So, our time at Wankie had been a disappointment, but we were determined to enjoy our honeymoon before it was time for me to join the fight against the Terrs. Now that we had arrived in Victoria Falls, we tried to put all the history and politics aside for a few days and just be tourists for a while. We checked into the Victoria Falls Hotel. It’s colonial style was just what you would expect to find from the movies.
After settling into our spacious room which overlooked a patio where a marimba band was entertaining visitors who were enjoying a “sundowner,” a favorite alcoholic beverage mixed with soda. Later, we took a taxi to the Elephant Hills Hotel, a new hotel with a golf course designed by South African professional golfer, Gary Player. The dining room had a view of the Zambezi river just before it went crashing over the Falls.
The intensification of the war and international sanctions was having a heavy impact on tourism from outside Rhodesia. The large dining room looked to be about 10% full. Of course, that meant that the already spectacular service was even better as a half dozen waiters stood by to meet our every need.
We were seated at a large table with several other couples. When they heard that tomorrow morning would be our first time to see Victoria Falls, they smiled and told us, “Be sure to take umbrellas for the rain forest!” This seemed to be a local joke since the approach to the Falls was surrounded by a heavily forested area known as “The Rain Forest.” Or, that is what we thought, since everyone we met seemed to say something about having our umbrellas. We thought it was a local tease for tourists.
It was already about 80 degrees by 9:00 the next morning. We joked that we hoped that there might be some rain in the rain forest—to cool us off! As we followed the signs down the path that led to the Falls, we could hear the water thundering in the distance. [When Livingstone first came upon the Falls, the name for the Falls in the local dialect meant “the smoke that thunders.”]
We passed through the rain forest with only our Bermuda shorts and t-shirts, perspiring heavily in the heat. Suddenly, we came to an opening in the trees—there were the Falls ahead of us. The view of tons of water pounding the rocks below was overwhelming.
There was a cloud of mist hanging over the Falls, and suddenly the wind shifted—we were drenched in mist. Within seconds we couldn’t find a dry piece of clothing to wipe our glasses or the lens of our camera. It was a welcome shower as we spent about 30 minutes viewing the Falls. As we turned back toward the hotel and re-entered the forest, the mist drenched us all the way back.
Now we knew why they called it The Rain Forest—we really had needed those umbrellas!
After a few days in Vic Falls, we were feeling the need to move on. Our travel plans should have taken us to the Midlands and Western Highlands, but I was beginning to feel a bit antsy about my upcoming training.
We had spent more than we expected on petrol (gasoline) which was strictly rationed. As tourists, we allowed all the ration coupons we needed for our travels. Rhodesian residents were subject to rationing of gas coupons based on the distance they traveled to work each month. Petrol for our rental car was around Rh$1.50/litre. Since it takes approximately 3.78 L to equal 1 US gallon, it cost us the equivalent of US$5.67/gal to fuel our “honeymoon. I was beginning to worry about how much further travels would cost us. Add to that the feeling that we had some more settling-in to do at our new home--we decided to head straight back to Salisbury.
Next: Avocado on a hot tin roof.
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