August 1st

The day was pretty lazy. We then went on a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. It runs between Zambia and Zimbabwe (which we got to see) We saw crocodiles and hippos on the ride. We met a South African family on the boat. The woman Annie is traveling with her parents. Her mom was pretty crazy. She kept singing. It was pretty amusing. Plus I believe she was quite interested in Kyle. It was nice to talking to Annie. She has traveled all over the world, but was very interested in the US.

August 2nd

Annie, whom I met the day before told of us a local market that we must go to. She said it was a very large market, and it was were the locals shopped. There was nothing touristy about it. So we were able to hire a driver, Eugene. It is kind of amusing that most of the people that work at the hotels their names are all common English names. We also discovered this when we went to the market by the Falls. I met, John, Jacob, George, William, and Lucky.

We arrive at the market which was just a little ways out of Livingstone. http://www.backpackzambia.com/pages/falls.htm This is not a tourist market. The market is big. The vendors are all crammed in together. It is constructed, and I might say not that well with wood and plastic. The front of the market was like some of the markets we had been to prior. Selling local craft items, etc. As we got farther back we started to see more of the local items, which ranged from clothing, blankets, nail polish, etc. The conditions got to be worse the further back we got. Kyle said this was nothing compared to Mexico, but I have never seen anything quite like this. Everyone was very nice that we encountered. Some just looked at us with a sort of puzzled look on their face. I don’t think they get a lot of tourists. We found the items that we wanted, and were going to start heading to the front. We then stumbled across the food section of the market. Which was just absolutely disgusting. All the food is laying out in the open, and there are flies over the food. Just about 50 feet away is a big dump with who knows what is in there, and I didn’t want to know. Still no matter where you go, if a kid sees you with a camera they want their picture taken, and then they want to see themselves.

Our driver then took us to another local market to get some copper bracelets. Copper is the main resources that is mined in Zambia. He then took us to a local store were they designed and sewn clothes. Zambians wear very bright colored fabrics. Everything was very beautiful. We met the designer and saw the shop where they made the clothes.

We headed back to the hotel, and decided to walk the falls. We were making fun of the tourists that were rain coats to walk the along the falls. So we trekked off without raincoats. Well by the end of the walk we were soaked, but it was well worth it, I can’t imagine that it is only running half of it’s normal capacity. If it was, I don’t think you could see anything, but mist. At least this way we could see the bottom.

I then went to the other hotel on the property, The Royal Livingstone. This is a 5 star hotel and as a British colonial theme to it. I got a massage and a pedicure. The massage was outside in a tent next to the Zambezi River. The tent just happen to be surrounded by zebras. Not something I normally see at the Aveda salon. The massage was just was what I needed. I then went to go get my pedicure. I felt like a whole new person. I walked out to the back to see the property, and there was a beautiful sunset. I didn’t need to go on the cruise the night before, I could have just sat on one of the swinging benches and watched it.

One last buffet dinner, and then I had to go back early so I could get everything back in the suitcase.