Goodbye Chipangali, Hello Victoria Falls--Ari

Ari Day #52

May 7, 2022

Livingstone Lodge, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Hot shower. Purified water. Consistent electricity. Carpets to lie on. Warm air. I feel like we have walked into a life of luxury. Yesterday we made the 5 hour drive from Chipangali to Victoria Falls, with Micky deftly navigating our pickup through a minefield of potholes at 85 mph. After a luxurious lunch of pizza, burgers, and fries, we all took hot showers and proceeded to a sunset river cruise and dinner on the Zambezi river just above Victoria Falls. Wow, did we feel like rotten spoiled brats sitting on large, luxurious chairs, having people serve us unlimited drinks and a decadent 4-course meal. Cris had her first taste of fish for over a month; I had 4 alcoholic drinks, more than I’ve had over the entire 52 previous days of vacation; and all 4 of us reflected on the innumerable ups and downs we have experienced together over the past 3 months, starting with putting Winter down, all the way through our adventures around the globe.

Leaving Chipangali yesterday was harder than I anticipated. Saying goodbye to our fellow volunteers made me realize the unique bond we have developed over the past 2 weeks. I will miss Bar, the 22-year-old commander in the Israeli Special Forces made of 99% pure muscle and endless compassion, concern, and caring for all living things around him. After 4 years in the special forces, he has decided to go back to school with an interest in integrating bionics into humanity, currently very curious about vision and how to improve humans’ vision with bionics. His genuine nature, courage to be vulnerable, endless grit, and keen intelligence will surely lead to great things. I will miss Vince and Cerah, the 2 nurses living 45 minutes out of Kelowna, who taught us all what true compassion is, something they use daily in their professions. I will miss Hailee and Emily, 2 young bright Canadian lights in the world whose genuine concern for the animals and caring for those around them will also benefit all those who they meet. I will miss Chava, the spunky Israeli living in Brooklyn, who will endlessly challenge all around her, especially Bar. I will miss Amalia, the Israeli teacher’s assistant who isn’t afraid of anything or anyone, and will always make you laugh. And then there is Brent from Belgium. This dude had the bravery to come back to Chipangali as he previously volunteered 5 years ago. Brent's love for the animals brought him back and I'm so glad it did. He speaks like Arnold Schwarzenegger, is full of braun, yet has the heart and soul of a teddy bear. I will miss him. What was most surprising for me was how hard it was to say goodbye to the staff. Even though we only worked with each staff for ~ 2 days apiece, we developed very close and unique relationships with them. I assume it’s because they guided us through some of the most uncomfortable experiences of our lifetimes, keeping us safe and making sure we were ok at all times. That guidance through vulnerability made saying goodbye very difficult for me. Perhaps the most emotionally challenging days were doing the carnivores, and Ahmed and Washington grounded us with their gentle smiles and genuine concern for the well being of the most powerful carnivores on earth. I will miss both of them dearly. Maloomey and Alex kept us smiling and safe caring for the primates—something that can be quite dangerous without appropriate guidance. They were such good teachers, showing us how to clean cages, and also how to thatch a grass roof for the snake eagle. I will miss both of them so much. Sello, our guide through the Di Center (the domesticated animals) showed us how to really dig deep (literally) and get through 12 inches of packed hay/urine/manure in the sheep enclosures. We had so much fun working with him, and I will miss his infectious smile. Winnie and Ivan (“Vee”) walked us through 3 days of antelopes, clearing the previous day’s branches, cutting new edible branches, and then putting them in the enclosures. We also had the infamous Lentana clearing days, clearing so many prickly bushes with saws and machetes. I will miss them both. And then the Wilsons—Ryan, Micky, Nicky, and Kevin. Their resilience through the political instability and corruption over the past 50 years to keep Chipangali is truly unbelievable. They have lost the majority of their friends and family due to the political instability. Any other person would have fled Zimbabwe decades ago, however, their endless dedication to the animals keeps them at Chipangali, providing a truly unique opportunity for volunteers from around the globe. I am so grateful for all the relationships we made at Chipangali and I hope these relationships persist through distance.

So, the other 3 Ballonoff crew members swept me up to go to Victoria Falls and now we have returned after 5.5 hours of yet another truly unique lifetime experience, one that will likely make yet another core memory (how many more slots does my aging brain have for more core memories?). With the number of adventures we have experienced in the past 8 weeks, I realized my strange apathy heading one of the 7 wonders of the world this morning. While this much stimulation heightens the senses, it also drains one’s energy which led to my ho-hum attitude while heading to Victoria Falls. Well, this pathetic attitude quickly turned itself around when we walked through the entrance. It is suggested to start upstream on the falls, then make your way down the 16 viewing platforms, spread out over about 1 mile. I was immediately in awe, seeing the first part of the falls called Devil’s Falls, which literally looks like part of the ocean is falling off a 350 foot cliff. The sound is deafening and the power of nature basks in all its glory here. We then made our way down the platforms, each providing us with the famous mist from the falls. At first, the mist made you damp, but by the end the mist really was an aerated swimming pool, providing just enough air to breathe. Linden and Asher were squealing with joy as they did when they were 3 and 6 (not to mention their parents were too), something that is so wonderful to see. The falls are at their peak at this time of year, with the maximum amount of water streaming from rainfall that fell 2 months ago 1000 km upstream. The 1.7 km long falls was something I have never experienced any close to, and the cherry on top was the deer and multitude of vervet monkeys who provided entertainment between the breathtaking stops.

The last 24 hours, we have felt like vacationers rather than travelers, something I have truly enjoyed. Tomorrow we head to an even nicer hotel, Ilala Lodge, for 2 nights, followed by the true indulgence of our sabbatical, our safari at Machaba Camp. Hopefully, the contrast between Nepal/Chipangali and the safari will provide us with true appreciation of this luxury…