Africa Ghana West Africa Trip 2019

Ambling about Accra

My first full day Accra began with a great breakfast at the hostel. There was a decent mix of people staying there, but with the exception of two older couples, everyone staying there was there to work or volunteer. They had their little cliques, so it wasn’t social, but I didn’t want to linger. I had sights to see.

Taxis are labelled and plentiful. I hailed one on the street and took it to the lighthouse in Jamestown, the oldest part of Accra, at the sea. (The taxis don’t have meters, so agree on a price before you get in. You can haggle, but in my case the offered price was what my hostel had recommended. I never felt like I was getting cheated.)

Jamestown is colorful, scrappy, and crumbly. I liked it. I didn’t take a bunch of pictures of the street though. I’m always a bit camera shy on day one. I walked to the beach, past a very poor cluster of makeshift housing. Everyone I passed was very friendly – but not too friendly.

I walked over to and around the fishing port. It was early and it was busy. Boats coming and going. Fishes for sale and being chopped up. Crabs. Men fussing with nets. I attracted constant stares. Lots of women were there, but I was the only white person and the tattoos also caught glances.

But everyone was nice. A lot of hellos, welcomes, and offers to sell me fish. I asked if I could take photos and no one objected.

I met a nice woman named Dora who told me she is a vegetarian and yoga and meditation devotee who works giving massages to the fishermen, though she said they seldom pay. She walked around with me, introducing me to different people.

I then walked along a main street, passed a couple of former slave prisons until I happened across a great courtyard cafe / gallery, the Jamestown Café, where I sat and had a coffee with a guy from the Massisi area of the Congo. He was shocked when I said I had been there last year.

I carried on. I arrived at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, which marks Ghana’s independence and houses the mausoleum of Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president. It was pretty and serene.

Almost right next door to that was an artisans market. A collection of shops and very poor housing, along with stalls were you could see people carving masks, making drums and jewelry, sewing clothes, weaving baskets. I was immediately accosted by a guy who offered to show me around. I figured I would have to top him, but the company was nice and had I been left on my own I wouldn’t haven seen as much as I did.

I did buy a mask from the guy’s shop. As I was leaving, he insisted I try the drums. Before I knew it, I was in a drum circle, learning how to play traditional rhythms on a handmade drum. I sucked, but I eventually got it. Here’s the thing: I have always rolled my eyes at drum circles at hippie nonsense…but I liked it. It was fun. A good reminder to be open to new experiences.

From there I walked to the Makola market and poked around. At this point though I was super hot and tired, so I soon caught a taxi to the Osu area, which is a little more upscale (in the broadest sense of the word). I went to a fancy ish restaurant on a leafy patio and ate my fill of bean stew, plantains, and ginger/pineapple juice.

I saw some wonderful street art on the way.

I was still pretty worn out, so I decided to catch a tro tro back to my hostel. Tro tros are the main local transport; packed mini vans that pick up people when flagged. They drive around shouting their route out the windows. I got out at a familiar land mark and walked the last few blocks.

I spent the evening at my hostel, though I did venture out for some dinner, from a wooden table with a small fire for cooking. I got a generous portion of fried rice, vegetables, and salad for about $1.75.

It was a great day. Certainly there is much more to see in Accra, but I saw what I liked. Pleasantly, it was all hassle-free. I decided that evening to spend my second day seeing the Cape Coast.

Africa Zambia Zimbabwe-Zambia 2023

Zambian Zebras in Livingstone

Coming from the border with Zimbabwe, my taxi driver dropped me off at my accommodations: The Ravine Lodge. I was still on a high from having seen zebras by the roadside and I was excited to explore a new country: Zambia.

The Ravine Lodge was comfortable. I had a nice private room in a bungalow around a grassy courtyard. I would have no hesitation recommending the hotel as it was a good price and just a short walk into the city centre. That said, that short walk into the city centre felt like a long walk during the day because it was so hot and felt long at night because it was so dark and I was concerned about what creatures might be roaming around.

The Ravine Lodge

But I didn’t come to sit in my hotel

walking in Livingstone

I walked into the city centre. I liked Livingstone; it is small and there is not a lot to do there apart from animal and river activities. The central crafts market (the Mukuni Park Curio Market) is open most days. It is small enough so as not to be overwhelming and has an excellent assortment of local handicrafts. I eventually bought a mask and chatted with some of the vendors. There is a small museum in town, which is worth visiting if you have a bit of extra time but is okay to skip if you don’t. I made my way through the city stopping at various cafes along the way enjoy some air conditioning and a bit of coffee. It was an easy place to visit. People spoke English and are used to tourists; and it felt safe.

cellphone booths

downtown Livingstone

crafts market

My time in Livingston really had two purposes: number one was to visit the Devil’s Pool at the Victoria Falls; and number two, was to do a microlight flight over the falls. Once I had done those two things in the two days that I had in Livingstone, I was going to head to Lusaka. Things didn’t go quite according to plan. The Devil’s Pool was amazing and I have written about that separately, but the microlight flight never happened. I had pre-booked a flight with this company and prepaid them what I think was about $200 US, but on the day that I was to do it they said the weather wasn’t cooperative and they wanted to reschedule for the next day. I said that was fine. However, the next day came and they said the weather still wasn’t good. And since I was leaving the next day, it meant I never got the chance to do the microlight over the falls. What was more frustrating was that they refused to refund my money on to my credit card so that was a bit of a loss (yes I’m aware I should have done a charge back on the credit card but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it). My fault. So I spent my two days in Livingstone just kind of wandering around and taking it easy.

An excellent café, the museum, and a church

While I didn’t have the microlight flight over the falls, I had something that might have been even better. On that second day when I realized the microlight flight wasn’t going to happen, I thought about what I could do. There is no end to the amount of activities that you can do at Victoria Falls, but I had already done the Devil’s Pool and I had already visited the falls from the Zimbabwean side and I just didn’t feel that excited about going kayaking or bungee jumping or any of those things. So I decided to go to a very fancy hotel for drinks and a cigar. I think this idea came from someone who commented on a post I made on Instagram about the fact that my if I was looking for something to do I should have tea ta the Royal Livingstone Hotel. I wish I could remember who that was because I would thank them.

I took a taxi to the Royal Livingston hotel, which is south of the Livingstone town centre. It is a big luxury hotel set along the banks of the Zambezi river with a view of the spray coming up from the falls. It is absolutely stunning. A graceful mansion set on manicured grounds surrounded by forest and facing the river. I could never afford to stay here, but I could afford to go there for a drink. They have restaurants and bars including one appropriately called the Traveller’s Bar, and they have a sundowner bar that is al fresco and set right along the banks of the river. I thought “what a great place to go finish out the day and have a cigar.” The real draw however was that, allegedly, because there are no fences around the hotel, animals will just wander into the grounds to nibble on the grass by the river. I didn’t know if this was true but I thought it was worth visiting to find out.

As my taxi pulled up to the hotel, a giraffe ambled by in front of the car. This is only the second time I had seen a giraffe in the wild and the first time I wasn’t expecting it. Similar to when I saw the two zebras by the roadside the previous day, I started to exclaim and giggle with wonderment. I managed to get a short video, of which this is a still:

I walked through the lobby of the Royal Livingstone Hotel (trying to look like I belonged there) and back outside to the river. As I stepped out onto the grass I saw zebras. Maybe a dozen zebras, including a baby or two, just on the grass in the shade. I became overwhelmed with emotion; it was maybe one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen and I hadn’t been expecting it to look anything like this. I felt emotion well up in my throat and my eyes were tearing up. It was a wonderful feeling.

As I walked to the bar, which was really just a wooden platform with seating under the trees, the bartender greeted me and asked me how I was doing, and I burst into tears. Not sad tears, just overwhelmed with emotion tears. Sometimes when things are wonderful I will tear up, but it isn’t very often that I actually start to cry. I was trying to explain to the bartender why I was crying: simply that it was so beautiful and the zebras were so amazing and unexpected, but as I was saying this I was still crying, a scenario I found ridiculous, which made me laugh. So then I was there crying and laughing and trying to explain myself to this bartender who only really wanted to know what I wanted to drink. A bit embarrassing, but mostly just a great moment.

Fortunately, there was another tourist there, a doctor from Vancouver Island of all places, and he offered to take my pictures in front of the zebras. I am so happy that he did because I think this has become maybe my favourite picture of myself in my travels. Cigar in hand, all dressed in black, and somewhere amazing. It really is a good encapsulation of me.

I sat at the bar and had a cocktail and watch the sunset into the river, chatting with the Canadians seated nearby. In the distance I could see and hear hippos in the river. A zebra or two walked in front of us just as the sun was setting. It was really amazing. I could have stayed there forever, but eventually it got dark and there was nothing to see.

At this point I decided to settle in at the Traveler’s Bar, or more particularly, on the patio of the Traveler’s Bar, for a bit of dinner and another cigar.

I had a bite to eat and was just about to order a cocktail when a man and a woman walked past me heading into the restaurant. The man was holding a box that contained a bottle of Scotch and an opaque Ziploc bag that I knew probably had cigars inside. I was smoking a cigar and as he walked past, he stopped and looked at me and I at him and I said “Are those cigars you have in that bag?” And he responded “I’m just wondering if we should come and join you.” I suggested that they should absolutely join me, and they did. The man and his girlfriend were locals and I found out during the conversation that the man was a member of the Zambian government. (I don’t know if I’m supposed to say who he was so I won’t.) Three of his other friends joined us and we sat and had cigars and drinks until late into the evening. It was such a great experience. His friends were all well-to-do Zambians; One a designer of banks, another owned a winery and game reserve, another one was some kind of a technology business guy. The girlfriend was, like me, a lawyer.

At one point, my governmental friend pulled out a Zimbabwean cigar – a Mosi-Oa-Tunya. This was a cigar that I had been looking for when I was in Zimbabwe but was unable to find it. I had sent an e-mail to the company, but they had not responded. When I commented on it, my friend gave me the cigar and called up the owner of the Zimbabwean cigar company and put me on the phone with him to arrange getting me some of those cigars. I always say that cigars are such a great social lubricant. If you’re a cigar smoker and you meet another cigar smoker not only do you have cigars to talk about, but it is understood that there is a fraternity of sorts and you are both members and that it is not only acceptable but encouraged to share your time and conversation with each other. Having that cigar on that patio allowed me to have one of the more memorable evenings on my trip, connecting with interesting local people over cigars

And as we sat there, the animal parade didn’t stop. Zebras continued to walk past us in the darkness.

It was an incredible evening in a perfect way to wrap up my time in Livingstone. The next day I would head for the capital of Zambia: Lusaka.

Africa Zambia Zimbabwe-Zambia 2023

A Dip in the Devil’s Pool

I had arrived in Zambia from Zimbabwe ready for more adventure. My trip to Zimbabwe and Zambia was epic because it contained so many big and exciting experiences in addition to the already great experiences of seeing the cities: Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park, and finally: the Devil’s Pool. There was no way I was going to go to Livingstone, Zambia and not sit atop one of the world’s great waterfalls. Did it sound scary? Yes, but that is part of the fun.

What is the Devil’s Pool? It is a natural rock formation at the top of Victoria Falls on the Zambian side that, during the drier season, you can sit in and look over and down the top of the falls as water rushes by. Try it in the wet season and it will be your final water-slide.

There were a lot of companies offering the experience, but I ended up booking with Livingstone Island.

I had to be at the launch site by 6:50am, which meant taking a taxi from my hotel. There were about 10 of us who quickly got to know each other, partly because we were all a bit trepidatious as we signed our liability waivers in case of death. While I think it is natural to be nervous, the whole experience is quite safe and very professional. We were given a briefing before taking a boat across one part of the river, passing hippos on the way.

We then stopped the boat and got out onto a rocky bit on the middle of the river and ‘swam’ across the next part of the river. I say ‘swam’, because it isn’t really swimming. There is a rope going across the river to help guide you, as the current is rushing perpendicular to you. If you are tall, as I am, your feet can touch the bottom most of the way. So it is sort of half swimming, half walking/pulling yourself across.

The setting is beautiful. If you go in the morning, you are almost guaranteed to see a rainbow created by the spray of the falls.

Then we got out onto another rock and descended into the Devil’s Pool, which really is right at the top and edge of the falls. Everyone goes in and takes turns peering over the edge.

Sitting the pool is lovely and very relaxing, even though there were tiny fish nibbling us and I was convinced that someone would jump over the edge at the shock of it.

Before you get into the Devil’s Pool, you give your phones or cameras to one of the guides and when it is your turn, he will take a series of photos and videos of you peering over the edge of the falls, while another of the guides holds on to your ankles to prevent you from being swept over. If ever a guide deserved a good tip, it’s these guys.

Looking over the edge of the falls is unbelievable. It is loud and dramatic and the drop is so far down. It was exhilarating. I actually did it twice; once at the beginning and once at the end. The second time was better because my photo was not being taken, so I wasn’t thinking about the camera and could just focus on the sheer excitement (or terror) of looking down the falls.

I found the photo part a bit awkward. I wanted a picture, but I wasn’t sure what to do. A lot of people did ‘thumbs up’ or peace signs, but that’s not really me. I wasn’t really comfortable enough for a ‘superman flying’ pose. So I just sat and lay there and tried not to look ridiculous. I think I look silly in most of the photos, but here are two.

And then we headed back where we had a fancy breakfast under a gazebo tent by the river. We all chatted and bonded over the unique experience.

leaving the falls behind

view of a different part of the falls and a plaque for Dr. Livingstone

A few tips:

While not necessary, I was glad I had water shoes with me as the rocks can be slippery and sharp.
Don’t wear a loose t-shirt out of modesty, as the force of the water when you are looking over the falls will push it all up around your neck. Wear a regular bathing suit or other tight-fitting bathing costume.
Sunscreen. Always.
I didn’t have one at the time, but I wished I had had a go pro or similar waterproof device, as it would have been nice to take photos and videos while sitting in the Devil’s Pool as everyone else took their turns.

It is super touristy, but it is also amazing and the guides were so good, there is nothing to worry about. I was returned to my hotel early in the morning to enjoy the rest of the day in Livingstone, which included a terrific zebra and cigar encounter.

Africa Zambia Zimbabwe Zimbabwe-Zambia 2023

Zimbabwe to Zambia: a border crossing on foot

When I was finished my time in Victoria Falls, the town, it was time for me to crossover into a new country: Zambia. There are two opportunities to visit Victoria Falls, the falls: Victoria Falls, the town, which is in Zimbabwe; and Livingston, which is on the Zambian side of the falls. Before I traveled to Victoria Falls, I had some anxiety about how best to approach the falls. Which town was the better way to see them? But that anxiety was really unnecessary. The short answer is you should visit both sides because traveling between the two cities is very easy. (The only thing to factor in is, depending on your nationality, you might need to pay for a new visa every time you enter Zimbabwe and that can get a little bit expensive. As usual though visa rules change all the time so you should check before you go.)

The view of the falls from the Zimbabwe inside is the best view, but there are more falls-related activities on the Zambian side. Plus, the town of Livingstone, I thought, was far superior to town Victoria Falls, which I just fund too touristy.

When it was time for me to leave Victoria Falls (the city) and Zimbabwe, I took a taxi from my hostel to the part of the falls where the bridge crosses over. At that point I got stamped out of Zimbabwe and then I just walked across the border.

*Me on the Zimbabwean side before starting the walk across to Zambia.*

The walk from the road to the falls is a bit of a distance and then you cross a bridge. The best thing is that when you are halfway across the bridge you were literally on the border in between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It’s one of those things that is maybe only interesting to travel and geography dorks, but I thought it was very cool. Did I take pictures? You bet I did.

*_{The road to the bridge and then crossing the bridge}*

When you get to the other side, now in Zambia, you go through immigration. Canadians don’t need a visa for Zambia, so I was expecting it to be easy. While there wasn’t a bunch of paperwork, the officer at the border did have a lot of questions for me and wanted to see my accommodations booking and my proof that I was leaving the country.

After leaving immigration there were countless taxi men hanging around to give rides. After a bit of haggling, I hired a taxi and started the drive into the city of Livingstone and to my accommodations. Here’s where things got amazing.

We were just driving along the street and all of a sudden, I saw on the side of the road two zebras. I freaked out with excitement and insisted that he pull over so I could look at them. I appreciate that for him this isn’t a big deal; I live in Canada and so it’s common to see things like bears and deer and moose, but I had never seen zebras before. Maybe in a zoo when I was little. I was delighted. Zambia was off to an excellent start.

The next day I would visit the Devil’s Pool.

Anonymous
18 December 19 at 7:00 am

I am following these post with great interest. I am planning a trip along the coast from Senegal to Nigeria and the info here is amazing. Love your hints and tips about transport as so little reliable advice available on the web otherwise. Keep posting !

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- admin
  28 December 19 at 9:58 am
  
  Cool! How exciting. I’m still working on finishing my Togo and Benin posts. Honestly, i was a bit worried about transport ahead of time, but it could not have been easier. Shared taxis and motos were everywhere and cheap.
  
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Wandering North

Ambling about Accra

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