My 22nd Birthday

June 21

I could have been locked in my bedroom with nothing to do yesterday and I would have had a great day- I am just happy to have been alive to see my 22nd birthday!
I forgot to mention two tidbits about my near-drowning incident:

1) There were baby crocodiles along the river banks. When I asked the guide if it was safe to be in the same river, he said, "It's ok they're babies!", to which I replied, "Yes, I can see that. But where are their moms and dads?"
2) The rapid that nearly ended my African Adventure was called "The Terminator." I kid you not.

I'm lucky to have two nurses in my overlanding group who helped me sort out which antibiotics I needed to avoid getting pneumonia, a common side effect of near-drownings. All drugs are 'over the counter' if you're a white tourist, so no need for a prescription.

I opted for the land-based activity for my birthday, and played paintball in the Zambian bush. One of the flag bases was a tiny African village. It wasn't until we saw a 13yr old boy emerge from one of the huts with North American hip hop beats playing did we realize that people actually lived in this village. It was ironic, considering that village warfare could very well be a reality for these people.

No serious bruises to report, but as I lay in the brush taking aim at the opponent, I saw a brown snake, about 3 feet long, slither past me. Even though I had a great shot, and a handful of paint balls left, I freaked out and surrendered, running for my life out of the playing field. The locals running the game didn't know what kind of snake it was...

Later that afternoon, I set aside my newfound fear of water and braved the mighty Zambezi once again, this time on a much bigger boat on much calmer water. About 16 of us from the overland group boarded the sunset dinner cruise, or more appropriately the sunset booze cruise. We sipped our local beers and spirits while watching the sun go down on the river, cruising by a herd of bathing hippos! I got some great photos of them yawning (they can open their jaws nearly 150 degrees), revealing their massive mouths and teeth.

I was surprised with a birthday chocolate sprinkle donut by the two Canadian nurses, topped with matches (candles are hard to come by), and my tour guide got me a little stone hippo carving from a day trip into Zimbabwe.

We're heading over to see the falls later this afternoon, where I plan to trade my blister-causing flip flops for a few bracelets. I've heard the Zimbabweans are desperate for clothing, and that they love trading. Tomorrow we head to the Luangwa River and Lusaka, then to Chipata, the capital of Zambia, before crossing into Malawi.