Springfield is the capital of Illinois

Vic Falls!

Gorgeous me at the Falls!

What a surreal past few days… Faithful readers will already know I spent New Years in Livingstone. So did many many other travelers from all over. On two separate occasions I played the what’s-the-capital-of game with non-Americans who did quite well. Imagine! One was in the car with the nice family from Copperbelt who gave me a lift – one of my favorite lifts to date. And the son in turn quizzed me on Newtonian physics! (I got the questions right, don’t worry!)
But I’ve now seen Victoria Falls! Talk about surreal and amazing. Just amazing. I feel thoroughly fortunate to have spent my New Years Eve on the edge of one of the natural wonders of the world. On the edge?! Yep… I walked across part of the edge with a lovely “guide” to a point where a 10m jump will land you in angel pool. Did your end-of-year reflection take place on the edge of a gorgeous waterfall? Didn’t think so. The next day I hiked to the bottom at a point called the boiling pot – I always love a good hike.
My transport this holiday has afforded quite a few really nice rides and conversations. I really appreciate the chances to share People Corps and the work we do. It’s a sense of building community to balance out the break from solidarity.
On a personal level, PCV life lately has been surreal as well. I’ve been faced with some challenges which have ultimately been empowering and good growth experiences.
Other anecdotes from recent days: I have found Human Rights. A tuck shop on the way to the falls had a sign reading Human Rights with an arrow pointing around the corner. Boy am I glad to find them, the world is in need of all it can get. 🙂 On another adventure I discovered Mysterious Hardware. It might be a hammer?
The conclusion is that seeing Victoria Falls was amazing and I’m looking forward to bringing my family during their visit. I’m planning a surprise for my father! And yes, even when I had pizza and other America-land food choices, I still ate some nshima.