Day 18: 2/5/2011 - Livingstone

The workshop

                                                       The gorge fron the bridge

                                                       Robs over the gorge

The matching shirts were not planned - this was Grays replacement for his white one.

As we walked into the open plan thatched roof dining area, along the river and next to the bar, for breakfast, the first words I heard were “Osama Bin Laden is dead”. It came from the voice of a presenter on Sky news – this was the second time this holiday we had come across a T.V. and both were recording major news events – what else have we missed out on, in world news?

Our plans for the day were to have an early start, Bin Laden aside, breakfast eaten, sun screen on and day bags packed. We were to cross the bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe, on foot, have tea at the Victoria Falls Hotel (all very old and colonial but a top hotel), see the falls from the Zimbabwe side and  cross the river  back, hoping to avoid Robs doing the bungee-jump.

For all of our friends who laugh at us for driving a Land Rover and especially for attempting to take one up into Africa, you may laugh with good cause. After our early start we headed up the seriously pot holed road to the main Livingstone road, a road we have taken many times as it was the link from the Waterfront, Chrismar  and all the adventure entertainment (tourist trap things) in the area. Just before the main road we hit one too many potholes for the Disco, hearing the most awful grinding sound we came to an abrupt halt. Gray got under the car (as usual when he gets under a car, he was wearing a white shirt but this was the least of our worries) – we had broken the front drive shaft. This meant nothing to me but according to Gray was serious, as we were not going anywhere and this was a problem ‘Camel Man” could not fix alone, although he started giving it a serious try.

I could write a book on the “The fixing of the Land Rover in Livingstone” but I will try and give a brief version for our blog. First to take into account, today is a public holiday, making it a long weekend, so all businesses and shops are closed.

 Gray was under the car in an attempt to disable the metal contraption hanging down from the bowels of the car in the hopes of limping back to the Waterfront. The tools in the car proved hopelessly inadequate for the job.  So I began the fairly long, hot walk back to get his big red box of tools out the trailer. I was soon offered a lift, which I gratefully accepted, in a farm truck taking deliveries to the Waterfront. With big red (& very heavy) toolbox in hand I caught a lift back in the same truck. By now many people had stopped to see if they could offer assistance. With serious tools in hand the nut thingies attaching the thing hanging down to the undercarriage of the car still did not budge.  The next plan was for Robs and I to walk into town to find the number of the Land Rover fixer guy.  Again a lift was offered and gratefully accepted, we didn’t think twice about getting into a strange car with 2 strange men, who went out of their way to take us to the Land Rover ‘garage’. The place was obviously closed but we got a number from the guard to phone and obviously the mechanic was away for the long weekend (he would be open the next day but would have to order the part which would take 10 to 14 days to arrive).  From here we decide to walk into town to see if there were any open garages/parts places/tow trucks (unlike Jhb where the leaches are on every street corner we haven’t come across one tow truck since leaving S.A.). Eventually, we gave up and hailed a taxi, Samuel was the next Good Samaritan on our list. He drove around; to no avail, helping us look for a place for assistance. Back at the car, some chap on a bicycle asked Gray if he needed welding done, not welding but he had a grinder on the back of bike (just what was needed for the stubborn nuts and bolts).  Now we needed power, so Samuel (for no extra charge) took us back to the trailer for the extension cord. On the way we chatted more about what was wrong with the car and next thing Sam whipped out his cell and phoned Tom, someone he knew who had a maroon car like ours and was a mechanic.

 Back at the car, extension connected to the inverter, linked to  the 3 batteries, supplied power for the welding guy. Now with 2 passing assistants he began the task of grinding off the nuts (this took about ½ an hour). In the mean time Tom phoned back to say he could help with a part. Gray then got into Sam’s taxi, leaving Robs and I at the car to go Tom’s house (in some township about 10km away)  to fetch the part.  They arrived back with some rusted part and 2 of Tom’s mates (no Tom) buy Gray was happy with the part and the ‘mechanics’ – we actually had little choice.  They had a look under the car, decided they needed some tools and got back into Sam’s taxi (by now Graeme had employed Sam for the day). It was pointless Robs and I sitting around on her last day before returning to S.A., so Gray said we should go back and chill at the pool.  Yes, again we accepted a lift from 2 total strangers and felt safe, as they chatted to us about the business they do in S.A.  

An hour later a very dirty Gray arrived at the swimming pool, he had driven back in the Disco. During the fixing of the vehicle, numerous people stopped to offer assistance, the lady living in the house next to where we had broken down offered her home for Gray to sit and rest in while the mechanics worked on his car. Nobody tried to rip  us off the cost involved in what they did and most were happy to help without payment (where payment was due Gray doubled what was asked for) and the total  repair, taxi fair etc came to around R2500. Gray says Quinton did warn him to check these things but he ran out of time – so apologies, I will see he listens next time !!!!!

I know none of the people who assisted us will be reading this blog but I would still like to thank each and every person for getting us back on the road. The Zambians certainly live by their philosophy, “The birth and death of an individual are less significant. What matters are ones deeds between the two periods”.

Six hours later we were on our way to the steel bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe, the brain-child of Cecil John Rhodes, as part of his vision to link Cape to Cairo by rail. We parked our car, went into the customs office, where we got a scrap of paper with 3 on it, no passport stamping or anything. The bridge, I guess, is considered ‘no man’s land’ – the middle of the bridge is demarcated with 2 painted lines about 1m apart – the locals refer to area as ZimZam.  It was the first time we had been on the bridge (which has 3 lanes, one for pedestrians, one for cars and a railway track). From here we still got wet from the spray from the falls. The view of the falls and swirling waters in the gorge below are truly spectacular. Robs was desperate to bungee-jump but due to previous back injuries, they suggested we get medical clearance (much to the relief of her parents). As a substitute she did the zip slide across the gorge onto the 111m high bridge. We have done similar slides across gorges in the Magaliesberg and the Drakensberg but she said they paled in comparison to the adrenaline rush she got from this 240m long slide.

We watched some idiots bungee-jumping and swinging off the bridge (including a Japanese couple who got married yesterday do a tandem jump), it looks a lot worse watching from directly above than from the falls.

We finished the day off with a relaxing dinner at the waterfront and played games.