Tag Archives: Geography

Victoria Falls – The Smoke That Thunders

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Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls

We are so glad to be leaving Johannesburg that the thought of going anywhere else is appealing. Even a departure to Zimbabwe – yes, that Zimbabwe, land of 7000% inflation, of dictatorial rule (Our first dictator, yes!), and shortages of everything – sounded good. So we happily boarded our flight out of Jo’berg and didn’t look back, even though we’ll head back in a week.

To add to our delight somehow, magically, we ended up being bumped up to first class, providence was rewarding us for leaving Jo’berg, it’s the only explanation that makes sense. I’ve never had the privilege before, but I hope it happens again.

Flying into Vic Falls is like stepping into a movie about Africa. It looks exactly like it should – dry, flat and dusty. There’s little vegetation beyond low scrub and Acacia trees, and the locals are suitably colorful. When we checked into our rooms we asked the owner about security issues – we were coming from Jo’berg and the economy here is wrecked and far beyond anything we’ve ever experienced – she replied that you shouldn’t be out on the streets after dark because there had been reports of a male Bull Elephant prowling the area of late. We asked her again, expecting to be warned about well, you know, the locals. She dispelled any fears we had, explaining that the local population were not the type to get into that sort of trouble, and I have to say she was spot on. But Zimbabwe and it’s people, economy and government are a whole other blog entry. Let’s talk about Victoria Falls.

Victoria Falls are like Niagara Falls in that they are both huge waterfalls that divide two countries. You can view the falls from both the Zimbabwe and Zambian sides. If you come here you owe it to yourself to view them from both the Zim and Zam sides. In my opinion Zim has the better part of the falls, but the Zam side is more impressive. You can get closer, and the most dramatic views are on that side. The best view is probably from the bridge downstream on the Zambezi. The bridge is in the “No Mans Land” between Zim and Zam, which is another plus.

Vic Falls is also probably a contender for “Adrenaline Capitol” of Africa. You can do a stupid amount of stupid stuff here: Bungie Jump, Gorge Slide, Parasailing, Rafting, Parachuting, pretty much everything you can do that will get you in the hospital. In addition, if those things don’t do you in, you can go on Safari and see a bunch of animals that can put you in the hospital too.

Vic Falls should be high on your list of things to see if you’re planning to come to this side of the world. Were a bit worried we’d have trouble filling a full week here, but it wasn’t a issue at all, the Falls are a place that shouldn’t be rushed. But if you’re looking for a rush, they can provide that too.

Mongolia Notes for Budget Travelers

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Mongolian Kid and Friend

Mongolian Kid and Friend

Mongolia is a bit different than the other countries we have visited thus far. There is only one real city, UB, and there is very little infrastructure to support public transport around the country. As we mentioned in Off We Ger if you want to get out into the countryside, which is really THE reason to come to Mongolia, then you need to a) join a tour; b) hire a jeep; or c) be completely raving madand take the local long distance buses. You could also fly, but since that wasn’t remotely within our budget (boohoo), I’ve left it out.

Tours run the gamut from budget backpackers piled into Russian vans that look like VW buses to the Golden Circle gang who get flown into luxury ger camps and driven around in shiny Landcruisers. (Yes, I’m a little envious.) Many travelers join together a group of 3-4 people and hire a jeep and driver. This can work out to be a pretty good deal since you choose your route and have freedom to stop whenever and wherever you choose. Since there were only two of us and we were not organized enough to find other people to share the costs of a jeep, we skipped option b. Our disorganization and adversity to tour groups ruled out option a as well.

So as you may have read, we went with Ger to Ger, an organization that supports sustainable tourism among nomadic herders. Good organization, good philosophy, a little loose on some details, but still a very good, authentic and low cost experience. That said, taking the bus to and fro was pure, sheer, total hell like no other. And yes, I had the bruises to prove it.

In terms of lodging, outside of UB, the main choices are basic hotels, ger camps (both luxury and budget) and camping. Mongolia is excellent for camping and it’s free. Just pitch your tent and snooze. Many ger camps seem to cater to foreigners offering less authentic experiences at tourist prices. And from what I’ve heard hotels range from grotty to decent. Not a lot of luxury in this category. Lucky for us, we stayed at what may be one of the nicest guesthouses outside of UB. This was mighty welcome after a week of no showers. AND they had a cafe with a vegetarian menu. Sadly we missed the veggie burger, but did have some tasty bakery treats for the bus ride.

Within UB, pretty much the same lodging choices exist except that there are loads of guesthouses and some nicer hotels. Our guesthouse was bare bones at best, but to be honest we didn’t mind since we were the only ones there most of the time. Plus the owner was a really great guy. As always, dorms are cheaper and most places have shared baths. We paid a pretty average $16 per night for a room with a double bed (and literally nothing else!).

Food is relatively inexpensive in UB and even cheaper in the countryside, though choices are more limited there. UB has a surprising plethora of western restaurants thanks to the number of NGOs and foreign aid agencies. Though the food was inexpensive by western standards, it was a little bit more than we had been paying in China and India. Still a bargain. If you visit UB, don’t miss the weird mix of flavors at Los Bandidos – Mongolia’s only Indian-Mexican restaurant. We went three times for the nachos.

Overall, Mongolia is pretty good for budget travel. The lack of infrastructure outside of the city prohibits it from being super cheap, but we managed pretty well on an average of about $50 a day including the trek, transport, food, lodging, etc.

Modes of Travel in Mongolia

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Hell Bus 2007

Hell Bus 2007

The tricky think about Mongolia is that you have to get out of UB and into the countryside to really get a feeling for the country, but it’s hard as hell to get out of UB. The main reason for this is the road system – there isn’t one. Or rather there will be one, there are hopeful signs, they’re working on it, but right now – you can’t get 100 kilometers away from the city and be on pavement the whole time. Supposedly, once complete it will connect one end of the country with the other, and people say every year the roads are getting better, but if this is better …damn.

Your choices in leaving UB then are limited. Here they are in order of preference:

  1. Fly – Absolutely the best way to travel in a country double the size of Texas having no real road network.
  2. Train – Connecting only a few points, but safe and reliable
  3. Hire a Vehicle – If you must venture out on the Yak trails that double for roads here, hire someone to drive you, and only you to your destination and back. Expensive, but in the end worth it. There are loads of people with Land Cruisers and old Soviet era Jeeps and Vans making a living off of people just like you.
  4. Don’t Go at All – You should seriously consider this option if the above won’t work for you.
  5. Mini Bus – The worst possible option. Are you familiar with the works of Wesley Willis? “Freak-Out Hell-Bus” is a good description for the Mini-Buses in this country. Mongolians take almost everything the own with them when they travel on these damn things. The bus will be oversold by 50%, the aisles clogged with bags, and unless your sitting next to the door you’ll have to climb over seats to get out of the bus – I am not making this up.

Also, it’s good to go into Mongolia with a plan. Otherwise you’ll like spend a day or three in UB trying to figure out how to get out of UB and into the countryside. Mongolia is a great place, but getting out the the good stuff can be a drag.