zambia continued!

yeah so the last couple of days have been pretty groovy! we paddle the upper sections of the zam, from 7.5-10, but portaging 9 as i saw a good 3 ways where you could easily die! instead we got out and sat in a little pool just meters away from all this thundering water!! was incredible!
then yesterday we paddled from rapid 1-7, and managed to huke up and paddle right below vic falls!! was so beautiful! tons of raging water crashing infront of you creating alot of mist, a giant rainbow over head and two rapids comming in from eithr side and coliding to create some interesting currents! then we headed on down, withs ome big but not to scary rapids, appart from 4 which john got completely beaten on and swam and i ended up running upside down! then when we got off the river we drove back to the backpackers lodge on top of the truck, trying to avoid low branches and electric wires, before finishing the day with a bry at a friends house lounging by the pool! well i was pratically unconscious with heat stroke, but it was still lovley!
then that brings us to today which is a rest day so we dont burn ourselves out. so im just chilling, went on a walking safari in the morning and saw all manner of animals, but no big cats =/! did you know crocadiles can dioe of stress? crazy huh?
so yeah thats what ive been up to! the next few days we are gonna paddle down the river and camp by rapid 10 and are spending new years eve by the river so should be amazing!
hope you all start the new year well!
God bless!!

ps i would get some pics up but this comp wont let me upload them!
pps yeah bobs dont worry i can pick up an AK pretty cheap on the market; the ranger today said he uses them for poachers not for animals!!

phew what an introduction to africa!

so i've been in zambia for two days now, lnading in lusaka on boxing day and im stil trying to drink in everything thats been happening over the last couple of days! we managed to get all our equipment (kayaks and all) out of the airport with little fuss then loaded them onto a slightly beaten looking minibus ready for our supposed 6 hour journey to livingston! 14 hours and 3 breakedowns later we arrived at the jollyboys travel hostel in livingsotn, having been towed the last 40! =D the journey itself was an experienc! long dusty roads, everyone shouting and waving at us as we went past because we are white.
the first shop we stopped at john and i got grabbed by some woman who we'd never seen in our lives and dragged off to be introduced to people because we are twins. then on the third and final break down the car couldnt start again and we had to wait to be rescued as nightfal rapidly approached, a tropical thunderstorm began to brew overhead and a shifty bunch of guys hung round in a group not so far away!
so yeah at the moment i think im getting a true african experience! yesterday, we paddled the lower easier rapids on the zambezi, which wasnt too challenging but still fun, with huge air to be gaied off of some of the wave trains! the river is in a gorge the hike in and out of it is hard enough, just watching the porters run up and down is incredible, as i struggle just getting myself down! today we are going to paddle from rapid 7.5 to rapid 13 and there are supposed to be some nice big play waves so i cant wait!
yeah so i think thats about all i can think to say at the moment, getting on the internet is quite hard, so i'll blog as ad when, but im safe and sound and having an amazing time and will try to get some photos up sometime!
hope everything back in blighty is going well!
God bless!

andrew