h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oh hell, where to begin.

We've started our African adventure in earnest now. First it was up to Lake Kariba for a look over the dam, so vertiginous I nearly fainted. Then off into the only Zimbabwean Game Reserve that allows unguided walking, Mana Pools. To get in we had to hitch and were delighted when it was a safari truck which picked us up - one of the ones with the seats high above the cab. This saw us pelting along the dirt tracks, holding on for grim death, feeling that our bags were getting revenge for the number of bus roofs they'd been put on.

That night was a little sleepless. All we could hear was the sounds of animals walking around our tent (in our minds they were all crocodiles and lions). In the morning we found the tracks of what looked like buffalo and hyenas.

Whilst having breakfast an elephant appeared on the riverbank. He then came over the rise and walked straight for our area. Crog and I took refuge behind a tree and watched as it first sniffed our bags, then our tent, and then started pushing our tent round the site. When he pushed it over it tipped back again with the weight in it, which startled him so he wandered off to investigate everyone else. Unfortunatly at the moment it pushed the tent over I was so frozen I forgot to take a photo!

Having had a good start to the day we then hired a canoe and went out onto the Zambezi. Our way was soon blocked by hippos in one direction and crocs in another. However a warden explained that the crocs just dip under the water when you approach them, and we had to believe him without explaining that that was the bit we didn't like. Still, he was right, although it was still unnerving. A pleasant few hours all round, with bathing hippos, crocs, and elephants.

Back in the campsite for lunch another elephant appeared. We weren't playing any more. Crog shouted, "All right, you're an elephant, I'm impressed. Now sod off, I'm trying to eat." Amazing how quickly these things become common place.

The afternoon was spent doing a little walking amongst zebra and antelope, before our lift of the previous day came across us and offered us another lift with them to see the lions. We just couldn't get any luckier.

Left the next day seeing more wildlife on the way out. The whole weekend cost us about 40 quid, when we were being quoted $300ish to do it officially.

Since then we've been desperately trying to get to Victoria Falls, where we finally arrived today. Zimbabwe is undergoing something of a fuel crisis at the moment, making the bus service irratic, with everything invariably leaving at 2am. So it's been a mixture of buses and hitching, with the occasional 2 day wait in the middle of nowhere - talk about seeing the real country. Once we were picked up by a safari truck going to pick up supplies, which we helped load. In thanks they brought us back to the $620 a night lodge, gave us use of a room's shower, then gave us some of the roast beef dinner that was being served along with a couple of beers, before giving us a lift to the bust stop. When we land on our feet we land hard.

Now we've finally made it to Vic Falls. This means only one thing in my mind - we're going to Bungee soon. Will somebody please get me out of here!! QUICKLY!!!!!

Anyway, write again if I can stop shaking.

Hello. Care to contribute to this ... A1056377 River Zambezi (wip) ... you're very welcome.