banners in addition to the foosball table where Miles spent most of his time until the contortionist/magician showed up. Talk about cringe-worthy. Nothing like a bunch of small children watching a man pretend to make another kid (his assistant) swallow a large object that then magically popped out his rear. (Don't try this at home!)

Back Home to Zim

Nothing beats sitting by a roaring fire. Outside the night sky is full of stars. The kids are sleeping, and the generator is humming (for another hour or so as the adults get ready for bed)…ah, Africa.

We’ve been back for a few days, and it’s already starting to feel like we never left. First impressions on returning were, wow, life’s pretty great here. The house seemed so much bigger, so many rooms all to ourselves, so many toys, and so much freedom and space to play in the garden. It seemed like I didn’t hear from the kids for hours. They were off running around with Shepherd and Panache or lying on the trampoline looking up at the birds. The first couple of days, the weather was awesome, blue skies, warm sun, cool breeze. We spent all day outside.

I feel grateful for the holiday. We got to see so many friends and family, the San Francisco Bay Area, the Appalachian Mountains, the Florida gulf coast and Tennessee. OK, it was really hot in the South, and it was sometimes stressful imposing ourselves on everyone, but spending time with loved ones was much needed. I especially appreciated having two weeks(!) with my sister, getting to see her new house and life in Oakland. Elliott and Eliza played well together (while Miles was with Mom in Chatt!). (See kid blog...eventually... for more on the holiday.)

Here we are at an awesome Mexican restaurant in Sausalito. Yummy margaritas!

Here are the kinfolk on the west coast: cousin Erin (all grown up) and Chuck and Gail. So good to see them!

Yeah, that's the Golden Gate bridge. We were at a children's museum. How cool is that?

We still need to figure out a way to do the holiday just right so that no one has to break the bank, and it’s not too crazy hectic. My thought is that if this life abroad goes on for much longer, we should invest in a timeshare in a place in the States that people can get to easily, and would want to visit any time of the year. We could block out our time for a month and just chill while everyone comes to visit us. What do you think?

A Kind of Holiday

Last weekend we drove just north of town to Domboshawa. It was a nice afternoon with scattered clouds that kept us from getting too hot on the walk up to the cave where the rock paintings are. Another family arrived when we were there, and Miles started introducing himself. When he asked them where they were from, they said Zimbabwe. Miles said, “You don’t look like Zimbabweans.” It was a quick first lesson on white Africans.

We walked up to the top of the hill which was bald, rounded reddish stone. Families and group of friends were settled in different places to catch the view: round thatch roof houses, green fields, trees, layers of hills that reminded me of the Appalachian Mtns, and afternoon showers in the distance over Harare. Miles kept introducing himself to people, and would be annoyed when I’d intercede to give the poor people some relief. Then he started wandering down the hill out of sight.

About that time, Eliza announced that she needed to go to the bathroom, so we started packing things up and getting ready to walk back down. Unbeknownst to us, Eliza was already taking matters into her own hands and was bare assed and peeing on the rock. Her shorts were off but in the direct line of fire, and of course I’d left spare emergency clothes in the car. She announces she’s ready to do a caca, but luckily, she was dissuaded. Meanwhile, Miles has been out of sight for a while so once we get E back in her panties, we start trudging down looking for him. We found him finally and gave him a good talking to about snakes and such. He proceeded to walk down a wet trail that turned into a rock slide which he proceeded to slide down and just stopped himself before falling in a pool. D was concerned about bilharzias so advised against the kids actually playing in the inviting water.

One more week until school starts. This has felt like a long break without a holiday. David didn’t really have much time off, just a day here and there which was spent unpacking or setting up house. The office was quiet, so convenient for D to get oriented. The kids and I have had time to find our way around a bit, but other than that, it’s been uneventful, considering. There’s been no vacation agenda or frame of mind to do a holiday thing. It’s been great to go to parties, but meeting people for the first time doesn’t compare with getting together with family and old friends.

Still, the view from the balcony off our bedroom and from the ground floor veranda at this Chisipite house is divine (as were the gardens at the Bronte the first 10 days we were here). The pool, in-ground trampoline and swing set are surrounded by a diversity of plants and tall trees all lushly green from the afternoon rains. We have been hanging out by the pool, reading books, taking day trips around the area… This would be a great set up for a holiday! One need just relax and suspend the wondering and list-making for a moment.

Thanksgiving in Amman

Since Tday was my last DAY of work, I opted for a low-maintenance celebration...and on Friday. Full meal delivery service. No, it wasn't expensive. Yes, it is weird that my local bakery/restaurant would have a full tday meal delivery service in Amman since it's an American holiday. It was another American who tipped me off, and her blatant utilization of this service over the last few years absolved me of guilt...somehow. Plus, with all non-American guests, I felt I could kind of get away with it. The turkey was perfect. The rest was edible. Add to that my mom's recipe for sweet potato casserole, and all colors were nicely represented on the plate.

Ben with Emily and Eliza in their Gymboree jumpers from the States.

Andrea (vintage fur) with Jacob in actual lederhosen (leather pants).

Andrea's Kathi in traditional German dress

Caroline being coy.

Eliza and Oliver painting

Saif, Ghaith's brother, made it out for a second Thanksgiving with us. We'll miss the Al-Omari brothers!