In the morning, it was time to pack up our stuff from the dorm room and move into our tent!
First off, I love camping and I love sleeping in tents! Especially, when Pam ensured that we purchased the most fluffy pillows we could find. It was actually quite ridiculous when I saw what the rest of the team was sleeping with… airplane pillows and blowup pillows? These people needed a Pam in their life, like I had! I would have been a fool like them without her.
I do not know how to ever thank Pam for that pillow.
The tents were awesome. Strong. Seemed Africa worthy. The sleeping mats were also great! I knew I was going to have some amazing sleeps on those mats.
Once we got our tents all sorted, we sat together for breakfast. Did I mention that we had a cook as part of our crew? Seriously? I did NOT know that! His name was Onary… and he was a cooking genius.
That morning, we also started learning a little more about the group at breakfast. A couple impressions:
Jac was not there because she was having an amazing adrenaline day including zip-lining, flying fox and gorge swing. We were definitely going to need to know more about this girl! She sounded awesome. Pam and I like awesome people!
Sue Ellen and Roger (who later became named “Dodgy Rogy”) were from Australia. They were a retired couple traveling the world (ie. living my future dream). I knew they were going to be great immediately. Retired travelers on an overland tour? Awesome.
Once again, this Kevin guy was no where to be found. What’s his deal?
We started the day off at the cafe down the road – they had awesome wifi. It’s sad to say but finding good wifi traveling is like finding gold. It’s hard to walk away from.
We had plans to do some stuff around Victoria Falls that day until the craziest rain storm started coming down. We stared outside. Is the tent okay? I was pretty sure we left some screens open… I decided to take one for the team and run back to the tent to ensure our belongings were safe and dry.
It was me against the storm.
I started running down the street, jumping and dodging puddles along the way. Locals yelled after me – but I did not care – I was on a mission! Then I stopped and turned around at a comment from one local in total shock.
“Hey sista!” he yelled. I could not help but stop and beam with excitement. “HEY!” I yelled back waving with the biggest smile ever – he gave me what I had been waiting for.
Let me tell you why.
Pam with her ethnicity and beautiful curly hair can look like a local everywhere we have been. People constantly ask me what Pam’s ethnicity actually is. In Africa, it was clear the locals thought that she was African American as they constantly yelled out to her “Hey Sista!” Every time, I was so disappointed because no one ever said it to me. I wanted to feel included too! I wanted to be a “sista”! I had given up hope. The more I heard it yelled to Pam, the lower my head hung in disappointment. I needed to accept the facts – no amount of tanning would ever make me look more African. I was as white as you could get.
That day, things changed for me. I knew that no matter how white I was on the outside, I too could be a sista. I walked a little taller down the street starting that day. I have that man to thank for it.
Now, where was I?
Who cares – the stuff ended up being dry…. Sometimes it’s about the journey and not the destination 😉
Later that night we headed to the campsite bar for some drinks with the group! It was a great first night with multiple groups from Africa Travel Co staying at the campground. There was plenty of people around, and needless to say, lots of bourbon.
We’re in trouble I thought. I was no longer conditioned for this kind of drinking. I barely drank in Southeast Asia!
Through it all though, we met Jac and confirmed her awesomeness! We also met the infamous Kevin who finally showed up. Apparently, even he did not know where he had been the last couple of days.
Well, he should be interesting!
That night I took my first pee outside of my tent. How the heck was I going to survive in a game park at night if I could not make it through the night with out peeing?
I needed a plan. An Africa plan!