The day started early (6am) with Renee and I catching a taxi to the Zambezi Waterfront, the camp site where we were to join the Acacia tour. We met up with Serina and paid for the rafting, then had the “included breakfast” whilst getting to know some of the other Acacia people. After a comical but still very professional briefing on safety we gear up and board the purpose-built truck down to the site of the Victoria Falls. From there we walk down into the gorge to the “boiling pot” which is almost directly beneath the Falls and just after the first rapid.
The boiling pot is an ideal place to start because the water swirls in a circular motion in an alcove of sorts so we are able to practice the paddling without being thrown downstream into the raging torrent. A quick re-shuffle of places (our guide works out the optimum balance of paddling strengths) and I’m right up the front whilst Renee is closer to the back. No time for cuddles here anyway!
From that moment we’re off. How bad can this be I think to myself but after the first rapid (which is only a class three) the excitement really kicks in. We are completely drenched! As we approach each rapid, Tembo (our guide) calls out the grade of the rapid and it’s name; Devil’s Toilet Bowl, Commercial Suicide, Gnashing Jaws of Death, Overland Truck Eater, …you get the message!
About a third of the rapids are class five rapids and at one point we get stuck in the appropriately named “Muncher” for what seems like an eternity. As we “pop” out, I’m thrown overboard but manage to keep my fingers wrapped around the safety line so that I can stay with the raft. This is not as bad as it sounds…some of the other rafts have tipped and other times we’ve had to pick up other people who then jump back into their own raft between rapids where it’s a bit safer.
Before the 14th rapid we peel off to the shore and get out while the guides take the rafts down by themselves. This is a class six rapid (as high as they get) and to see these rafts being thrashed about, the guides bouncing around inside them holding on for life is an impressive display of natures power.
We then get back in our rafts and continue the 25km journey. Some times when the water is not so rough we are allowed to jump out and glide downstream along side the raft. It’s a strange experience because looking at the raft (or the other people) it feels like you’re not moving much until you look at the sides of the gorge whizzing past.
Halfway through the day we stop for lunch and it’s late afternoon before we’ve completed (and exhausted) the Zambezi rapids. We then take a long drive back to the Zambezi Waterfront to watch videos made during the day. There is a long silence as the group of thirty odd people watch our experience in the Muncher followed by cheering and an applause as we pop out.
That evening we have our Acacia pre-departure meeting and meet the 16 other people we’re going to be travelling with for 19 days. Both Renee and I are happy with the group size (which could have been up to 24). We have nice long hot showers and are in bed by 8:30, feeling the tiredness kick in but I don’t sleep as well as I expected. We’re in tents now and the thin mattresses are going to take a few nights to get used to.
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