Journey Impressions: Livingstone

Livingstone: approx. 0.10 m inhabitants (2009)
Zambia: approx. 12.6 m inhabitants
Population growth (2008): 2.3%
People per km²: 16.8
Gross national income per person in 2008 PPP: 1,230 USD


18.11.2010 Livingstone: We already noticed how very British this town looked while in the taxi on the way to the hotel. Everything looked tidy and more European. From shops to a petrol station, there was everything you would find in European or American towns. The Royal Livingstone Hotel is the best in the whole place. It is built in a classical British colonial style and located directly on the Zambezi. Butlers, but other staff too, wore the appropriate uniforms. We became aware of just how good the hotel was while having a typical British tea. It was the same standard you would expect on the Queen Mary II. We drank a toast with Moet & Chandon to celebrate the half-way point of our trip.

And by the way, in the hotel grounds you can see giraffes, zebras and a lot of monkeys. From the Zambezi, you can hear the hippos call with their unmistakable grunts. The sunset on the Zambezi is an equally unforgettable experience.

19.11.2010 Livingstone/Zimbabwe: The next morning, we wanted to visit the Victoria Falls - from the Zambian side. We set off on foot with a rucksack, a water bottle and our camera, following the hotel staff's instructions. But we weren't alone for long. As is so often the case in African countries, you get a guide, whether you want one or not. They show you and tell you about anything worth knowing and of course expect payment for it. With our guide, we really did get to the edge of the waterfall and risked a look into the deep. At the deepest point, the Victoria Falls plummet some 93 metres. On the Zambian side, the huge volume of water does plunge, but you can't see the waterfall itself as well. So we returned to the hotel and found out how to reach the waterfalls from Zimbabwe. In the afternoon at 2 p.m. we had a guide, a car and our passports. When we arrived at the border, Zimbabwe issued us a one-day visa. We were then able to see the waterfalls from the Zimbabwe side.

This was quite an impressive sight. As the photos show, it is nature at its most magnificent. The waterfall was created by the earth shifting as a result of an earthquake. How guide couldn't say how many millions of years ago that was. We were very pleased that we went to Zimbabwe too. The 220 dollars per person were justified in exchange for this experience. Really pleased with the day, we went back to the hotel, enjoyed the evening sun on the Zambezi and did some work on the PC as long as we had connectivity.