One of a kind - Trip to Victoria Falls/Livingstone

View of the Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side, from Zambia

All work and no travel unquestionably make for a dreary life in our home.  Travel in my opinion gives us a panoramic view of life outside, lets us experience firsthand what life holds for people in other parts of the world, how much the environment influences  people and vice-versa.  As mentioned in my blog on our trip to Tanzania, we love the road less travelled but it is enjoyable sometimes to take the road frequently travelled, especially when hard-pressed for time. I have a bucket list of places to visit in Africa and  I constantly hear from friends and family of those beautiful places nestled quietly around us. It is a difficult task to set a time frame for these voyages but I love the fact-finding exercise and the idea of planning these trips as a hobby. For the time being P and I seem to be  in-sync about that mile long list, I can’t begin to think how tricky it would be otherwise.

A 23th hour design to tour Victoria Falls in Zambia ensued last month. In terms of travel, DRC posts a lot of hurdles, we are not pampered with many flight connections to other parts of Africa, our neighbour being one of them. Zambia is about an hour from here, yet there is no direct flight to its capital Lusaka from Lubumbashi, the 2nd largest city in DRC. We had to drive down to the border and across, to the nearest airport city at Ndola through the copper belt, which certainly gave P much delight. At the end of the day, we were thoroughly entertained by the drive, albeit arduous, for the diverse experience, the border protocol, the roads, the landscape, and the presence of mining companies along the way, incredible few hours I must say.  More than 24 hours, a road trip and 2 flights later we arrive at Livingstone, quaint and queer, the home of the Victoria Falls.

Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya (translated  as  ‘the smoke that thunders') is situated on River Zambezi, the 4th longest  river in Africa, neatly dividing Zambia and Zimbabwe. Dr David Livingstone, a Scottish missionary and doctor is the 1st known European to view the Falls from the only piece of land that is accessible on the Victoria Falls, now called the Livingstone Island. He named the breathtaking sight Victoria Falls after the Queen of England. Victoria Falls is twice the height of Niagara and 500metres wider; Niagara is  however 1.5 greater in terms of the mean annual flow rate.

We stayed at the Zambezi Sun, a resort placed idyllically in the midst of the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park and only 500metres from the Victoria Falls. A few terracotta coated  array of suites  adorning the manicured lawns and plenty of greenery all  around, impalas, zebras, giraffes and monkeys going about their routine within the resort without a care in the world, this place makes for a perfect setting for relaxation and rejuvenation.  On the other side, their Activity centre provides us the most wonderful menu in an attempt to  bring out the 'adrenaline junkie' in each one of us.

A perfect holiday, short and sweet, tranquil yet adventurous, a visual treat most of all, hopefully the picture postcards ( some have turned out more elongated than their originals, post upload ) that follow will tell the story as beautifully as our experience was.

Road to Kasumbalesa, DRC-Zambia border

Flight from Ndola to Lusaka

View from Lusaka Airport, a wet day

On our way from the Livingstone airport to the hotel

Located 500metres from the Victoria Falls

My favourite place in the room

View from the balcony

An array of suites

The first glimpse of the Falls

The Knife Edge bridge

Lovely view from the bridge

Dr David Livingstone

The restaurant

Poolside

Impalas within the resort

View of the mist from the Falls from the helipad

Ready for the flight

Bird's eye view of our resort and the Falls

The Victoria Falls bridge connecting Zambia (left) & Zimbabwe (right)

River Zambezi flowing into the gorge

The Victoria Falls bridge again, Zam on the right and Zim on the left

A rainbow, adding to the spectacle

Local musicians adding flavour at the portico

The Reception

Souvenir stores hidden away

Watching a horde of monkeys arriving into the resort

A sunset cruise

A Hippo having a splash

Sunny, serene, sunset on the horizon, one with nature

And an in-house bar

Lovely!!!

Busy bees...no hippos!!!

A patch of land bifurcating Zambezi

On the widest part of the river

Shore on this side

Sunset on the other

Waiting to be transferred to Royal Livingstone, the sister hotel

A corridor at the resort

Waiting at the pier deck of Royal Livingstone, the misty Falls at a distance

Approaching Livingstone island

A 'Treasure island' moment at Livingstone island

On the edge

Fierce

Zambezi all serene...

...before it plummets down the gorge

A 5 course lunch awaits

Back for a walk by the Victoria Falls

Beautiful pathway

Green and misty

Absolute edge

Inbetween Zambia and Zimbabwe

Cannot get closer

A sight to behold

Following the rainbow

On the Knife Edge bridge

By the Reception

Still and dark, the restaurant

A Zebra walking past us at the resort

A giraffe doing the rounds

Microlight flights waiting for us

Am taking off

Like a bird in the sky

Over River Zambezi

P getting strapped in

Waving out to me

Over Victoria Falls

Zambezi changing course, from the road

An invitation to High tea at Royal Livingstone

An awesome spread

Starting with mini quiches

View from the verandah

Lounging in the garden

View of the pier

Atop the Victoria Falls bridge

Double rainbow, can it get better???

The gorge between Zimbabwe and Zambia

Steam engine train tranferring passengers between the 2 countries

The placard says it all

The sun sets on our wonderful holiday

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things" - Henry Miller

Mission Impossible - as I see it!!!

Joseph Kabila vs Etienne Tshisekedi

I may be called pessimistic, for having used the word impossible but for someone who lives around this mission, I can’t see it any other way.

I had been fervently looking forward to DRC2011, as the elections are referred to, just the 2nd democratic elections in a Country that has fought back-to-back civil wars, a Country that sits at the bottom of the UN’s development index, a Country that is also rich to the brim with copper, cobalt, diamonds and gold. My excitement emanates from my desire to experience the process in a new format, as an expat, to see how different they are from the elections back home, understand the protocol, the promises they hold, how charismatic and iniquitous the politicians can be and the whole nine yards. Must say they have exceeded every expectation I had etched in my mind in terms of an adventure but this is the story of a Country in turmoil, a very sad painful story indeed.

I can’t count how many times in the past 20 months I have said, I feel safe and secure in Lubumbashi, how quiet and peaceful my home is, even during the election pandemonium, not much has changed, thanks in part to Lubumbashi being the President’s bastion. I don’t feel fear, not even when people talk of how gory it could get. To me these stories are a thing of the past, never to ensue again. When friends said, I should pack a suitcase, witticism took over and I immediately checked into my shoe and bag closet. What should I carry with me? Even before I made my decision, I thought of my jewellery (nothing precious), yet very precious to me. Will I have space for my clothes? I was jolted back to reality and I said, “No, am not packing anything”. I will cross the bridge when I come to it. Brave words? No!!! I truly feel safe and secure. Nothing is as important as life, so if I have to flee, I will, memories cannot be replaced but material things can. However, I refuse to live with fear, like I mentioned in an earlier blog, “Every man dies, not every man lives”.

I feel part of a Bond movie when a hideout is planned with the others in our group, in the event of a calamity. I did have a question, “Why would they attack an independent house with a couple of inmates instead of a large building, which provides shelter to more than just a couple?”  I am not being sarcastic, it is a genuine question. There is a new gadget in the house, another toy for the boy, a ‘walkie talkie’ as they call it.  P immediately gets down to his 007 ways, giving it a thorough inspection and calling a couple of people in his newly acquired baritone voice, while I think of the cliché, “Men never grow up”. A policeman is appointed to guard our property. I feel absolute dislike for the man and his gun. He sleeps away all day and night and I definitely don’t want to be the one to wake him up. The Policeman’s alibi, his substitute seems more energetic. Unfortunately he gets punched in the eye while dodging a few opposition supporters. Poor man, his bloody eye is a cause for a lot of pain, so much for being armed. His uniform did him in, I reckon. His employers do nothing for him, not even food is provided. We send him to the company hospital for treatment and am happy, he was responding well to it. If not for my own health issues, I might have considered going out to experience the silence surrounding the mammoth event, am sure most people would call me cocky but it truly makes me happy that for once am letting life embrace me and not the other way around.

D day arrives, security forces hold fort, seemingly to protect, makeshift military camps scare the living daylights out of people, despite that,  a few incidents are reported in Lubumbashi, I still believe there's nothing to worry about. The city is muffled the rest of the day, not many people are lurking around, they cast their votes and get back to the comfort of their homes. The capital, Kinshasa witnesses a lot more, my heart goes out to those who have made the place their home, an opposition bastion with the republican guards ruling the roost. We do not have newspapers and local TV at home, not that we would understand much from the visuals, the language is still alien to us. I resort to Twitter, a forum I visit sporadically. I cannot stress how significant the forum has become ever since. News travels faster than lightening, directly from journalists, experts, patriots, self proclaimed freedom fighters, from within and outside, all crying foul at the loopholes that could swallow the Country on their own.  What Twitter has done for the elections is unparalleled.

The Country falls silent as counting begins, people in Lubumbashi are confident that the incumbent President, Joseph Kabila would win, as confident as those in Kinshasa who believe Etienne Tshisekedi the main opposition leader would become the new President. Reports are already rife that irregularities are hard to ignore, was expected but not the extent of it. The opposition has called for the elections to be annulled after widespread reports of rigging, fictitious voting booths, marked ballot papers and missing names. A large number of people have not received their voting cards in time, including my housekeeper who leaves early from work every day for two weeks to chase after CENI (Commission Electorale Nationale Independante RD Congo) officials for a voting card. She is turned away by security personnel every day, in the end she is unable to exercise her right to vote. She looks for cover whenever she spots a hint of a policeman, those along with military personnel are the most menacing she informs, fears they would harass her for not possessing a card, despite her best efforts. Crucify her for trying to exercise her civic right and duty. Their right to vote has been robbed by faceless people, they claim, ballot papers strewn all over, flying around like waste paper, buried under the slush from the rains, many just left to decay around the warehouse where counting goes on at a feverish pace. People wait with bated breath, most are sure of what to expect, those with divergent views haven’t lost hope for their candidates either. While the counting goes on, voters in some remote areas are still voting and waiting to vote.

The day the provinsional results are to be announced, the Country is on its edge, the electorate praying for its candidates and for a better future, the security forces waiting to pounce on anyone who dares to raise his voice in disapproval and opposition candidates ready with their call for annulment. Official reports indicate 18 people have died from post-election violence, and excesses by republican guards continue in opposition territories. Unofficial reports have put the figure way up, with bodies being carried away in trucks after dark. All in vain, it is announced at the end of the day that the results would be delayed by 48 hours. The delay is blamed on logistic problems, consequentially the delay in computing results. No one is more disappointed than I am, what a tame end to one of my most exhilarating days in Lubumbashi so far. I refuse to sleep till I know for sure. When journalists from Kinshasa confirm, I hit the bed.

The delay has been welcomed by the opposition, a small consolation for their call of fraud. With the constitutional deadline not having met with, there is talk that the incumbent President can’t hold office anymore. While the media and other wise men speculate, common sense prevails; he will hold office till the official announcement is made on the elections. I talk to my staff about what the dreams are for themselves. They are actively behind their man, President Kabila but also reveal they hope this term is about change, better infrastructure, some 'freebies' in school, better health facilities, the basics really, of water, power and transport. I also add better education for them, so they understand the larger the family is, tighter their purse strings are. I did try my bit to educate them about family planning earlier, what I got in return, “Children come from above”. I had to rest my case. They call Etienne Tshisekedi a tyrant, a man who still carries Mobuto's torch; they want none of the remnants. They love and hero worship their President for his quiet demeanour, the man who looks dapper in his crisp business suits, the man who has made peace with the 9 neighbours DR Congo has, the man who they say holds a candle for them. Fingers crossed!!!

I learn early that the results are expected at 11am, this time my excitement is muted. I get my ‘twitter’ on and I sit glued with my laptop, journalists say all concerned are in attendance at the CENI office in Kinshasa except the protagonist. Time passes by; impatience is swapped with some good humour and funny anecdotes. Finally it is informed that the Election Commission Chief, Pastor Daniel Ngoy Mulunda who is expected to announce the results is off for an extended lunch. Wonder what he ate ahead of his finest hour. He starts his speech by mentioning all the helping hands, delegates, the dignitaries, the observers, the workers, the staff, the list is not complete, he goes on and on. Mid way he decides to distribute DVDs to those present, supposedly containing the verdict, very innovative but would he kindly announce, people have other things to do. After almost an hour he starts announcing them, province by province. He is most certainly enjoying his 15 minutes of fame. Finally…the winner is announced, "The President of the Country…is…Joseph Kabila with 49% votes, with Etienne Tshisekedi coming in second at 32%".  Albeit expected, there was still an air of anticipation for Tshisekedi from his trusted lieutenants.

The final announcement is a damp squib after all the animation and adventure the elections take us through. Kinshasa is stunned to silence while Lubumbashi erupts with the Presidential Guard firing in the air in honour of their hero and streets filling with noisy celebrations, car horns, singing and dancing. What a celebration on one end and what sadness on the other! Incidents of violence are reported from Kinshasa and other opposition territories, clashes between protesters and security forces are on. While Etienne Tshisekedi and his supporters call the elections a farce, President Kabila prefers silence to speech.

In the immediate aftermath, Etienne Tshisekedi has announced that he is the new President, in his estimate he has won with 53% of the votes to Joseph Kabila’s 26%. While he has refused to file a petition in the Supreme Court against the verdict, his rival in the elections and now his ally Vital Kamerhe has filed an appeal, to declare the elections null and void. Not much has been said by the International community before or after the elections this time around, as compared to the 2006 elections. The Carter Charter, which supervises the elections has pointed out that irregularities are rampant but there could not have been a change in the winner, the lead of 3 million is the justification. It is common knowledge that the International community favours Joseph Kabila for obvious reasons; Etienne Tshisekedi is a populist leader within the Country but is known as a ruffian outside.

While we hang on for the results to be officially announced on the 17th, all of us  know who is going to be crowned, the Supreme Court justices are Kabila loyalists afterall. However, one can be rest assured that the opposition will protest and take to the streets. While Tshisekedi has called for calm, he has also declared openly that a North African kind of uprising might be called for by his supporters as a result of the disappoitment, following the elections.

While Joseph Kabila is an astute politician at 40 with a sharp business acumen, one must understand that he has been trained for war, is no rabbit when it comes down to it, one must also remember that  Etienne Tshisekedi, although a seasoned politician at 78, known as a loud mouthed tug, always ready to fight for his Countrymen, is no Robin Hood.

Nothing can prepare us for this one, come what may!!!

Don't ask, Don't tell !!!

There are topics that are foreign to us but the lack of familiarity hardly stops us from airing our asinine opinions, incoherent and ill-informed, most times. One such topic is homosexuality. Everybody has a view on it, many a time so insensitive, one forgets the humane aspect. Am not going to define homosexuality, I presume readers know what homosexuality means. In a world of media paroxysm, ignorance is not bliss anymore. This subject is as germane as global economy, poverty and sickness, climate change and other developmental issues of today. Times have changed certainly, the unprecedented evolution of the Gay community in arts, media, politics and entertainment has transformed cultures and consciousness of people all over, giving homosexuals the podium they deserve. Their emergence as a force has also resulted in appropriate emphasis being laid on the aetiology, treatment and psychological aspects concerning homosexuality. However this is just a fragment of the whole untold story.

Am not a whiz on religion, so I will not get into the religious aspect of this subject but it is common knowledge that no religion preaches discrimination of any sorts. Scientists have concluded after thorough research that homosexuality cannot be ‘cured’ as hoped by religious groups. It is not a mental illness as some people perceive it to be. The causes for homosexuality have not been clearly understood but most modern scientists have found enough evidence to suggest that genetics, the effects of pre-natal hormones while developing in the mother’s womb and environment have a big influence in the sexual orientation of a person. It is known that heterosexuality is backed by a theory as well but hasn’t been discussed in as much detail, hence the notion that homosexuality as sexual orientation is out of the ordinary. The question still lingers, Nature or Nurture !!!

When a homosexual person keeps his sexual orientation to himself, he is deemed to be ‘closeted’.When he comes out in the open about his sexual orientation he is deemed to have‘come out of the closet’. In a world where homosexuality carries a tag, I can’t fathom why someone would want to ‘come out of the closet’ when he feels unprepared to face the cynics. Homosexuals are often subjected to heartlessness, intimidation and provocation, giving them more than one reason not to ‘come out’.It basically stems from the attitude of the people around, the assumptions from the lack of knowledge, the lack of tolerance from family, friends and acquaintances, co-workers and the general public who strangely have no relationship with the person in question. How can harassment of any nature make it uncomplicated for a person to live a normal life let alone as a homosexual?

Most of us are raised in heterosexual environments, in households where men bring in the bacon and women bind the household together. Growing up homosexual in such an environment without a doubt results in confusion and uncertainty, fear of being discriminated against and fear of being ostracised in the event of coming out. Most of us belong to families and societies, which have much to say in the event of a crisis, not to forget the sadistic pleasure one derives in witnessing the downfall of a family or a person. Each wants to be superior to the other. In very few cases does the family come together after an event of such gargantuan proportions, in most cases it creates emotional distress for whole family.

Many researchers have discussed theories and models of the development of homosexual identity. The most prominent among them is Dr Richard R Troiden’s four step sociological model of homosexual Identity formation, the stages being Sensitisation, Identity Confusion, Identity Assumption and Commitment. In the first stage, which happens before puberty he describes children feeling ‘different’ from their peers of the same gender, this has more to do with gender identity than sexuality. It is common for parents to pull children away from activities that are not perceived to be in tune with their gender. Children who display non-conformist behaviour are often coerced by parents to follow the norm, resulting in confusion and assuming heterosexual identity. This is when the feeling of inversion begins, a conflict of gender assumption arises, resulting in decline of self esteem and alienation. While they do not consider themselves heterosexuals anymore, they don’t identify as being homosexual either. In the third stage they embark upon a self identification process along with being presented an identity by their other homosexual peers, the process of coming out to themselves and to their peers. This is the process of self recognition and acceptance. The final stage is when the person assumes the lifestyle and choices of a homosexual, starts feeling comfortable in his identity.

Homosexuality is here to stay and society is gradually realising the same and making a change towards the positive. However, I believe the change has to start from the family. How can we expect the society to accept a person’s sexual orientation, when such acceptance is not forthcoming from the family? Most homosexuals feel vindicated once their family has accepted them for who they are. We face a lot of discrimination in the world, socio-economic, racial, gender, albeit changes over time, we recognise these discriminations still exist. We live in a homophobic society, we must acknowledge discrimination against homosexuals will be around for a while but we must not stop hoping for the better.

We are all part of the circle of life, there are ups and downs, parallels and perpendiculars, confirmations and contradictions we deal with, everyday of our lives. In the confines of this big circle, we ought to live with respect for humanity most of all, the rest will follow on its own.

It could be your child, show compassion!!!