As our time in Zambia comes to an end, we decided to explore the city of Livingstone as much as we could. For our second-to-last day, we explored Victoria Falls. We did a walking path through the falls, where luckily we had raincoats on because we got showered with mist from the falls. When walking through the falls, we could see lush, green scenery with many baboons playing. As we walked through the falls, the mist coming from the waterfall increased, and it soon became what felt like a heavy rainstorm. As we kept walking the path, we were able to see many views of the falls and get pictures, or really videos, of the massive waterfalls. Once done with the falls, we turned our raincoats in and shopped around the curio markets. Curio markets are places where you can buy handcrafted jewelry, wood carvings of animals, wooden bowls, and more handmade pieces. In these markets, we explored many of the shops, and many of us bought pieces to bring home to our family or to keep as souvenirs.
After the falls and curio markets, we went to lunch at a restaurant on the river. Some of us had to grab our jackets while eating due to the chill coming off the river. We appreciated the view while eating and soaked up the African sun as much as we could. Many of us conversed about our experience at the falls and what we got at the curio markets.
After lunch, we explored the city of Livingstone. Some of us went thrift shopping at some of the stores nearby, others went to the grocery store to pick up essentials, and others explored the spa to book massages for the next day. The city was easy to navigate due to our hostel, Jollyboys, being close to many city stores and activities. Gracie and Ryley even found another curio market with more handmade pieces. After exploring the city, the group relaxed near the pool and enjoyed resting before another busy day.
The next day was full of exploring more of Livingstone. To start the day, we went out to the Zambezi River to hike one mile to see the gorgeous view of the river. The hike was difficult due to the higher incline and uphill switchbacks. There were also wooden ladders we would climb at times due to the terrain being uneven. During the hike, we got many chances to take breaks, drink water, and enjoy the view. Once at the top, we had lunch and got to explore some pop-up curio shops.
After the hike, some of us went to the spa to get massages, and others went out to a bridge to explore the falls. Many who got massages described them as wonderful and relaxing. Those of us who went to see the falls got pictures and loved seeing them again. Since the falls are wide and one cannot see them all when walking the path, going to this side of the falls gave us another viewpoint that we could not see before. Since this was our last night, we went out to dinner and played our favorite game, Imposter, while waiting for food. After dinner, we stayed up and enjoyed our last night together before flying out the next morning.
A huge thank you goes out to those who helped make this experience possible. Thank you to those at the Kafakumba Training Center, Jollyboys, our wonderful drivers, our amazing instructor Professor Brooks, and WSU College of Nursing. Without the support and generosity of these people and groups, our study abroad trip would not have been possible or as enjoyable as it was. Also, shout out to Todd, Professor Brooks’ husband, for taking photos of the group throughout our time in Zambia.
