Livingstone, Zambia: Dining with the locals

So there I was, wandering on my own at the Victoria Falls. I visited the place on the third week of October which was not the best time of the year to do so. It was summer and water levels were low. That goes without saying that I did not get to see Mosi-o-tunya (the smoke that thunders) at its best. The thunder was definitely there. I can still hear the waters crash and roar as they plummet down the gorge. The smoke wasn't. Just as I expected.

I was a bit disappointed, really. I have been planning the trip for so long. Having had to cancel plans twice due to unforeseen circumstances, I made sure to go  when the next opportunity presented itself. Nothing was stopping me--not the summer season, not the guys at the border office and definitely not the two bus breakdowns on my way to Lusaka.

Visitors, to be able to see the grandeur of Mosi-o-Tunya, should visit on the early days of the rainy season (January or February) or right at the start of the dry season (May-June). That way, the falls would still be visible and not hidden by the mist.

Still, what I saw of was impressive. What more if it was the rainy season? All that water flowing down the precipice spanning at least 1.7 kilometers, straddling two countries.It would be a magnificent sight. My friend who visited the place on April, right smack in the middle of the rainy season, had to wear a poncho because of all the spray. It is no wonder it is considered as one of the seven wonders of the natural world.

Anyway, it appears that the highlight of the day was not the falls itself but the fact that I got invited to dinner in a complete stranger's home. How did it happen, you ask me? There I was at the view deck all by my lonesome self where I was joined by a lady with her two nieces. Being the Filipino that I am, I needed a photo of me with the falls in the background which she obligingly took. I then offered to take their photo and that apparently broke the ice. In no time at all, we were chatting and I was invited for dinner at their place. Call me cynical but I would never ask somebody whom I met for the first time to my home for dinner. Maybe, a shared meal at a restaurant or a fastfood but never at my home. It still baffles me that it happened to me. How can people be so trusting? Well, humanity never ceases to amaze. At the end of the day, it was just me and the family cooking together, getting to know each other and learning about each other's culture. Not even Mosi-o-Tunya can beat that experience.